The Lord Knows Us
Psalm 1:4-6
“The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
Today we will finish looking at Psalm 1. It is my prayer and hope that you will take time to read and meditate on this chapter often and if you can, memorize it. It will be a constant reminder of the path to God’s blessings upon your life. Remember we learned from this chapter that there are two men, two ways, and two destinies. The very first word of the chapter is “Blessed”. The last word of the chapter is “Perish”. Every day we will make the choice as to which path we will take.
I especially want to look at the last verse in this chapter today. First, “the Lord knows the way of the righteous…”. The word "know" in the Bible means much more than the mental understanding indicated when we say, "I know the names of the twelve disciples." In addition, to “know” carries the idea of choosing and caring. The word know is used, as in Amos 3:2, to mean "to choose, to enter into covenant relationship with, to be personally acquainted with.”
The Apostle Paul told Timothy, "The Lord knows those who are His" (2 Tim. 2:19). In John 10:14-15, Jesus said, "I know my sheep... As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father". This should bring great assurance and comfort to our hearts realizing how much God loves and cares for us. We are never out of His sight (Psalm 139).
But the opposite is true for the ungodly and unrighteous person. Christ's statement to the lost is, "I never knew you, depart from me…" (Matt. 7:23). But the ungodly have "turned every one to his own way" (Isa. 53:6). The path of the righteous leads to glory (Prov. 4:18), but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
“The Lord knows the way of the righteous”. According to Ephesians 2:10, He has planned it and marked it out: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”. The Lord keeps His eyes upon the righteous as they walk this way. The life of the godly person is an eternal plan of God! What he says, where he goes, what he does—all of these have eternal consequences.
It is so interesting that we find a parallel passage of Psalm 1 in the Epistle of 1 Peter 3:8-12: “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil."
Verse 6 sets before us the familiar teaching of the "two ways." Jesus concluded His Sermon on the Mount with this picture (Matt. 7:13-29), and we see it mentioned throughout the Book of Proverbs (Prov. 2:20; 4:14; 4:24-27; etc.). Why are the ungodly lost? Because they will not submit to Christ and His Word. They prefer the counsel of the ungodly to the "whole counsel of God" in the Word (Acts 20:27). They prefer the friendship of godless people to the congregation of the righteous. They spend their days thinking about sin, not about the Word of God (Gen. 6:5). They think they are secure in the earth—but they are only chaff!
In conclusion, how can the believer practice Ps. 1:1-3? It begins with surrender to the Lord, a daily surrender of all that we are and all that we have (Rom. 12:1-2). It involves spending time with God's Word, reading it and meditating upon it. It means living a life separated from the world (not isolated, of course, but separated from its defilement). It demands a life with roots that draw upon the hidden resources of God. What a blessed life, one that gives satisfaction here and hereafter.
God bless!