Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in it season, whose leaf also shall not wither. And whatever he does shall prosper. (Psalm 1:1-3, N.K.J.V.)

Let me begin by pointing out that the proper pronunciation of the first word of this passage is “bless-ed” rather than “blessed” (as in “blest”). You see, the Bible uses one Hebrew word to refer to “bless-ed” and another to refer to “blessed.” The Hebrew word for “blessed” is barak, and it is used in passages such as Genesis 1:28, which says of Adam and Eve: “And God blessed them.” Notably, however, the Hebrew word used n Psalm 1:1 is esher, a word that means happy, fortunate, enviable, or prosperous.

Actually, esher is plural. This explains why it’s been suggested that esher might accurately be translated “blessednesses.” The point is, esher speaks of more than just one blessing. The person who is esher abides in a continual state of experiencing blessing after blessing as there is a multiplicity of blessings that rest upon the person. Trust me, you’d rather be “bless-ed” than just “blessed.”

But how does a person become “bless-ed”? Well, this passage gives us three main thoughts for an answer. Let’s walk through them together.

First, in verse 1 we are given a word about: the “bless-ed” person in relation to SEPARATION. “Bless-ed” people are marked by things they don’t do, deeds from which they keep themselves separate. Clearly, the book of Psalms opens by dispelling the notion that the sinful life is the good life.

Three negatives are mentioned. Negative #1 is: Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Tell me, who do you look to for advice? Is that person a godly person? Is that person living under the lordship of Jesus Christ? Is that person highly knowledgeable of what the Bible teaches? Is that person wise in applying the Bible to everyday life? Is that person really in tune with the Lord?

Negative #2 is: Blessed is the man who does not stand in the path of sinners. There is a path of sin in which the ungodly stand, and them standing in this path shows that their sinfulness isn’t just a one-time slip up. To the contrary, they are engaged in a daily, continual lifestyle of sin. Instead of trying to get off the path of sinners, they continually stand in it.

Negative #3 is: Blessed is the man who does not sit in the seat of the scornful. The Hebrew word translated as “scornful” is luwts. It can also be translated as “mockers” or “scoffers.” These scornful, mocking, scoffing people have unfiltered contempt for God, His ways, and His standards. Mention is made of such a person having a seat because he is thoroughly settled and fixed in his disgust toward God.

The passage’s second main thought concerns: the “bless-ed” person in relation to SCRIPTURE. Verse 2 says of the “bless-ed” man: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” The phrase “the law of the Lord” refers to that body of law God gave the people of Israel through Moses. That law was written down, which meant that it was the “Bible” by which the Israelites lived. Obviously, the fact that us modern-day believers have a completed “Bible” to consult should result in us delighting in God’s written words even more than those Jews did. Putting it simply, if you want to be blessed, love the scriptures and learn the scriptures.

Finally, the text’s third main thought deals with: the “bless-ed” person in relation to SUCCESS. Here the passage shifts from talking about things the “bless-ed” person does and doesn’t do and offers, instead, a simile (as evidenced by the use of the word “like”) to describe the results of the person’s blessedness. As verse 3 says: “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”

Why doesn’t this tree wither away? It can’t wither because it is planted by rivers of water. That location ensures that the tree will always bring forth its fruit in season just when it should. Even its leaves don’t wither, which serves as further evidence of the tree’s health and vibrancy. This all makes for a beautiful description of the “bless-ed” person’s life.

Then the description gets even better! The end of verse 3 says that whatever the blessed person does shall prosper. Unfortunately, some people take this to mean that all a godly person has to do is take his or her wish list to God, have the necessary amount of faith, and wait for God to grant the wishes. Actually, however, God’s idea of prospering isn’t so simplistic.

We can best understand “whatever he does shall prosper” by looking at the life of Joseph. Did you know that even when Joseph was wrongly sold into slavery God called him a prosperous man and caused whatever he did to prosper? Genesis 39:2-3 says:

And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. (K.J.V., emphasis mine)

The Hebrew word used to describe the prosperity God gave Joseph is the exact same word, esher, that is used in verse 3 of our text. Therefore, when you understand what God did for Joseph, even as Joseph was a servant in the house of Potiphar, you will understand the kind of prosperity God bestows upon the “bless-ed” person.

As for what kind of prosperity that was, let’s consider the facts. When Joseph was a servant in Potiphar’s house, did Joseph have a lot of money in his bank account? Absolutely not! Did he have a wife and children? No. Was he a man of prestige and standing in the community? Nope. Still, though, God described him as a prosperous man.

Ultimately, Joseph did become rich beyond his wildest dreams as God made him the second most powerful man in all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. Also, God gave him a wife and two fine sons. Nevertheless, these later blessings and more obvious prosperity don’t cancel out the fact that Joseph was “bless-ed” and prosperous even before the power, wealth, and beautiful family. And so it is with any saved believer who truly lives the requirements of Psalm 1:1-3.