Psalms 1 - 41
1. MEDITATIONS & ANTHEMS:
Reflections on themes and spiritual truths.
Historical reflections.
War reflections.
2. MONOLOGUES: One person voicing his spiritual experience in lyric form.
3. SONGS: Celebrations on GOD and spiritual things.
4. HYMNS: Worship expressions.
5. ELEGIES:
Mourning and sorrows.
Introduction
Book One can set an important pace for the other Four Books.
Book One consist of 41 Psalms: Psa. 1-41.
Let us look at what we might call a frame for Psalm 3-39 in Book I.
This frame begins with: Psalm 1 and 2—The Key Word is Blessed: Psa. 1:1, Psa.2:12
The frame at the end is: Psalm 40 and 41-The Key Word is Blessed: Psa.40:4, Psa.41:1,2
NOTICE THE WORD BLESSED IN ALL FOUR PSALMS:
In Book One
Two blessings comes to the person dedicated to:
1st The Written Word of God--The whole Bible: Psalm 1.
2nd The Living Word of God--Jesus Christ. Psalm 2
Keep this in mind as we look at Psalm 1-41 in Book One.
Also these two make a great introduction for the whole book of psalms.
Now read the last two Psalms in Book One: Psa, 40, Psalm 41,
and note the reason for God's blessing in each of these psalms.
Important note: Years of study have taught me this truth: do not rush through in reading scripture.
So do take time in meditation and study of each psalm.
Psalm 1
Meditation on themes
and truths #1
strophic form *
THE TREE AND THE CHAFF
[a prefatory psalm]
Two Ways
strophe a 1. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
or stand in the way of sinners,
or sit in the seat of mockers.
b 2. But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
Two Results
strophe a 3. He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
b and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
c 4. Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Two Concluded Ends
strophe a 5. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
b 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Thought overall - see the rooted tree passing through its ordered course of foliage and fruitage and the empty chaff carried round and round by forces outside itself.
*Strophic: where stanzas fall into well marked division of thought but have no relation as to length or number of lines.