There are three commands here in verse one that my eyes were drawn to: do not walk, do not stand, do not sit. Essentially, do not associate with sinners, the wicked, or those who are mockers.
For a moment, my heart wanted to challenge this. Didn’t Jesus associate with tax collectors and prostitutes? Didn’t He hang out with those who are morally corrupt? And doesn’t He teach us that we are ALL sinners?
I believe that the meaning here is not that we should isolate ourselves to avoid all contact with evil - because that is literally impossible - but that we should not be purposefully aligning ourselves with others who practice evil ways. The Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15:33 that “bad company corrupts good character.” Again in Romans 12, Paul says in verse 9 to “hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”
In this context, the commands not to walk, sit, or stand with sinners is understood as a call to guard our intentions and to not delight ourselves in evil ways as such people do. The answer of “why” we should live this way is then explained in the next few verses.
Blessed are those, verse two says, who instead delight and daily mediate in God’s ways.
I don’t know about anyone else, but growing up, I always associated the word “meditating” with yoga and eastern pagan religious practices. However, it really just means to be still and to think deeply. I think verse two is reminding us that in order to be full and blessed, we need to daily spend one-on-one time with God and His word.
I like to relate it to a really awesome grandparent. As your grandparent, they are going to love you no matter what. When you visit, they tell you stories, give you advice (whether or not you asked for it) and they probably will give you something before you leave. It could be money or new clothes or some delicious pie, but whatever it is, it’s always awesome and beneficial to you in some way. When you leave your grandparent, you leave feeling like everything is all good.
But sometimes, we don’t visit the grandparent enough. Maybe the calls become shorter, or the visits slowly become less and less frequent, but before we know it, we are no longer receiving all the great things that we used to receive.
This is how I see verse two. It is just a small verse, but it tells us so much! The Almighty God desires for us to spend time with Him. And although He is the God who gave us life and that alone justifies the fact that He never had to promise us anything in return, He did. He promises that when we visit Him, He will bless us. Lord, I am in awe of You.
Verse 3 then goes on to remind us why we spend time with Him. Like a tree who receives everything it needs, whose leaves flourish and whose roots are deep, just as the tree prospers near living water, so will we prosper by drawing near to the living God.
But what happens to the wicked who deny His ways and His laws? Verse four tells us that they wither away and are scattered by the wind like hay (chaff). If we are not rooted where we need to be, how easily can we be picked up and tossed around by the winds of life! Without a firm foundation, there is nothing to cling to when life hits hard.
Therefore, says verse five, those who do not practice God’s ways will not have the ability to stand before God’s judgement. The wicked ways are destroyed, but God dwells in those who dwell in Him. He fulfills His promises to those who love Him and His ways (verse six).
Lord, I thank You for who You are. I thank You that You love me SO much that You want to offer me blessings in return for spending time with You. As this week continues, guide my heart to long to spend more time with You. Thank You in advance for the amazing things I know You’re going to do.
