Scriptures for Today: Psalm 1:4-6
Psalm 1:4-6
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Introduction — Two Paths, Two Destinies
The book of Psalms sits right in the middle of your Bible. 19th book of the Bible with 150 chapters. Psalms has the most chapters in the Bible. It is part of what we call the Wisdom books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. These books deal with real life. They deal with suffering, joy, sin, repentance, judgment, and the fear of the LORD.
Psalms is Israel’s songbook. These were sung in worship. They were prayed in distress. They were quoted in battle. They were remembered in exile.
But Psalm 1 is not a song of emotion. It is a foundation. THE FOUNDATION OF THE ENTIRE BOOK. Before you get to the praise, before you get to the crying out, before you get to the victories and the tears, God sets the standard for this book and for the Bible right here.
Psalm 1 tells you what kind of person belongs in the rest of this book.
The entire book of Psalms is built on this opening contrast — the righteous and the ungodly. The Godly versus the ungodly. If you miss Psalm 1, you miss the lens through which the rest of the book is written. So always go back to Psalm 1 and ensure you remember when reading the Bible.
This chapter is not random. It is placed first on purpose. Before the music, there is a warning. Before the comfort, there is a choice. Before the worship, there is a path to take. Some people attempt to worship God in these fake churches that don’t even know who God happens to be. Get on the right path to worshipping God.
There are two ways. That is how the book of Psalms begins.
Psalm 1 is the doorway to the entire book of Psalms. It doesn’t start with emotion. It doesn’t start with music. It starts with a warning and a promise. And please pay close attention to this chapter.
Again, there are only two ways. The blessed man. And the ungodly. And I want to read this entire chapter to you again here before we go any further. And look for the two different paths you can take.
Psalm 1:1-6
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. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
You see the chapter split in half there. Verses 1 through 3 are talking about the path of the Godly. And the second half of the chapter, our focus here today, is talking about the path of the ungodly. So we see right here at the beginning of one of the most famous books in the Bible a clear distinction between two paths.
The chapter opens with movement: walk, stand, sit. You see delight, meditation, planting, bringing forth fruit, and prospering.
“Walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.” That’s influence. Ideas. Advice. Direction. “Nor standeth in the way of sinners.” You aren’t taking advice from people who reject God. You don’t want their counsel. For example, I don’t need a Muslim telling me how to live a better life. Their ways are corrupted. I don’t learn the Bible from a Catholic priest because that man knows nothing of the Bible. NOTHING.
“Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Now you’re settled. Comfortable. You are with God. You aren’t with the ungodly. You are with God.
Sin progresses. It rarely explodes instantly. It drifts. Walk. Stand. Sit. Sin grows slowly in someone’s life. But the blessed man does something different.
Verse 2 says, “His delight is in the law of the LORD.” He doesn’t just avoid evil — he loves truth. He meditates “day and night.” That means Scripture shapes his thinking consistently. His mind is not empty. It is anchored in the ways of God Almighty.
Verse 3 gives the picture: a tree planted by rivers of water. Not wild growth. Not accidental survival. Planted. Rooted. Near a source of goodness. Fruit in season. Leaves not withering. Stability in drought. The first half of Psalm 1 is about structure. Roots determine the fruit. If you plant a tree in an evil place, the fruit will be evil.
What you delight in determines what you become. Now verse 4 shifts sharply. “The ungodly are not so.” That is a hard contrast. And we’re going to take a close look at verses 4 through 6.
Section 1 — The Ungodly Are Not So
Psalm 1:4
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
The righteous are like a planted tree. The ungodly are like chaff. Chaff is weightless. It has no root. No substance. It looks connected during harvest, but once separation comes, it just blows away with the wind. The wind carries it away to an unknown location.
The wind determines its direction. The ungodly do not choose stability with God. They choose chaos. They choose fighting, arguing, drugs, alcohol, and killing. Again, the Bible says: “But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.” Chaff is no good. It’s worthless. You don’t want to be like that.
Matthew 3:12
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
This is not just about behavior. It’s about foundation. The righteous have depth to them. The ungodly simply drift away without depth. Picture that drifting away. Like a balloon drifting away into the sky. You lose it, and you never see it again.
For all of you, I don’t want to lose you and never see you again. Don’t start drifting away like chaff. Stick with me here. Let’s stick together. Let’s fight through this life together. Let’s get things right.
I haven’t been perfect. You haven’t been perfect. But let’s forgive. And let’s move on. Let’s follow God’s path together. He’ll be with us. He’ll go out before and protect us from all sides. When we go through trials, we’ll stick to God just as Job stuck to God. God is not leaving us.
Section 2 — Judgment Is Certain
Psalm 1:5
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
Notice the word “therefore” right there at the beginning of the verse. Because they are like chaff, unstable and rootless, they will not stand. “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment.” They will not make it through the judgment of God. They will fall.
Right now, they may stand confidently. They might act like they’re tough. They might mock you and make fun of you. But one day they will no longer be standing because they are ungodly. They do not have God.
They may stand publicly. They may stand proudly. But they will not stand in the judgment.
Psalm 5:4-6
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. 6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
There is coming a separation. The congregation of the righteous will be distinct. God will separate the Godly from the ungodly. There will be two groups. That’s it. Godly or ungodly.
Psalm 1:5 is not hypothetical. It is declarative. It is pure truth and power. God is telling us 100% for sure what it will be. And the ungodly shall not stand.
If you do not delight in the word of God and the Bible, you need to figure out why very soon. Because a characteristic of the Godly is that they delight in the law of the Lord. They meditate in His words day and night. They are important to the Godly.
The ungodly could care less about the word of God. That’s one of the differences. Make sure you’re on the right side.
Section 3 — The Lord Knows the Way
Psalm 1:6
For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
God knows the way of the righteous. That does not simply mean awareness. It means relationship. Approval. Oversight. God knows your ways. God knows if you are trying to do good. Your intentions matter.
The righteous path is seen, guarded, and accounted for by God. He is overseeing everything. When you are following God, He is right there with you helping you. When you fall, He will pick you up and place you back on the right path. When you run off the road and go the wrong direction, He picks you up and puts you back on the road and going in the right direction.
But the way of the ungodly shall perish. They hate God. They don’t want anything to do with God so He isn’t with them. When they head down the wrong road, they just keep going until they hit the DEAD END.
Notice the exact words at the end of the verse: “But THE WAY of the ungodly shall perish.” So, it’s not just the person. It’s the way of the ungodly. It will all perish. The system. The lifestyle. The direction. It collapses.
The way of the LGBTQ will perish. The way of the rock stars will perish. The way of the gangsters will perish. The way of the drug dealers will perish. The way of the lazy will perish. The way of the glutton will perish. The way of the prideful will perish.
The liquor stores will perish. Cities will be destroyed. Countries will go down. Nations will not make it. All of the ways of this evil world will perish. Ungodly people die and they head to hell. They are finished. Their end comes. Death is the end of them.
Psalm 1 does not say the wicked struggle temporarily. It says their way ends. And it ends in destruction.
And many of us have been down those wrong paths. And if you’re heading down one right now, you need to get off that path today and as soon as possible. Right now. Don’t go down the path of the ungodly.
Remember, the Bible tells you the truth. Every word of God is true.
Psalm 37:18
The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
Please hear the Gospel, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, be saved, and then start doing what God has asked you to do. How? Stick with us here. Do the work of God with us here. And stick with us here.
Practical Applications
- Be careful who influences you. Psalm 1 starts with counsel. That means advice and direction. If you listen to people who reject God, their thinking will shape your decisions. Over time, that affects how you live. Choose voices in your life that honor God and take His Word seriously.
- Make God’s Word a daily priority. The blessed man delights in the law of the LORD and thinks about it day and night. If you do not spend time in Scripture, something else will fill your mind. A strong and steady life does not happen by accident. It comes from regularly reading, learning, and obeying God’s Word.
- Your life will show what you are rooted in. A tree planted by water produces fruit because it has a steady source. In the same way, if you are grounded in Scripture, it will show in your behavior, your choices, and your attitude. If there is no spiritual growth, you need to examine what you are actually building your life on.
- Remember that judgment is certain. Psalm 1 says the ungodly will not stand in the judgment. That means there is a real day when God will separate the righteous from the wicked. Do not measure success only by what you see right now. The final outcome is what matters.
Conclusion
Psalm 1 does not give three options. It gives two. A planted tree. Or drifting chaff.
A known way. Or a perishing way.
The blessed man is not blessed because life is easy. He is blessed because he is rooted in God.
The ungodly are not undone or finished because they lacked opportunity. They are undone or finished because they lacked foundation.
So the question is simple: What path are you on?
Because Psalm 1 says clearly — one way stands. The other perishes. And every word of God comes to pass. The word of God is certain. It will happen exactly as God says it will happen. So get on the right path today and stay on it. Don’t get off the path.
IN THE END, ONLY GOD’S PEOPLE WILL BE STANDING WITH JESUS CHRIST.
And that’s the truth. So you might as well get on that path right now. Do it today. Don’t wait any longer. Let’s pray.
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