Thoughts for the Day

Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.

The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

We're going to take a "wander" through the book of Psalms as set for Morning or Evening Prayer in the Lectionary. I will include a symbol (↠) to indicate a comment or question for us to think about..

The book of Psalms is the main body of poetry in the Old Testament, though frequently the Hebrew scriptures breaks out into poetry at other times. Verses have strong and weak syllables with two or three in a short phrase or sentence. Sometimes second lines reinforce the first line, and sometimes answer it. This is probably why it works so well in say a cathedral choir with each side singing different lines of the verse.

The 150 psalms began as five books (starting with numbers 1, 42, 73, 90, and 107), and there is evidence that these were used by different groups. Some books largely use Elohim for God, and others Yahweh, meaning Lord. Later these were used in the Temple with different psalms ascribed to "the sons of Korah"or to "Asaph", separate leaders of different Temple guilds, and with others ascribed to "the choirmaster".

Psalm 1 was likely written specially as an introduction to the whole Psalter. It reminds all who read or sing the psalms that God called the Hebrew people to join Him in a covenant, and that there were only two ways to go forward into the future. They could follow the instruction and counselling of the Law, and grow in maturity, or they could reject God's way and face His condemnation.

↠ The final word "perish" can mean many things - the end of course of action or possibly a road; or of creatures that get lost; or of people and achievements that come to grief. But which path shall we choose? There is no third way in life!

Lord Jesus Christ,
may we realise that it is a daily choice
that we must make,
to follow Your way
or to follow the way to destruction.
When we make a wrong choice
guide us back to You again
and forgive us, we pray.
Amen.