The Two Ways

Psalm 1; Matthew 7:24-27

GOLDEN TEXT: “The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the wicked shall perish.”—Psalm 1:6

IN THE first Psalm, the Prophet David has significantly marked out the proper course for the Christian, its blessings and outcome. In the first verse he designates three classes from whom the Lord’s people should stand aloof—three classes with whom, if they have fellowship, it will be to their detriment. (1) The ungodly, or more properly, the wicked (margin, Leeser, Young;). (2) Sinners. (3) The scornful. “Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”—Psa. 1:1

The apostles point out a certain class in the church as wicked, and from their description it would appear that it is composed of those who have received clear light and knowledge respecting the divine plan, and who have either sinned willfully by turning away from a life of righteousness to a life of intentional sin, or those who repudiate the precious blood of Christ and the atonement made for them by the same, counting the blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified a common or ordinary thing.—Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26,27; II Pet. 2:20,21

Those who would be of the class pronounced “blessed” of the Lord; in our lesson, must not follow the counsel of these “wicked,” nor have any fellowship whatsoever with them; but, on the contrary, stand firmly by the Gospel of redemption.

“Sinners” are mentioned as another class, separate and distinct from the “wicked” above referred to, and they are evidently a class whose transgressions are much less heinous in the sight of the Lord. These sinners we must look for in the church also, not in the world. These “sinners” would seem to be those who, without denying the Lord that bought them, and thus falling utterly from divine favor, are nevertheless failing to live according to the terms of their covenant of consecration. This class possibly includes some who are described by the Lord as “over-charged with the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches,” and who, for this reason, are sinners against their covenant, violators of it. The faithful people of God who would be of the “blessed” and receive His “Well done,” are not even to “stand” with these covenant violators. To stand with them might imply to treat them as companions, to enter into their plans and schemes; and those who would do this would he likely to become partakers of their spirit, careless of their own consecration vows, and themselves also become overcharged with earthly cares and ambitions.

The “scorners” seem to be a still different class, and may possibly represent some not of the church, but possessing more or less knowledge of holy things and rejecting them, speaking of them lightly and scornfully. The Lord’s people are not to be intimately associated with such, nor make them their companions and friends. They cannot have fellowship with such without receiving injury; hence so far as possible the Christian is to avoid this class, in business partnerships, in society, and especially in marriage.

This does not signify, however, as the apostle points out, that we are to have no dealings in the world with any but saints, for, as he tells us, in that event we would needs go out of the world (I Cor. 5:10); but it does imply a recognition of the principle that evil is contagious, and that the Lord’s people cannot be too careful to avoid every contact with it. They should separate themselves to the Lord to holiness, and seek to place themselves under influences in harmony with their holy and true and pure aspirations, begotten by the Holy Spirit.

The Psalmist implies that those who associate themselves with any of the three classes he has described cannot be blessed of the Lord; but on the other hand, those who are faithful to Him will find something much more desirable and profitable than such fellowship; namely, the study of His Word. “His delight is in the Law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.”

This does not imply a reading over of the Mosaic ritual, but, to the Christian, it implies a delight in the law of righteousness, which law is briefly comprehended in the word “love.” He finds this law applicable to every relationship between the Heavenly Father and himself; he sees that all of his conduct, his every service toward God as a son, adopted into His family, must be the result of love. He sees also that love is the law which must govern all of his conduct toward the brethren in Christ and toward all men.

He finds, too, that this law of God is related to every feature of the divine plan; and hence, his meditations and studies of its various ramifications lead his thoughts to all the exceeding great and precious promises which God has bestowed upon them that love Him, both as respects the life that now is and also that which is to come.

Such an one, the Lord declares through the Psalmist, will belike a tree planted near rivulets of water, which will always be abundantly refreshed and never fail in his yield of the fruits of the spirit, and which, under such circumstances, must grow and flourish exceedingly. And as his fruit will be abundant, so his leaf (his hopes, his professions) will ever be green—he can and. will have faith in Him who promised the coming blessings, and whose riches of grace he comes to appreciate more and more.

“Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” What is it that such a child of God “doeth”? What is his aim? What is the object of his life? It is not wealth, fame, or worldly honor. His aim, that which he “doeth,” that which he seeketh, is to glorify his Heavenly Father and eventually attain to the glory, honor and immortality which God has promised to them that love Him. (Rom. 2:7) If, then, the Christian but attain these objectives, surely all his experiences will have been abundantly prosperous.—Eph. 3:17-21

QUESTIONS:

Name the three classes with whom David declares we should not have fellowship.

What are, evidently, the characteristics of each of these classes as suggested in the New Testament?

In what sense is it true that the righteous man prospers in all that he does?

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