Latest / Reformed Thinking / The Blessed Man and the Two Ways Set Before Us (Psalm 1) | Matthew Poole

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The Blessed Man and the Two Ways Set Before Us (Psalm 1) | Matthew Poole · Reformed Thinking

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Reformed thinking. Welcome back to the deep Dives.
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For centuries, believers have used the Psalms as a constant
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guide for prayer, for worship, and for understanding.
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And today we are opening up what many theologians consider to be
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the foundational text for the entire Psalter.
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Psalm One. That's right.
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And we're going deep into this passage using the notes from one
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of the most respected commentators in Reformed
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theology, Matthew Poole, from his commentary on the Holy
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Bible. This isn't just a casual
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reading. We're really looking at Poole's
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systematic analysis of what it means to be truly.
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Blessed and Poole sees this Psalm as being placed first for
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a very specific reason, not by accident, but as a persuasive
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argument. His reading frames this entire
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passage as an encouragement really for the serious study and
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diligent reading of the entire book of Scripture.
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Yes, and the reason is right there in the text.
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Psalm 1 lays out the resulting blessedness of the person who
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dedicates their life to God's revealed truth.
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So our mission today is pretty clear.
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We want to pull out the Nuggets of knowledge from Poole's
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rigorous analysis that define this blessedness.
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And Psalm One gives us this vivid 2 fold picture.
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On the one hand we see the characteristics of the godly man
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and the stability that follows him, and then on the other you
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get the complete contrast, the volatile, unstable state of the
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ungodly. We begin where Pool begins, with
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that profound greeting of the Psalm, often translated as Oh,
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the blessedness of that man, or thrice blessed is that man.
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But to grasp this state of blessedness, Pool immediately
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tells us to look at the boundaries.
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We first have to define the godly man by what he avoids.
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The description starts negatively, setting the stage
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for what a person dedicated to the law must separate themselves
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from. And this negative definition is
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absolutely critical. True piety for pool is always
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defined first by rejection before it's defined by
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reception. The text defines the godly by
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who they are not associating with and what they're not doing.
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So it's about drawing a line in the sand.
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It is the separation from the destructive influence of the
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world is, for pool, the essential starting point for any
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claim to blessedness. Without this boundary, the
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positive devotion that follows well, rings hollow.
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The famous opening verse sets out these three distinct steps
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in separation. The blessed man walketh not in
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the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners,
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nor sits in the seat of the scornful.
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It really reads like a process, doesn't it?
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A descent into wickedness that the righteous person stops at
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the very first step. Poole definitely introduces this
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with a focus on progression, a kind of theological graduation.
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Now, he does caution against reading it as a rigid sequence
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that every single Sinner must follow, but it serves as a
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powerful illustration of increasing degrees of
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association and hardening that the righteous man has to resist
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step by step. It's a slope.
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It's a slope. It moves from minor involvement
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to deep incorporation into a life.
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OK, so let's start with that initial, most subtle step,
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walking in the counsel of the ungodly.
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In a modern context, you might think of this as just, you know,
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taking some bad advice. But Poole's definition of
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walking is much deeper than a casual misstep.
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It really is. Walking here signifies more than
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just a momentary failure or a slip.
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It denotes A definitive choice of an evil course and
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importantly, A continuance or progress in it.
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A. Continuance.
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So this is not a one off thing. Right.
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It means leading one's life according to their cancel, their
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course, or their manner of living.
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You're following their evil examples or instigations.
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If a godly man stumbles or, as Poole puts it, steps aside,
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that's a momentary failing. He repents of.
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He does not walk in it as a settled practice, so it's.
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Really about adopting their philosophy of life.
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The counsel of the ungodly becomes the road map for your
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own decisions. It's a matter of following the
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example of those who just ignore God.
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Precisely, and Poole supports this by pointing to other
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passages in Scripture where this idea of association defines a
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life path. The focus is on the direction of
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the movement. You are actively moving
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alongside or being guided by those whose primary
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characteristic is being ungodly. People who lack of conscious,
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living relationship with God. They're defined by their
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disregard for piety. That makes the distinction
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really clear. A momentary stumble is not at
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all the same as adopting that council as your guiding
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worldview. But the next stage standing in
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the way of sinners suggest something far more serious.
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And it's interesting because the action itself is stationary.
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If walking is movement and progression, why is standing,
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which is a stop in movement, actually a deeper fall?
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That's where the spiritual psychology of it comes in.
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Standing signifies a shift from movement to residence.
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It means a more settled abode. Hardness and obstinacy in the
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Wicked Course A. Settled abode.
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Yes, the way here means their established course of life,
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their consistent practice, their manner of conversation.
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The movement has stopped because the person has decided to stay
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there. It implies a sense of comfort,
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of rooting. They are no longer just visiting
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the bad neighborhood. They've bought property there.
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That's a perfect way to put it. The initial walk might have been
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tentative, maybe even slightly reluctant.
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But standing means they have ceased struggling with it.
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They are now rooted in the wrong path.
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It's a state of mind that has hardened the will against
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change. And who are these sinners?
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Seems to use that term with greater severity than ungodly.
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He does. The term Sinner here means those
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who have emphatically given themselves up to the practice
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and service of sin. They're more advanced than the
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ungodly, who might just lack religion and follow bad examples
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passively. The sinners are those who make
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sin their great business and their delight.
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So it's the difference between a person who just neglects church
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and a person who is actively, say, cheating their neighbor.
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One is neglectful, the other is dedicated to wrongdoing.
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That's a good comparison. The sinners in pools context are
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often those whose practice is external and visible.
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Sin has become the central occupation of their time and
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energy. But you know, even the Sinner
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might retain a small vestige of shame or fear.
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Which brings us to the final, most severe level of
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association, which Pool describes as the highest stage
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of wickedness, sitting in the seat of the scornful.
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The action of sitting itself carries a lot of weight here.
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It represents the end of the line for spiritual decline.
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It does sitting notes an established association or
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incorporation of themselves with the wicked group.
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It implies a constant and resolved perseverance in their
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wicked courses. They have achieved great content
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and security in their SIN. So they're comfortable.
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They're comfortable, they're settled, and they have
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absolutely no intention of moving.
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This is where the Sinner finds deep comfort and you could say
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stability in their rebellion against God.
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It's not just comfort though, is it?
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Pool suggests. It's also about expertise.
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Sitting in a seat often implies a position of authority or
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teaching. That is a critical nuance you're
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picking up on. Sitting implies great
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proficiency and eminency in the school of wickedness.
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They are no longer students of vice.
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They have graduated and are now instructors.
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They possess an ability and a readiness to instruct others in
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impiety. They lead, they define the
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counsel for others to walk in, and they mock those who walk the
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righteous path. So we have this clear descending
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path, walking, which is like experimentation or following,
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standing, which is a settled commitment, and then sitting,
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which is mastery and mockery. Exactly, and the group they
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associate with the scornful are defined by the rejection of.
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What does that mean? Rejection of remedies.
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It means they are the worst of sinners because they've passed
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the point of being merely indifferent or even just
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tempted. These are the people who
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actively reject, despise, and scorn all remedies.
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They mock sin, they deride wholesome reproofs, and they
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make it their occupation, their trade, to scoff at goodness and
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good people. They turn righteousness into a
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joke. They make piety seem foolish.
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Absolutely. This is willful, public and
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aggressive opposition to God's standards.
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The godly man, Pool assures us, has entirely separated himself
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from this three-step slide into Entrenched in piety, His feet
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refused to take the first step, his will refuses to settle, and
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his affections refused to join the school of rebellion.
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Blessedness therefore begins with this absolute non
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participation. It's a profound spiritual
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blueprint. The path to ruin is gradual, but
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the blessed person resists entirely by guarding their
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choices, their residency, and their associations.
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So the godly person has cleared the slate.
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In verse one, they stop the external influence of the
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wicked. But Pool is quick to remind us
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that separation is worthless unless it's replaced by
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devotion. The blessed life is defined not
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just by what you avoid, but by what you crave.
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First two pivots completely to the positive description.
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The godly man's delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His
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law doth he meditate day and night.
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This transition provides the core evidence that the
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separation in verse one is genuine.
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You can separate yourself from the world for many reasons,
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social, political, even psychological.
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But true blessedness requires that the vacant space in the
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heart be filled with affection for God's truth.
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And to understand this delight, we have to 1st define the law.
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Here, Pool gives us a couple of important interpretations.
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He does. Let's start with the broader
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scope. What is the expansive meaning of
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the law in this context? Broadly, it can mean the whole
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doctrine delivered by God to the Church.
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This includes doctrines about who God is, the precepts or
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commands, the promises of grace, and the threatenings of
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judgement. So everything the whole package.
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The entire body of revealed truth.
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Poole references Isaiah, which talks about those who have the
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law in their heart, indicating this all-encompassing scope.
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That makes sense in a Psalm that's introducing the whole of
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Scripture, but Poole suggests a second, more specific
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definition, which he calls the peculiar character of a good
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man. Yes.
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The second, more specific definition is the perceptive
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part of the law, the commands themselves, the moral
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obligations placed upon us by God.
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And Poole makes a crucial note that delight in the commands is
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the unique character of the godly person.
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That distinction really flips a common assumption on its head.
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Most people want the rewards and benefits of the law, but Poole
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says true faith is defined by loving the the burden of the law
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itself. Why is delighting in the command
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so central to identifying genuine blessedness?
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I mean, a wicked man could still find pleasure in the promises.
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Right. Oh absolutely, and that's the
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point. Think about it this way.
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A wicked person or hypocrite can absolutely delight in the
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promises of reward or the threats of judgement because
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those things impact their self-interest.
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If God promises heaven, well, even a selfish man wants heaven.
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Of course, if God threatens hell, even a wicked man fears
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it. Poole points out that those
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described in the Gospel of Matthew received the Word with
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joy. They delight in the promises of
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security and blessing. But their joy is conditional on
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getting an immediate benefit, not on obedience.
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Exactly. But the commands, the
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requirements for holiness, the constant call to sacrifice,
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self-interest, the need for obedience, these are often
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unwelcome and burdensome to the unregenerate heart.
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They feel like chains. Only the heart that has been
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truly changed by God can find pleasure in the command itself,
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not just the eventual outcome of obedience.
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So the blessed man's satisfaction is not derived from
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the benefit he might gain, but from the precept he must obey.
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The law isn't an external task for him, it's an internal
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pleasure. It is, and that profound
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affection then translates into the quality of his engagement
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with it. Meditation day and night.
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That intensity is the necessary outflow of genuine affection.
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If you truly delight in something, you think about it
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constantly. You do, And meditation here is
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far from a shallow, quick thought or a rushed morning
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prayer. Pool defines it as a deep,
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serious and affectionate thoughtfulness about the law.
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It's contemplation that engages the entire person, the will, the
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emotions, and the intellect. It's focused, intentional
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rumination. Sounds like spiritual digestion.
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You chew on it slowly until the nutrition sinks in.
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That's a great way to think about it.
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The word meditation often carries the connotation of a
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quiet, reflective process where the person engages in a kind of
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soliloquy with themselves about the truth they've received,
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trying to extract the meaning and apply it to their situation.
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This is active learning and internalization.
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The phrase day and night then really addresses the consistency
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of this practice and make sure this isn't just a Sunday
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afternoon hobby. Precisely this means the
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meditation is not done seldom and slightly, as hypocrites
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might do when it's socially convenient or personally
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advantageous. It is diligently, frequently,
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constantly, and upon all occasions.
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This is the mental rhythm of the believer.
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The law becomes the subject of the godly man's serious and
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tender thought, permeating his entire life.
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Yes, and this implies a discipline of the mind that
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actively redirects thoughts away from frivolous or wicked things
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and toward God's instruction. It means dedicating downtime,
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even when one is physically working or resting, to recalling
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and applying the truth. It's like a constant low level
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background process running in the mind.
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It is. If you delight in something,
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your mind drifts there automatically.
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For the blessed man, that drift is toward the doctrine of God.
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This commitment to meditation is what sets the godly man apart
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from the ungodly, who are instead walking, standing, and
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sitting in the counsel of their own fleeting thoughts.
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One life is guided by the established eternal law.
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The other is guided by temporary vain counsel.
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And that internal focus provides the foundation for the external
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security described in the next verse.
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The internal devotion generates the external stability.
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That's a beautiful connection. So this intense internal
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devotion and outward separation lead directly to the third
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verse, which provides the tangible result and security of
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the blessed man. The analogy used is incredibly
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powerful and memorable. He shall be like a tree planted
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by the rivers of water. This verse is the necessary
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proof the justification of the asserted blessedness from verses
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one and two. It moves from the definition of
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his character to the consequence of his character.
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And the planting analogy signifies 3 things.
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Rootedness, stability, and a nourishment that is constant and
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independent of the harsh conditions around it.
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A planted tree is different from a tree that just sprung up
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naturally. The word planted feels very
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intentional, very cared for. That is vital.
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It emphasizes that this blessedness is not accidental or
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self generated. This person is not a wild shrub.
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They have been intentionally placed in this nourishing
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position by the hand of the Divine Gardener.
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I like. That the divine Gardener.
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And importantly, Poole clarifies a linguistic point here.
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The Hebrew plural, often rendered as rivers, is put for
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the singular, meaning a river or streams, all connected to one
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reliable source. The nourishment is singular and
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constant. So the stability of the tree is
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a reflection of the security of its source, that source of
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course being the law of the Lord that the person delights in and
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meditates on. Now let's break down the active
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consequence of this nourishment. Bringing forth fruit in his
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season pool offers 2 connected meanings for this productivity.
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1 focuses on the man's action and one on God's result.
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The first meaning is related to act of goodness and diligence in
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one's vocation. This speaks to the godly man's
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spiritual calling. He seeks and improves all
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opportunities for the doing of good.
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He exercises virtues things like godliness, justice, temperance,
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charity and patience according to the various occasions offered
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to him in his life. So if the opportunity for
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patients presents itself, he is patient.
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If the opportunity for justice presents itself, he is just.
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He is productive. When, where, and how he ought to
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be productive. Exactly.
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He is not bringing forth fruit out of season, which would be
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either premature or unnatural. He's mature and ready to deliver
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the appropriate virtue for the moment, just as a fruit tree
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delivers apples in the apple season.
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But the second meaning shifts the focus.
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It moves from the man's moral action to the external
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consequences of his life, which addresses that promise of
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prosperity. Yes.
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The second meaning is related to his certain prosperity and
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ultimate happiness. It assures him that he shall
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have the fruit or the benefit of his godly life in due time or
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when it is deemed expedient for him by God.
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This is a necessary clarification because if we take
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the promise, whatsoever he do with shall prosper absolutely,
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literally, in a temporal sense. Well, we run into immediate
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conflict with the reality of suffering which even the most
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godly people face. How does Poole use this second
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meaning of fruit to manage that expectation?
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Poole is very specific here, and this is where his perspective is
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deeply theological and very comforting.
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He states that this blessing is assuredly in the next life, the
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life of eternal reward, even if it is only possibly enjoyed in
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this life. OK, so that prevents us from
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equating blessedness with immediate temporal ease or
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wealth. The fruit is ultimately eternal.
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It is that distinction is crucial, especially for you, the
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learner. When we read prosper, we cannot
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read rich and easy, we must read blessed outcome.
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The righteous man may face famine, persecution, or
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sickness, but the fruit of his life, his eternal reward, and
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the divine approval of his actions will be brought forth in
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God's season. The promise of the harvest isn't
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broken just because the planting season was tough.
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This stability is then further cemented by the phrase His leaf
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also shall not wither. This speaks directly against the
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short lived, illusory nature of worldly satisfaction.
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This is a beautiful image of permanent vitality.
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It signifies that the man's happiness is fixed and
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everlasting, unlike all worldly Felicity, which is short,
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transitory, and often Withers at the first sign of difficulty.
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The godly man enjoys A stability like trees that are continually
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green and flourishing. So the vitality remains.
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The vitality of the godly person remains even through prolonged
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drought or times of hardship. His outward profession of faith
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will not fail because his internal root is constantly
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nourished. We often see worldly success
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just dry up overnight. The fortune is lost, the fame
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fades, physical strength fails, but this promise ensures the
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inner vigor of the blessed man persists.
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That's the core idea, the life source, That river of God's law
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is constant, which means the manifestation of that life, the
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leaf, will also be constant. The leaf is a sign of life, and
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the promise is that this life will never be extinguished.
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And the section concludes with that sweeping promise we alluded
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to. Whatsoever he do with shall
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prosper. If we can't take this as a
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guarantee of temporal wealth, how does Poole finally define
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this ultimate success? Poole confirms that all his
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actions shall be crowned with success and a blessed end or
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effect, and he immediately links this promise to the New
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Testament, affirming that God directs all things, even the
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things that appear detrimental or painful in the moment, to a
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good outcome for those who love him.
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It's a clear connection to the assurance.
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Get in in Romans 8. So the godly person's actions
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might fail in a worldly sense, they might lose the business, or
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public opinion might turn against them, But those very
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difficulties are guaranteed to feed into their ultimate eternal
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success and blessing. Exactly.
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The success is defined by God's purpose, not man's metric.
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When the godly man acts in accordance with God's law, that
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action, whatever its immediate outcome, cannot be wasted.
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It is directed toward a good, blessed and eternal conclusion.
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This ties the actions of the righteous directly to God's
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overarching, loving purpose for their good.
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This is the definition of stable, rooted, permanent
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success. Having established this
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stability, security, and eternal rootedness of the blessed man,
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the Psalm immediately shifts. The contrast introduced in verse
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4 is so stark. The ungodly are not, so their
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condition is declared to be far differing from that rooted
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stable tree. Instead, they are like the chaff
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which the wind driveth away. That abrupt transition really
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emphasizes the absolute opposition between these two
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ways of life. It does.
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The blessedness is definite, but the misery is equally definite.
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The ungodly are compared to chaff, which is the most
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volatile and worthless part of the harvest.
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It lacks substance, weight and purpose once it's separated from
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the grain. And Pool provides 2 powerful
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applications for this likeness. 1 is related to their internal
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character and the other to their external.
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That's right. Let's start with their sinful
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disposition. What does the metaphor say about
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their internal state? OK, in terms of their character,
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the ungodly are like chaff because they are vain and
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frothy. They lack solidity.
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They are unprofitable and hurtful without any root of true
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and solid goodness. They lack the internal structure
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and settled nature of the tree planted by the river.
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So they're easily swayed both mentally and emotionally.
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Precisely. They are restless, tossed to and
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fro with every wind of their own lusts or temptations.
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They are unable to maintain a certain end or a constant course
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of action because they are guided by shifting internal
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desires or external pressures rather than by the fixed law of
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God. Their life is defined by
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volatility. The tree meditating day and
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night is stable. The chaff following every new
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council is restless. The second application then
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addresses their wretched condition, particularly
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concerning their temporal success.
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Yes, the comparison highlights the illusion of their seeming
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Felicity, which they often pride and please themselves, in that
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worldly hackiness has absolutely no firm foundation, Like chaff
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that is easily separated quickly vanishes and it flees away.
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It's momentary. It's momentary, illusory and
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offers no genuine security. The pool points to Texas and Job
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that make the same point. So even if the ungodly person
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achieves great temporal fame or riches, Pool is insisting that
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it has no root and is therefore already destined for
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dissolution. It's already withering, even if
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they can't see it. It's already volatile.
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The wind comes, whether it is the wind of temporal calamity,
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the wind of temptation, or ultimately the judgement.
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And that seeming happiness cannot withstand the least
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pressure. The godly man withstands
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calamity because he's rooted. The ungodly man is scattered
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because he is merely dry husk. And the metaphor of chaff
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inherently carries a brutal final destination.
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Chaff is worthless and when the winnowing is done, it has to be
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removed. Poole stresses that their end is
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to be burned, and he cites the New Testament image of the
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winnowing fan and the burning of the chaff in Matthew's Gospel.
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This underscores the absolute futility of their chosen path of
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association and rebellion. Their whole existence is
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characterized by internal vanity and external insecurity, leading
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only to destruction. The ultimate consequence is
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reinforced powerfully when we jump ahead to the concluding
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portion of verse 6. The way of the ungodly shall
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perish. This is the summary statement of
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their entire course of life. And it means that all their
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wicked designs and courses, the council they walked in, the way
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they stood in, the seat they sat in, all of it shall come to
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nothing. Their efforts are unproductive,
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and not only do their plans fail, but the key point is that
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they shall perish with them. The destruction of their entire
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course of life ensures the destruction of the person
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pursuing it, because they had nothing else but that perishable
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way. The trajectory said by the chaff
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metaphor leads directly to the ultimate test, the judgement,
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Verse 5 states. Therefore, the ungodly shall not
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stand in the judgement. The use of therefore ties their
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instability and their worthlessness directly to their
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inability to face God's trial. So what does not stand mean in
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this vital judicial context? Not stand is defined by pool in
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opposition to justification. It means they will not subsist
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or endure the trial. They will not be justified.
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They will not carry their cause before the righteous judge.
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Standing in this context implies being acquitted or being able to
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maintain one's ground. So when the scrutiny comes.
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When the scrutiny comes, their lack of substance being like
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chaff means they just collapse standing as opposed to falling,
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a concept you see elsewhere in scripture.
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So they can't make their defense, or their defense is
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seen as utterly hollow. And Pool distinguishes between
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two types of judgement where the ungodly will fail to stand.
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Let's start with the one we might experience during our
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lifetime. First, there is temporal
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judgment. This is experienced during times
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of temporal calamities when God arises to judge and punish
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wicked nations or individuals. In these moments, the hearts of
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the wicked fail. Their consciences are filled
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with horror, and their false security is stripped away,
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proving their instability. They cannot stand under the
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smallest pressure of God's temporal displeasure.
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And if they fail that smaller test, they certainly cannot pass
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the ultimate one. That is the great judgment,
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emphatically called the judgment, which refers to the
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great and general judgment of the whole world.
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It is in this most solemn and general congregation of all
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mankind that the ungodly are definitively excluded from the
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congregation of the righteous. That phrase congregation of the
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righteous carries massive weight.
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What does being excluded from that gathering signify for their
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eternal state? It means they will not be
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permitted into that society which shall consist of none but
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righteous persons. In theological terms, they will
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not be situated amongst the righteous ones on Christ's right
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hand as described in Matthew 25. They cannot mix with the
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righteous because they are fundamentally different.
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The chaff can't mix with the wheat.
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The chaff cannot mix with the wheat in the eternal granary.
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Their way of life, defined by opposition to God's law, has
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guaranteed their physical and spiritual segregation from the
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blessed forever. It's interesting the separation
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started in verse one by the godly man choosing to walk apart
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from the wicked, and it concludes in verse 5 with God
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enforcing that separation eternally.
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It mirrors the progression perfectly.
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The path chosen in time determines the placement in
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eternity. That is the persuasive argument
25:43
of Psalm 1, and the final verse provides the fundamental reason
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for this absolute distinction and outcome.
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For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous.
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This knowledge is the source and the guarantee of all the
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blessings we've been discussing. This is such a critical concept
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because in modern usage, knowledge is often just defined
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as data or information. If God merely knew the way of
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the righteous, that would just be speculative knowledge.
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But Poole assures us there's a second, deeper definition at
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play here. He does.
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Poole outlines two ways God knows.
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The 1st is indeed speculative knowledge, which is God's proper
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universal knowledge. He searches and knows all their
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hearts and ways and actions. He's omniscient.
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Based on this complete understanding, He determines
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that he will preserve, prosper, and bless them.
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This is drawn partly from the contrast in the following
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clause, that the ungodly's way perishes.
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God knows the ungodly way too, but he lets it perish.
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OK, So what is the practical or affectionate knowledge?
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How does pool define knowledge that is rooted in affection?
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This is the key insight we have to fully grasp.
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Knowledge in Scripture frequently implies affection,
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approval, and relationship. Think of it like this.
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If you ask someone if they know the president, they might say
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yes. They know his name, his job and
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his policies. That's speculative knowledge.
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But if you ask the president's spouse if they know him, that is
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an entirely different level of intimacy, affection and
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practical involvement in his life.
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That's a very helpful analogy. It's the difference between
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knowing about someone and truly knowing and loving them.
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Exactly, Poole sites references like an exodus where a new king
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arose who knew not Joseph, meaning he showed Joseph no
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favor or affection. Or an Amos where God says you
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only have I known of all the families of the earth, meaning
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you only have I chosen and loved.
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So when the Lord knows the way of the righteous.
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It signifies that he approveth, loveth, and delighteth in them
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and in the course of their lives.
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It transforms verse 6 from a statement of information into
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this magnificent statement of divine approval and
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relationship. It does, and because of this
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affectionate knowledge, God is actively involved in the life of
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the blessed person He careth for and directed their actions to a
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blessed issue. This is the ultimate security
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that guarantees the prosperity of verse 3.
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The stability of the tree stems not from the man's perfect
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performance, but from the fact that God has set His love upon
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them, approved their path, and dedicated Himself to bringing
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all their endeavors to a successful, eternal outcome.
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And this sovereign relationship is what guarantees the stability
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of the tree and conversely, the destruction of the chaff.
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It is the ungodly parish because their path is not known by God
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in this intimate, affectionate sense.
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Their way simply exists outside of His approval and loving
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direction and is therefore left to its own instability and
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ultimate ruin. A perfect summary.
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Poole uses Psalm 1 as a theological fence.
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On one side is the path of separation and devotion leading
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to fixed eternal stability under the loving eye of God.
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On the other is the path of association and vanity leading
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to volatile, quick ruin outside of God's affectionate knowledge.
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What we have seen through Poole's lens on Psalm 1 is a
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comprehensive theology of blessedness defined by two
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fundamentally different trajectories of human existence.
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The blessed life begins with radical separation from the
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increasing influence of the ungodly, the walk, the stand,
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and the sit, leading immediately to diligent, constant meditation
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on the whole doctrine of God, particularly delighting in the
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commands themselves. And this path leads to the
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stable, fruitful security of a tree intentionally planted by
29:17
the river of God's grace, where all activities are directed by
29:20
God to a Placid issue assuring eternal success.
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The contrast is sharp and absolute.
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The ungodly are vain, restless chaff, lacking any solid root,
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whose momentary seeming Felicity vanishes before the judgement
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because their way is not approved by God.
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Right God, affectionate knowledge of the righteousness
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path seals their blessed end, while the way of the wicked
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perishes completely. The great lesson here, following
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Poole's instruction, is that blessedness is a whole life
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response defined by both negative separation and positive
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devotion, a life of action guided by serious, heartfelt
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attention to God's revealed truth.
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It is so we leave you with this final thought stemming directly
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from God's affectionate knowledge in verse 6.
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If the Lord's knowledge of the righteous is inseparable from
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his love and approval, what practical steps should you take
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this week to ensure your daily attention to the law is not just
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cold intellectual study, but genuine effector delight,
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demonstrating that your chosen way is approved and directed by
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Him?