Introduction to Biblical Meditation (Part IV)
As we have been looking at the Christian’s true practice and significance of meditation, we need to review one of the most well known and basic forms of meditation for the believer. Psalm chapter 1 helps us understand the holistic aspects of what God designed medication to do.
Psalms 1:1-6 “1 Blessed [is] the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 4 The ungodly [are] not so, But [are] like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
Let us break this down.
Right at the start we see that God is connecting a blessing to those who meditate on His Word, and a warning on what not to focus on. Psalms 1:1 “Blessed [is] the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” To understand the blessing, we must first understand the warning. God’s warnings in verse one help identify the blessings.
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the council of the ungodly”, this means there is ungodly people who are taking council together. This word “Council” in Hebrew means “ay-tsaw” which means to advice, implications, and plan. So God is telling us that we are not to seek advice from the ungodly.
“Nor Stands in the path of sinners.” The word “stands” comes from the word “aw-mad” in Hebrew which means to stand in various relations, abide, appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue to dwell, and be present with. Now you might quickly think, “How can we not be near those who are sinners in this world?” We know from scripture that Jesus Christ recognized that we would be in this sinful world, John 17:14-15 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” So what does this mean? Simply put, we are not to practice or stand with them in their sin. If someone was to say “All those who are drunkards please stand, we should not be accounted in that fellowship.” When they practice sin, we should not be a part of it.
When we are not part of these two groups, we see that God immediately blesses the person.
Yet, now we come to the aspect of which the heart of a Christian is revealed. “But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.” There is a key part that we need to understand. Meditation does not make you a friend of God. You see that before meditation the Christian has already found their delight in the law of the Lord. This implies they know the Word, that they understand that they are sinners, and are in need of a savior: Jesus Christ. It is only here do we start to pursue meditation. This process is further backed up with Proverbs 9:10“The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One [is] understanding.” You see, meditation is something that will not bring about salvation of the person, it is something for those already saved to use as a building utensil for furthering their understanding of God. However, what does meditation do? For that we come to verse three.
“He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.” Here we see that those who meditate day and night, continuously keeping focused on the Lord, and wanting to understand and apply God’s word in their daily lives are planted. This word “planted” comes from the Hebrew word, “Shaw-that” which means to be a root transplanted. This is the first time in the Bible this word is used, and God identifies that we were not naturally placed next to the source of life. This implies our history of not being saved, of not having the source of life with us. Yet, as a believer we are transplanted and are saved. This underscores the first rule of Christian meditation; that the individual must be saved prior to proper meditation. Meditation does not contribute in any way towards salvation.
Mediation does bring forth fruit in its season. Fruit here is talking about the Hebrew word, “per-ee” which directly means fruit. The fact the description of “season” strengthens the argument the writer is describing fruit as the image the reader should understand. What does this mean to you and I? It means, that like different kinds of fruit; when we study God’s word and meditate on it, the fruit is diverse but practical for the season we are in. This is a promise that God’s word is practical in any time of our life. We can find something that will help us in any stage, environment, and/or event we are facing. God’s word is alive. When we come to understand this, we see why the second part of the blessing is so unique, “whose leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper.” When the fruit comes to blossom in its season, God will make sure it is adequate for you and I. It is why John 16:7, 12-13 states, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you…I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear [them] now. 13 “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own [authority,] but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”
When we meditate on the word of God we find ourselves with fruit for the precise moment that we need it in life. God continues to encourage this practice by establishing a comparison between those who cannot meditate because they are not His.
Psalms 1:4-6 “The ungodly [are] not so, But [are] like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
The ungodly cannot stand in the presence of what life brings, and are blown away because of it. Now you might be wondering, “I see ungodly all the time and they look like they are doing just fine.” But remember the next part of this verse, “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” This is also a promise of God. Judgement here is discussing the Bema Seat Judgement which Paul gives greater details throughout His epistles, but sinners will not be given this opportunity nor have the luxury of being with the righteous. God is promising that while it might appear they are doing well, and even though you can walk in their council or stand with them it is not recommended since their end result is already sealed. God cares for mediation, but not at the expense of salvation, it is why He ends the chapter with Psalms 1:6 “For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Meditation if used inappropriately, can cause a self assurance of righteousness. God wants to make sure that we know meditation is for those who are already saved in Jesus Christ. Meditation helps us bring fruit in the right time of our life. So the next time you hear of meditation practices or hear about someone’s experience, take it back to the word of God and see if it connects to what we see here in Psalm 1.
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL