Question 1

What does it mean to not walk in the counsel of the ungodly?

Accepted Answer

Not walking in the counsel of the ungodly means you do not shape your life by advice that leaves God out or opposes what he says. The picture is of someone refusing to let godless thinking guide their steps, choices, and values. Instead of taking in ideas that push toward sin or unbelief, this person filters advice through God’s word. It does not mean avoiding all contact with unbelievers, but it does mean not letting their values and plans become the roadmap for your life.

Question 2

Why does this passage use walk, stand, and sit to describe sin?

Accepted Answer

Walk, stand, and sit show a slow slide into deeper sin. First a person walks in the counsel of the ungodly, listening and going along. Then they stand in the way of sinners, staying longer and sharing the same path. Finally they sit in the seat of the scornful, settled and at ease in mocking what is good. The steps warn us that drifting from God rarely happens all at once. Small compromises grow into a fixed, proud resistance if we do not turn back.

Question 3

What does it mean to delight in the law of the Lord and meditate day and night?

Accepted Answer

To delight in the law of the Lord means you truly enjoy God’s word and see it as good, not as a burden. Meditating day and night is more than a quick glance at a verse. It means turning God’s words over in your mind often, remembering them, and letting them shape how you think and live. This person keeps Scripture close at all times, going back to it in the quiet moments of the day and in the night, drawing steady guidance and comfort from it.

Question 4

What is the meaning of the tree planted by rivers of water?

Accepted Answer

The tree planted by rivers of water is a picture of a person whose life is rooted in God and his word. A tree with a steady water supply does not dry up in heat. It grows, stays green, and bears fruit at the right time. In the same way, someone who delights in God’s law and keeps near to him is nourished by his grace. Their life shows real fruit in season, their faith does not wither, and God makes what they do truly useful and lasting in his sight.

Question 5

How are the ungodly like chaff that the wind drives away?

Accepted Answer

Chaff is the light, dry husk around grain that farmers throw into the air so the wind blows it away. It has no weight or root and is easily scattered. The passage uses this to describe the ungodly. They may look strong for a time, but their way has no lasting substance before God. When his judgment comes, they will not endure or remain with the righteous. The picture warns that a life turned away from God ends in emptiness and being swept away.

Question 6

What does it mean that the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment?

Accepted Answer

Saying the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment means they will not be able to hold their ground or be approved when God examines all lives. Their excuses and outward show will fall away, and their guilt will be clear. They will not share in the gathering of the righteous whom God accepts. This points ahead to a final day when God separates those who trusted and obeyed him from those who refused him, and only the righteous, known by the Lord, remain in his secure company.

Question 7

What does it mean that the Lord knows the way of the righteous?

Accepted Answer

When it says the Lord knows the way of the righteous, it is more than bare awareness. It means God watches over, approves, and cares for their path. He is not distant from their struggles and choices. Their way is open before him, and he commits himself to guard and guide it. In contrast, the way of the ungodly is on its own and ends in ruin. This gives comfort that a life aimed at pleasing God is never unseen or wasted, even when it is hard.

Question 8

How does this passage show the difference between the righteous and the wicked?

Accepted Answer

The passage sets two lives side by side. The righteous avoid sinful influence, delight in God’s law, and think about it constantly. Their life is like a planted tree, steady, nourished, fruitful, and enduring. The wicked ignore God, follow their own way, and end up like chaff, weightless and blown away. One path leads to lasting blessing under God’s care. The other leads to exclusion from the righteous and final ruin. The contrast is meant to make us examine which path we are walking.

Question 9

How can I apply this psalm about the blessed man to my life today?

Accepted Answer

You can apply this by first checking whose counsel you follow. Ask if the voices shaping your choices line up with God’s word. Then build a habit of delighting in Scripture, not just reading it quickly, but thinking about it during the day, praying over it, and letting it correct you. Be careful about settling into patterns of sin or mocking what God calls good. Seek to be like the planted tree, staying close to God’s grace so your life bears real, timely fruit that lasts.

Psalm 1:1

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

The Two Paths

The Two Paths

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Psalm 1:1

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

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The Two Paths

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