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Language, Psalms, Teaching

Psalm 1 – Either righteous and happy or wicked and condemned

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1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *

nor lingered in the way of sinners,

nor sat in the seats of the scornful!

2 Their delight is in the law of the Lord, *

and they meditate on his law day and night.

3 They are like trees planted by streams of water,

bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *

everything they do shall prosper.

4 It is not so with the wicked; *

they are like chaff which the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *

nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, *

but the way of the wicked is doomed.

——————–

The is the Psalm to be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor on the seventh Sunday of Easter, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. This will follow the mandatory reading from the Acts of the Apostles (this Sunday from chapter 1), which states: “Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’” After will be the Epistle from First John, which says, “Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts.” Finally, this will accompany the Gospel reading from John, where Jesus is heard to say: “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”

Verse 1 begins with the combined Hebrew words “’aš·rê-hā·’îš” [from “esher ish”], where “happiness” is understood as one being “blessed” by Yahweh. These two word are combined and separated from the rest of verse 1 by a comma mark. This means the rest pertains to those of mankind who are not led by Yahweh.

Those not led by Yahweh are then those who “walk in the counsel of the wicked,” tread the “path of the sinners,” and “sit in seats” that display mockery of the righteous. Here, the one who “counsels the wicked” is Satan, who enjoys turning the heads of those not married to Yahweh, so they will not be inclined to live righteously. The righteous travel the road that leads one to marry Yahweh; so, as His servant, one then does only what He leads one to do. Those who veer from that path to marrying Yahweh are left alone to find their own way, assisted by worldly counsel. That invariably leads one to take the easy path to sin. They then place scorn on all who would tell them they are going the wrong way.

Verse 2 then places more focus on what the one “blessed” by Yahweh does, rather than what one does not do. In verse 2, where the NRSV has been to ashamed to translate “Yah-weh” as Yahweh [instead listing Him generically as “the Lord”], it is “his law” that becomes “their delight.” Here it is important to see David as the one who knew this “delight” [“chephets”], because his soul was married to Yahweh. It was Yahweh who Moses stayed with for forty days on top of Mount Sinai [not “a Lord”] and brought down “the Law,” which all the Israelites needed to agree to maintain. That “Law” [as I have stated prior] was the marriage vows that merges one’s soul to Yahweh’s Spirit. Thus, when David said, “they meditate on his law day and night,” this is a statement of soul union, not some conscious state of brain-thinking, twenty-four-seven.

Verse 3 then sings about this marriage of a soul to the source of all “happiness,” where he compared this constant presence to being like “streams of water” [or “rivers”], with one being “planted like a tree.” The metaphor of a “tree” means a fruit-bearing tree [or “vine”], where the fruit produced comes from the source of eternal life, Yahweh. The root system of the “tree” is the soul, which intermingles with the flow of Spirit that is the “stream.” When David said “bearing fruit in due season,” the fact that he added “with leaves that do not wither” is that “season [or “time”] is year-round. The “tree” of Yahweh is always bearing good fruit, where “everything they do shall prosper.”

Verse 4 then returns to the opposite of one married to Yahweh, referring to them as “the wicked” [“hā·rə·šā·‘îm,” from “rasha”]. This returns one to verse 1, where “the wicked” are those counseled by Satan, therefore without Yahweh merged with their souls. Rather than a “tree” firmly “planted” in the ground, always having the flow of the Spirit to keep them alive and righteous, the “wicked” are called “chaff.” The Hebrew word for “chaff” is “mots,” which also implies “squeezer” or “extortioner.” (Strong’s)

As such, the “chaff” is the useless covering that keeps the inner fruit from being readily available and useful [as food or as seed]. However, the “chaff” will fall from the kernel and be blown away by the wind. That says, the soul will outlast the body that surrounds it; and, sins are always the soul pleasing the flesh, not a soul being submissive to Yahweh. Therefore, the “wind” is a reference to “time,” such that the fruits of a “tree” are always relative to the “time” one is married to Yahweh. The “chaff’s” enemy is “time,” which means mortality and death.

That understanding then makes it easy to see why David wrote of death in verse 5, where he wrote: “the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes.” That says a soul always has to pay the price for sins; if not before death, then after. The Hebrew word “yā·qu·mū” [rooted in “qum”] has been translated as “stand upright,” but the word means “to arise, stand up, stand.” (Strong’s) This usage then says that when an eternal soul that has sins to pay for has been released from its body of flesh, after death, it cannot remain in the eternal realm with Yahweh. Its judgment will be “I do not know you,” which says that soul never married with Yahweh [for totally selfish reasons]. The judgment then means a return to the soul’s past lover – the mortal-material realm [reincarnation].

The meaning of David singing, “nor the sinner in the council of the righteous” is better understood when one realizes “ba·‘ă·ḏaṯ” [from “edah”] does not say “counsel” but rather “congregation.” In verse 1, where David did write “counsel of the wicked,” the word translated as “counsel” was correct, coming from “ba·‘ă·ṣaṯ” [from “etsah”]. The “congregation” represents the souls of the righteous, all who were married to Yahweh while in the flesh. Only the wives of Yahweh are allowed to remain with Him forever, being those so judged as worthy.

This is why verse 6 says, “For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,” as Yahweh was the source of those righteous ways. While the sinful souls were counseled by Satan and headed down self-pleasing paths of wickedness and wrong-doing, Yahweh was merged with the souls of the righteous, who were constantly in touch with His presence, obeying [delightfully] all His commands. The element of “knowing” [“yō·w·ḏê·a‘,” from “yada”] has Biblical connotations that imply ‘intercourse,’ which comes after marriage. It is Spiritual ‘intercourse,’ not physical. Thus, Yahweh has entered His wives [both human genders] and “knows” them personally, having merged with those souls.

When David ends by saying, “but the way of the wicked is doomed,” this is the judgment of those souls that have received “counsel” from Satan. The translation of “doomed” is somewhat mild, as the word written “tō·ḇêḏ” [from “abad”] means “to perish.” The English word “perish” is defined as: “suffer death, typically in a violent, sudden, or untimely way.” Therefore, the judgment of an eternal soul that has previously died in a sinful body of flesh, rising spiritually for judgment, is “death.” Since the only way an eternal soul can know death [“to perish” or be “doomed”] is reincarnation, where the soul will recycle back into new flesh and have to start all over, the soul cannot ‘graduate’ to the peace of heaven. It has failed to make the grade and must repeat the course. This repetition means a cycle of death that continues eternally; it can only be avoided through submission of self-ego to Yahweh, becoming His wife and obeying His laws.

As the Psalm sung aloud on the seventh Sunday of Easter, it is clear that David sang of two paths in life: one to salvation; and, the other to sin. One path leads to release from bondage. The other leads to perdition, where the payment for self-worship is found to be reincarnation.

During the season of Easter, one should have already found its soul married to Yahweh, such that one knows His Son has been resurrected oneself – twin souls merged. To be reborn as Jesus, also chosen by Yahweh as His wife, Anointed with His presence, the challenge is to learn the delight in following God’s laws. The Law is written upon one’s heart [i.e.: a soul] when one married Yahweh, but like anything new, one needs to practice obeying laws and learning the meaning of what one says “I believe” to.

This means being like David sang. One is either doing the will of Yahweh or one is pleasing oneself, regardless of the consequences of judgment. Yahweh knows the path to righteousness means work serving others, not pleasing self at the expense of others. Therefore, one needs to break a lot of old habits; and, the only way to do that is to stop trying to think what to do and start having faith that Yahweh will lead you properly, as His Son reborn.

Language, Psalms, Teaching

Psalm 1 – Choosing the right path [out of two]

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1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *

nor lingered in the way of sinners,

nor sat in the seats of the scornful!

2 Their delight is in the law of Yahweh, *

and they meditate on his law day and night.

3 They are like trees planted by streams of water,

bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *

everything they do shall prosper.

4 It is not so with the wicked; *

they are like chaff which the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *

nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.

6 For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous, *

but the way of the wicked is doomed.

——————–

This is the accompanying Psalm for the Old Testament reading from Proverbs 31, which will be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor on the seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 20], Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. This Psalm is optional and may not be sung, as the Proverbs 31 reading can be accompanied by a “First Lesson” that is from the Book of Wisdom. In either case, Proverbs 31 says, “ A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.” The pair of readings will precede an Epistle reading from James, where the Apostle questioned, “Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?” All will accompany the Gospel reading from Mark, which says, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”

Please take note of the two places where I have restored “Yahweh,” because that is the transliteration of the word written by David [“יְהוָ֗ה” – “YHWH”]. The NRSV [et al] love to transform this to “Lord,” as if using the name of God that David used is not allowed. David was not a Jew. David was an Israelite, a name that means “He Retains God.” To reduce David from that divinely elevated state of being to be a Jew whose God was named “Yahweh,” the name of the God of Israel, therefore not the name of the God of Christians, is demonic thinking. The name “Israel” was the holy name given to the soul of the flesh named “Jacob,” as Jacob had been Spiritually transformed into one “Who Retained God.” David was like that; and all should be like David, which is signaled by calling one’s God “Yahweh.”

The BibleHub Interlinear presentation of this Psalm shows a title that says, “The Two Paths.” The NRSV header is about the same, saying, “The Two Ways.” In this six verse song there are four times the word “wicked” is found. When “Yahweh” is found repeated also [twice used], the “two” roads taken must be seen as those walking “in the law of Yahweh” and those walking “in the counsel of the wicked.” One is a path of righteousness, while the other is “the way of sinners.” In this, it is valuable to realize the truth of the Hebrew word “rasha,” which has been translated as “the wicked.”

The word “rasha” means, “wicked, criminal” (Strong’s Definition), but implies “condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked man, that did wrong” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance) According the NASB translations, it appears in Scripture 262 times, translated as: “evil (1), evil man (1), evil men (1), guilty (3), man (1), offender (1), ungodly (1), wicked (228), wicked man (21), wicked men (2), wicked one (1), wicked ones (3).” The BibleHub Interlinear translates this word as “the ungodly,” which I see as appropriately identifying all who walk an unlawful path, as being unmarried souls to Yahweh.

When this particular Psalm is seen as an accompaniment to the Proverbs 31 reading, where Solomon gave his opinions as to who qualifies as “a capable wife,” this now sings that Solomon’s views also follow two paths. In one way, “a capable wife” is metaphor for “wisdom,” which is an “elohim” [one of the gods] that possesses a soul and makes a brain become ‘book smart.’ That would be the path of the “wicked,” not the righteous. Thus, the righteous way to see “a capable wife” is as a soul in a body of flesh, which makes it a feminine essence bride-to-be of Yahweh, so once divinely united with His Spirit, then the body of flesh walks the path of the law … naturally, willingly, lovingly, and without needing a brain to determine which way to go.

In the first verse, the literal translation into English has it saying, “blessed the man , who ׀ not does walk in the counsel of the ungodly or the path of the sinful nor take that stance ; and in the dwelling place of the mockers not remains .” This translation makes it clearer that being “blessed” [as well as being “happy”] is a statement of love, because it is from one’s heart that happiness comes. This means being “blessed” is when the soul of a “man” [meaning mankind generally] has become possessed by Yahweh. Following the word “who” [“’ă·šer” or “asher”] is a bar [“׀”] that symbolizes a musical rest, therefore a verbal pause. The placement of the bar designates the first of two paths that “man” can take. In this, it is important to realize the Hebrew word for “man” is “ish,” which is what Solomon’s “wife-woman-female” comes from, as the Hebrew “ishshah.” This reflection says “man” can be either negative-feminine-receptive or positive-masculine-penetrating.

Following the bar marker, David wrote the word “not” [“lō”], which becomes a statement of the “negative-feminine-receptive,” as “man” is “blessed” by going the path that is positive-masculine-penetrating, and “not” the natural essence of the material realm. Here, it is important to realize that “happiness” can seem to be all the rewards of the material realm, but such ‘rewards’ are “not” based on love or heartfelt spiritual desires being satisfied.

Where the NRSV translates “lingered in the way of sinners,” the Hebrew word translated as “lingered” is “amad,” which translates as “to take one’s stand, [or] stand.” (Strong’s) While it can be seen that “standing” is akin to idling, thus lingering, that perspective should be seen as taking pleasure in the “path of the sinful,” implying that remaining in such a place says one enjoys sinful acts. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, the implication of “amad” is “abide behind, appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed,” such that one sees sinful ways and takes a stance in support of those ways. Therefore, lingering becomes a sign of someone desiring to be sinful, enough to argue those ways of sin do have virtues.

The Hebrew word translated as “scornful” is “lê·ṣîm,” the plural form of “luts.” This word means “ambassador, have in derision, interpreter, make a mock, mocker,” such that to apply “scorn” [defined as “the feeling or belief that someone or something is worthless or despicable; contempt.”] reflects more on a directive towards those who are righteous; and, the usage becomes confusing otherwise. To make the translation “mockers” means one does not linger or “dwell” in a place where no shame is placed on sins, because one enjoys a sinful existence, becoming an “ambassador” that “interprets” one’s acts and beliefs not as sin, but as pleasures. This is justifiable because “happiness” comes to one when one does such acts. For one to be “mocked” in such a place, then one has to point out how those pleasurable acts are deemed against one’s laws, therefore “criminal.” It is then that which brings out mockery of such ideas. As such, the first verse paints a clear picture that mankind has two different paths in life; and, it will always remain that way. Life’s primary path leads a soul in the flesh to know sin, as a natural way of the world; and, from learning to walk a path that puts one alongside everyone else, the safety in numbers makes all who walk a different path be the focus of ridicule and condemnation.

Verse two then confirms the truth that began verse one, where those “blessed” are those who reject the path of the wicked are those who “take delight in the laws of Yahweh.” In this, one needs to realize that David knew “the laws” were not of Moses, but passed on by Moses to the Israelite people, by Yahweh. The “laws,” from “torah,” are the marriage vows that each soul must agree to as the only source of “instruction” that one’s life is led by. Being “chosen” means a soul proposed to; so, being chosen means agreeing to the vows of divine marriage. Those who are “blessed” are then those married to Yahweh; and, that marriage is not to be a partial commitment. It is full-time, as one must “meditate on those instructions day and night.” In that, “day” is during the easy times, while “night” is the dark times of trouble, when having the inner link to Yahweh’s voice (through divine marriage) keeps one’s soul from becoming lost and wandering back onto the path of the wicked.

Verse three then states this marriage metaphorically, saying “he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water so its fruit comes forth in its season.” There, the word “planted” is a direct statement of purposeful “transplanting,” not some natural luck of a seed falling onto fertile soil in a good location. By actually being purposefully “planted,” this becomes another statement of marriage, where one’s soul must make a decision that demands the commitment of putting down roots, so growth comes from a permanence of being in solid ground. This means a soul is planted in Yahweh, and He in turn with one’s soul. The “rivers of water” represents His Spirit; and, the “fruits” are the works of righteousness, which projects to others a way to live.

When David then continued in verse three, singing “whose foliage shall not wither , and whatever he does shall prosper .” this sings of eternal life. Because the divine spiritual realm is the place where it is always day and always happy and youthful, the acts in the material realm are irrelevant as far as what is determined prosperous. There can be nothing worldly that will ever diminish the reward of righteous living; and, that can only come through holy matrimony between a soul and Yahweh, while in the flesh.

Verse four then sings, “not so the ungodly ; for if like chaff , that drives away like by wind .” Whereas verse three sang of eternal life, verse four is singing of reincarnation. By not being married to Yahweh [as the “ungodly”] they will die. Their bodies of flesh will fall away, just like chaff falls away from the kernel of grain. The soul is that kernel, which is then blown back into the material realm, into a new body of flesh [a newborn baby], through reincarnation. This means the “wind” is like the recurring weather patterns, which are always the same, over and over and over again.

Verse five then sings, “upon this not shall stand ungodly in judgement ; nor the sinful , in the congregation of the righteous .” This sings the truth of Judgment, which will find the “ungodly” and the “sinful” not being able to achieve salvation. Seeing how all human beings are born with souls in bodies of flesh, set on the path of life that always offers two choices, the main road travelled is that of the sinners. That is why a soul must be “planted like a tree by rivers of water,” because without a conscious decision to change paths and commit to servitude to Yahweh [not self], one cannot find redemption. The “fruit” of one’s ways of righteousness is then how one can be considered to be “in the congregation of the righteous.” This places everything as the responsibility of the soul to choose, with Yahweh offering to help those who choose to marry Him.

Verse six then sings, “for knows Yahweh the way of the righteous ; but the way of the ungodly shall perish .” This says Yahweh knows which path one’s soul travels. He especially knows the way of the righteous, as those souls walk with Him, having been united as one with His Spirit. Those who do not walk as one with Yahweh will be known for that absence. When all souls come from death of the flesh to the time of Judgement, the righteous will live forevermore. Alas, the sinful will die and come back to die again. The place where souls “perish” is the physical world; and, their worship of the flesh will prophesy their way to find “happiness.”

As a companion song to the Proverbs 31 reading on the seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, when one’s own personal ministry for Yahweh should already be well underway, the lesson is simple. There are two paths in life. One serves self and the other serves Yahweh. Any ministry taken into the world by a single soul, one ‘living together’ with ‘lady wisdom,’ has nothing of value to offer the world. One is then “lingering with sinners,” not to help them, but to wallow in their love of wickedness. To preach that sinners are loved by Yahweh is to mislead souls to ruin; and, that will bring a double share of their ruin upon one’s own soul. This says sacrifice your self-egos and become planted by the living waters that are Jesus Christ resurrected with one’s soul. Otherwise, expect to return to a world you love, perhaps not with all the blessing you enjoy in this life now being repeated in the next.

Language, Psalms, Teaching

Psalm 1 – A comparison of two views of two paths in life

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1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *

nor lingered in the way of sinners,

nor sat in the seats of the scornful!

2 Their delight is in the law of Yahweh, *

and they meditate on his law day and night.

3 They are like trees planted by streams of water,

bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *

everything they do shall prosper.

4 It is not so with the wicked; *

they are like chaff which the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *

nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.

6 For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous, *

but the way of the wicked is doomed.

——————–

This is the Psalm that will be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor on the sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year C, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. This follows the Old Testament reading from Jeremiah, which begins with Yahweh saying, “Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from Yahweh.” This pair will be followed by the Epistle reading from First Corinthians, where Paul wrote: “How can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain.” All will accompany the Gospel reading from Luke, where it is written: “Jesus came down with the twelve apostles and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.”

Psalm 1 is a song that is read on six occasions in the lectionary cycle, with is connected to the Jeremiah reading for the sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, as well as when the pair will be read on the rare Proper 1 Sundays in Year C. In the Jeremiah reading, we see the prophet saying, “Thus said Yahweh,” with the selected verses then spoken by Yahweh a close parallel to these words spoken by David. The two are so similar, it is easy to see Yahweh spoke through David also; so, this message equally applies to everyone, at all times. One is either a prophet whose soul is married to Yahweh, through which He speaks; or, one is the wicked sinners to whom Yahweh speaks through His prophets.

I wrote my views on this song of David when it was a reading selection for the seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20, Year B). At that time Psalm 1 was one of five possible readings, from which two would be chosen. That makes this song be applicable to a wide range of lessons; and, part of that is the “two paths” this song points out: wicked or righteous. When it holds more of a ‘stand-alone’ position, it can be read for its own merits. My commentary posted in August 2021 can be read by searching this site. The same values still apply, at all times. So, I welcome all to read those views now. However, with this paired with the Jeremiah 17 reading, when Yahweh spoke through the prophet, I want to do a comparison of these two readings now.

The literal translation of verse one begins by saying either “blessed” or “happy,” as a form of the Hebrew word “esher” is written [“’aš·rê-”]. This word is hyphenated, as this state of being cannot stand alone. It needs to connect to “the man” [from “hā·’îš”]. Thus the combination word written – “’aš·rê-hā·’îš” – is the focus of this song, because that leads to a comma that separates this state of being from that written that follows. Thus, “the man who is blessed” is “the man who finds happiness,” with that “delight” explained in verse two as coming from Yahweh.

The remainder of verse one then literally says, “who not does walk in the counsel of the criminal and in the manner of the sinful not does stand ; and in the seat of the mocker not sits .” The repeating of the word “not” three times then makes this first verse be what being “blessed” and “happy” is measured by. The use of “not” says being “blessed” and being “happy” is a state of self that is “not criminal, not sinful, and not a mockery” of the purpose of Judaic religious “Law.”

Now, in verse five of the Jeremiah 17 reading, the literal translation of the Hebrew says this: “thus says Yahweh cursed the man who puts trust in mankind , and makes flesh his strength , and from Yahweh turns aside whose heart .” This verse finds the word “not” absent, thus making this reflect the opposite that Yahweh spoke through David, where being “happy” and “blessed” can now be seen to “not” be “cursed.” To be “cursed” means to be “criminal,” relative to the Law of Moses, to willingly break the laws [be “sinful”] and “mock” those who try to maintain their Agreement with Yahweh. To “not” be “happy” and “blessed” means to put one’s “trust in mankind,” where the “strength” of a “man” of wealth, position and influence is seen as greater than faith in Yahweh. Here, the prosperity of Israel under David was much closer to “happiness” and “blessedness” than was any of the lands that had later split in two, following a series of leaders who led their peoples to ruin.

With that said, David’s second verse then literally translates to say, “that if in the direction of Yahweh his pleasure and in his law he speaks , day and night .” This then is David explaining the source of the “blessing” and the “happiness” that keeps one [“not”] from being “cursed” [as Yahweh stated through Jeremiah]. In this verse the same root word is repeated: “torah.” The transliterations “bə·ṯō·w·raṯ” [“in the direction of”] and “ū·ḇə·ṯō·w·rā·ṯōw” [“and in his law”] takes the same root word and applies equal meaning, from different perspectives. First, the Law is an agreement, which “directs” one’s way of living, so to be a wife of Yahweh. The Covenant is a vow of marriage, where a soul in flesh submits itself to Yahweh as His bride, His wife in holy matrimony. This is not a forced enslavement, but a mutual promise to go in the “direction” the Husband leads. Then, the second focus on the Law is as statement of “love,” where it is a “pleasure” to be “directed” in how to act, which includes how to “speak.” The focus then placed on “day and night” says the Law gives “light” that leads one,” especially when “darkness” comes. The “night” (as always) is metaphor for “death,” so the “light” will continue beyond one’s end of human flesh.

From that, verse seven in Jeremiah’s song of Yahweh sings [literally]: “has knelt the man who trusts Yahweh ; and becomes Yahweh as one’s hope .” This has the Hebrew word “bā·rūḵ,” where the root word “barak” can equally mean “to kneel” or “to bless,” used as a statement of marriage, when one submits to Yahweh while “kneeling” at the altar of marriage. That submission does not come from defeat, as a forced commitment, but as a willing sacrifice of self to a higher power, out of true love and devotion. It is that “trust” that becomes the faith of person experience of Yahweh within that becomes the “hope” and “confidence” [from “miḇ·ṭa·ḥōw”] that is a parallel to David’s use of “day and night.” It is “trust” in the “direction” the Law provides – leading one to be righteous – that is the “pleasure” of “hope.”

In David’s third verse, the literal translation says: “and he shall be , like a tree planted by rivers of water where its fruit brings forth in its season , and whose leaf not shall wither ; and all that he does shall prosper .” The first and last segment of verse three connect to say, “and he shall be … and all that he does shall prosper.” This is a statement of those souls in human flesh who submit to Yahweh in marriage and experience the “pleasure” of His Law and the promise of salvation. In between is the same metaphor of this wife of Yahweh [souls coming in both male and female bodies of flesh], who is “like a tree planted by rivers of water,” which is the “living waters” Jesus spoke of, to the Samaritan woman at the well. It is that eternal presence of Yahweh merged with one’s soul that “brings forth fruit,” which is ministry, in willing service to Yahweh. When David said “whose leaf shall not whither,” the meaning is a soul married to Yahweh’s Spirit is never going to be uprooted from that marriage.

This has to clearly be seen repeated in Jeremiah’s eighth verse, which literally translates to say: “for he shall be like a tree planted by the waters , and by the stream that spreads forth its roots , and not will fear when comes heat , but will be its leaf green ; and in the time of drought not will be fearful , nor will cease from yielding fruit .” This says basically the same thing as David. That does not prove Jeremiah had memorized Psalm 1 and forgot where he heard the words. Jeremiah wrote, thus said Yahweh, which is the truth; so, that says Yahweh spoke through David, saying the same about His wives-servants-prophets.

In David’s fourth verse, where he returns focus to the “criminal, wicked” [from “hā·rə·šā·‘îm”], he again uses the negative “not” [combined as “not so” – “lō-kên”], pointing out the difference between the Law-breakers and Yahweh’s devoted wives-saints-prophets. Here they are said to be like the “chaff” [“kam·mōṣ”], which when compared to “fruit” is that living only to protect the inner fruit that is edible. Once picked, the “chaff” is separated from grain, becoming like a dead branch that has no leaves, thus no fruit. When David sang the “chaff” is blow away in the wind, the deeper meaning sees the transliteration “rū·aḥ” as the “breath” of life. Thus, those who are like “chaff” are souls [“ruach”] that are headed towards the reincarnation of death, “not” eternal life.

This vision of David is then parallel to that spoken by Yahweh through Jeremiah, in his sixth verse, where those souls that will not be like “trees planted by waters,” as they will be [literally translated]: “for it shall become like a shrub in the desert , and not shall see when comes good , but shall dwell in parched places in the mouth , land barren and not inhabited .” In this, the Hebrew word “midbar” is often translated as “wilderness,” when the reality is it means “mouth.” While being a “parched mouth” says Yahweh was referring to those souls who would not speak well of the Law, it says their inability to speak the truth of Scripture has also left their souls wandering aimlessly in “barren land” that cannot support plant life that bears good fruit. This makes one who claims to be a child of Yahweh, as a member of the Twelve Tribes of Israel the equivalent of a Gentile, none of who know Yahweh through a marriage Agreement.

This is where David sang of judgment in verse five. That verse literally says, “above thus not shall arise the criminal” [or “wicked”] in the judgment ; not the sinners in the congregation of the righteous .” The use of “qum” [as “yā·qu·mū”] is commonly translated as “to stand,” but when “judgment” is understood to be of a spiritual [soul] nature, not physical, the meaning should be read as “arise,” which means an elevated soul that receives the ‘Promised Land’ that is heaven or eternal life away from reincarnation. Those who have not committed to the Law, never marrying their souls to Yahweh’s Spirit, will be “judged” as “criminals,” thus “wicked.” Because those souls will “not” be part of the “congregation of the righteous,” deemed “sinners,” those souls will be turned away from eternal life, forced [by their own actions and inactions] to reap the emptiness that they have sown. This says marriage to Yahweh is a soul’s only course towards “righteous” living.

This correlates to Jeremiah writing, in verse six, that Yahweh said those souls who would “not see when comes good” are blind to the presence of Yahweh. Jesus told the young, rich ruler that only “God is good,” which now can be see as Yahweh speaking of Himself as that unseen that is the presence of “goodness,” which is “righteousness.” By one “not seeing good,” one is a “sinner” and thereby one that will be “judged” as “chaff.” The “land of salt [or barrenness] that is uninhabited” is the realm of death, which is where judgment sends a “criminal” soul.

In David’s last verse [verse six], he literally stated: “that knows Yahweh the way of the righteous ; but the way of the criminal shall perish .” This might seem to be a statement about what Yahweh “know,” but Yahweh is omniscient, so He knows all. The aspect of knowledge is what a soul in the flesh has welcomed within. When it has married Yahweh, then is “knows Yahweh” and is led by that knowledge to a “path of righteousness.” On the other hand, those who take a “path” that is away from the commitment of the Covenant [marriage to Yahweh], those “criminals” will lead themselves to an end [“to perish”] that lacks the inner insight of divine wisdom. Thus, those souls will be lost and count on grasping straws to save them from judgment; but those efforts will not help.

This also relates to Jeremiah’s last statement by Yahweh, which said the “wicked” will find a “land barren,” which is metaphor for a “soul in a body of flesh without Yahweh.” Being “barren,” with a “parched mouth,” says one’s soul has no knowledge to speak of. By leading oneself to a place that is uninhabited, this is the departure of a soul from a body of flesh at death. When death means judgment, “to perish” means condemnation” of a soul. Therefore, the only way to be saved from such a self-induced fate is to marry one’s soul to Yahweh and let His Law lead one to a life of righteousness and eternal salvation.

As a song of David that is connected to the Jeremiah reading on both the sixth Sunday after the Epiphany and Proper 1, Year C, the reason must be seen as making it clear that there are only two paths to take in life. One path comes from a soul that chooses to marry itself with Yahweh, by doing everything humanly possible to show Yahweh one sincerely loves Him. This can be a life that devotes itself to learning the Law and studying Scripture. Such actions will become a profession of love and elicit a proposal of divine marriage; at which time divine insight will begin to flow, making one’s love grow stronger. A life in service to Yahweh makes one turn away from all the bells and whistles that life throws around as distraction. On the other hand, those souls who do not act to show Yahweh one’s love for Him, they will be distracted and live lives of sin. Over time, when the guilt of one’s “criminal” behavior seem insurmountable, one’s soul will either collapse in guilt and beg Yahweh for forgiveness, which can bring redemption and the promise of salvation. However, many souls will refuse to beg for forgiveness, leading them to further acts as sinners; and, those souls shall perish.

Language, Psalms, Teaching

Psalm 1 – The ever-present two paths

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1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *

nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!

2 Their delight is in the law of Yahweh, *

and they meditate on his law day and night.

3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *

everything they do shall prosper.

4 It is not so with the wicked; *

they are like chaff which the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *

nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.

6 For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous, *

but the way of the wicked is doomed.

——————–

This is the accompanying Psalm to the Track 2 Old Testament reading selection from Deuteronomy 30. This Psalm 1 reading is found on six occasion in the lectionary cycle, with five of those Sunday services. I have written commentaries about this Psalm 1 lesson when it was part of the Epiphany 6C, earlier this year. I also posed a commentary when it was the reading selection on Easter 7B and Proper 20B. With this the chosen selection for the track 2 path on Proper 18C, only a commentary for it coming up for the Proper 25A Sunday is left. Because I have already posted a verse-by-verse breakdown of the meaning of what David was inspired to sing, I will leave that up to the serious student of Christianity to click on the above links and read what has already been written. I will make the assumption that only serious students of Christianity will read beyond this point, where I will only make comments about how this song of praise fits the warning made by Moses to the true Israelites, prior to them being deemed ready to cross into their ‘Promised Land’ (led by Joshua, following the death of Moses).

The title that my main source for the Hebrew text (BibleHub Interlinear) presents for this Psalm 1 is “The Two Paths.” The NRSV states that as “The Two Ways,” with the NASB stating those “two paths” as “The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.” This should be seen in the warning Moses gave to the true Israelites, as the “two ways” are always those taken by a soul in its body of flesh, which is either led by the soul of the Son of Yahweh [righteousness] or led by a soul unmarried to Yahweh [self-ego driven], which is often a soul possessed by a demon spirit.

In verse one, where David sings of the “happiness” that “comes to a soul inhabiting a body of flesh [a man or one of mankind] “ that “happiness cannot be fully realized unless it has the sorrow of a wicked life known, to which a comparison can be made. This means all human beings will know sin, such that being saved from a judgment for sins is a true “blessing” by Yahweh. That “blessing” can only be known through total self-sacrifice to Yahweh in divine marriage, with a test of that total devotion being the waiting period between spiritual engagement and the actual outpouring of Spirit that cleanses a soul of all past sins on the wedding day.

In the Deuteronomy reading, every soul of the true Israelites had proved their devotion to Yahweh and had become His wife-souls. Prior to that day when Moses gave them the warning about the future, that future foretold of a repeating of the past. Every soul that had been saved by divine marriage had previously rebelled against Moses, Aaron and Yahweh, knowing sinful ways and the sorrows that path brought them. Each soul had to individually submit willing to Yahweh – out of love – and spend their time in the wilderness proving their devotion. That proof was learning the lessons of Moses from their parents (who were saved souls), so they could grow in understanding what the Law meant. Thus, each saved soul had children who were like them and wayward, being in need of lessons that they could cling to when their sins brought upon them sorrows. The warnings of Moses was to teach their children as they had been taught, eat the manna from heaven (divine insight for Scriptural lessons), and learn to love Yahweh deeply and spiritually.

Everything then sung by David in Psalm 1 sings of knowledge and personal experience of righteousness and wickedness. One path is where everything a soul needs is provided; and, the other way is where all the material lusts of the world will lead to pains and sufferings. To “meditate on the Laws” of such goods and evils in both “day and night” means to see the truth of one’s Scriptural lessons in the light of truth, as well as in the darkness when Yahweh is absent from one’s soul.

The elements of David singing about the ways of the wicked are then the projection by Moses to the true Israelites that says, “If you enter into the ‘Promised Land’ and see that as being dead earth as your inheritance from Yahweh, then you will “wither” and bear no useful fruit. Your souls and those souls of your children will then be dry and without the everlasting waters that Yahweh provides to those wife-souls of His, who have His Son as the Lord over each of them. Without that inner soul watering, their souls will become like chaff that is as dead as the material realm – blown away as are ashes to ashes.

When David sang of the time when “judgment” will come, that is the path to the true Promised Land – the spiritual realm, one with Yahweh forever. To be judges as wicked – a soul unmarried to Yahweh and unborn as His Son – will be deemed a failure and sent back into the realm of dead matter, in order to try to find commitment to Yahweh in a new body of flesh (reincarnation). Those who sacrifice the lures of Satan and the offers to sell their souls for money, property, influence and power over others on earth, remaining strong in their commitment to the marriage vows (the Covenant), due to the inner strength given them by Jesus’ resurrection, they will be saved [“Jesus” means “YAH Saves”]. They will find eternal peace and happiness the truth of Yahweh’s Promise.