NOTES for Psa 1

It is easy, after slipping into condemnation of those who take part in countless unworthy activities that fit the description “the counsel of the wicked,” to go on to condemn those who “meditate on the law” and accuse them of Pharisaism. Indeed, there are countless examples of such zealots turning out to be lawbreakers who stand in the path of sinners alongside the openly wicked, so is there really much difference between them?

But the psalmist gives an essential description of one who sincerely follows the path of righteousness: his will is in the law of the Lord. It is a will that directs the whole person toward the necessary actions, not merely toward theoretical reflection. It is therefore entirely fitting that the image of the righteous person is a flourishing, fruit-bearing tree by streams of water—a symbol of the life we can receive from the Lord if we turn to Him with the fullness of our being.