1. Priceless Psalms Series
Peter Fitch, St. Croix Vineyard
July 22, 2018

2. Summer Series, Several Priceless Psalms1 22 23 42 63 73 91

3. Psalm 1: The Two Ways (NRSV)
1 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; 2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,     and on his law they meditate day and night. 3 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.

4. Psalm 1
4 The wicked are not so,     but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,     nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,     but the way of the wicked will perish.

5. Teaching of the Psalm There are 2 large groups of people on the earth
Those who reject the chance to do evil, draw near to God however they can, and live out of a secret flow of life that He gives
Those described as wicked, as sinners, and as scoffers
Raises questions about just who fits into each category
Also raises questions about everyone’s ultimate destiny

6. Fascinating “The wicked will not stand in the judgment”
“Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous”
Makes you wonder if the author has ever been to church!
Also, so interesting that it doesn’t say that the wicked will perish; rather, it says that their way will end
I think this indicates that the wickedness will one day be cleaned away from all of us
The Psalm seems to suggest that it would be good to start now!

7. Parallel Passage: Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NASB)
5 Thus says the Lord, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 “For he will be like a bush in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt without inhabitant.

8. Jeremiah 17:5-8
7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord And whose trust is the Lord. 8 “For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.

9. Does God have favourites? YES and NO
We are told that He is absolutely impartial and that He has no favourites at all
On the other hand, there are some indications that He does have favourites . . .

10. An analogy: Plato’s Republic
A society that produced and was led by Philosopher-Kings
Not chosen for lineage or wealth
Chosen instead as part of a meritocracy: the best people of each generation are carefully groomed to lead

11. Excerpt from Learning to Interpret toward Love
One of God’s main concerns in this part of the Old Testament is to help His people understand that the moralities of the ancient Egyptians (where they were slaves) and those of the ancient Canaanites (whose land they were set to invade) were not yet in line with His desires. He wanted something better, kinder, more just, and more gracious for His people. In fact, it seems as though He begins His dealings with the Israelites by setting boundaries of exclusion that He will later soften, just as soon as they learn something about His nature and will.

12. “No” to Favourites!
This seems very much like parenting to me: “Don’t play in the road!” will become “Hold Mommy’s hand while we cross the street.” Finally, it will be something like: “Remember to fill-up the gas tank before you come home!” God’s love looks as though it is only for the Israelites until they are grown up enough to hear that He actually loves all the peoples: “Are you not as the sons of Ethiopia to Me, O sons of Israel?” declares the Lord. “Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt, And the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?” (Amos 9:7)

13. “No” to Favourites!
Sometimes people are still being childish as they read the Bible and think that God loves only Israel, or that the Israelites have such a special place in His heart that He assists them in ruthless treatment and domination of other lands. Sometimes people transfer this kind of special relationship to their own nationalities and think that God is “for” them in a way that He is not for others. There are various ways of rationalizing this kind of belief system, but it has nothing to do with a mature relationship with the living God of the Bible.

14. “Yes” to Favourites!
I think there is a way that God does “play favourites” but it has nothing to do with political systems. Rather, it’s for those who whole-heartedly wish to do His will in the world. There are quite a few passages that support this idea:  
. . . those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed (1 Samuel 2:30). 
. . . the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you (2 Chronicles 15:2).

15. “Yes” to Favourites!
For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His (2 Chronicles 16:9).
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

16. Psalm 1: The Two Ways (NRSV)
1 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; 2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,     and on his law they meditate day and night. 3 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.

17. Psalm 1
4 The wicked are not so,     but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,     nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,     but the way of the wicked will perish.