Psalm 1

1:6 - For the Lord watches
over the way of the righteous . . .

The psalmist's certainty about such matter does not arise from some mysterious insights into the nature of life. It stems, rather, from the fact of the Lord's character: "for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous." The verb is actually yada', literally 'knows,'—"The Lord knows the way of the righteous." NIV thus interprets the line rather than translates it. The Bible is insistent, however, that the Lord is always consistent in character and that those whom he knows to be righteous he watches over. Here, then, the NIV is not off the mark. It would, of course, be left to Jesus to bring this idea to a pastoral climax; "I am the good shepherd," Jesus says, "I know my sheep and my sheep know me . . . and I lay down my life for the sheep" (Jn 10:14-15). In contrast, "the way of the wicked perishes."

Life is, in one very important way, like a game of Sudoku or Chess; you cannot put down a number, or a chessman, without affecting everything else in the set. So it is with how we live out our life. Every act of our mundane life places us either in the category of the righteous or in the class of the wicked. And only one of them will stand us finally in the presence of the Lord and make worship possible and meaningful. Observes Bruce Waltke:

Psalm 1 functions as a garden gate, protecting Israel's sacred hymns against abuse. A problem inherent in liturgy is that it tempts humanity to rigidity and manipulation. Given to magical rituals, some worshipers throughout history have turned religion into a way to get what they want from God. Others have assumed that God is interested only in the proper execution of religious procedures without a corresponding life that is attentive to him. Psalm 1 anticipates these problems. Before entering into the Psalter, one must sway a hearty "Amen" to Psalm 1. Only the covenant keeper can enter and dwell in God's presence (Pss. 15 and 24), and only those who delight in the Torah can enter the congregation of the righteous who sing the psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs of the Psalter.

Bruce K. Waltke, with Charles Yu, An Old Testament Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007) 885.

So, can we enter into the congregation of the righteous and sing the songs of the Psalter? That was the challenge this psalm posed to the ancient Israelite as they pick up this hymnbook in worship. This is the challenge this psalm poses to us still.