RCCG Sunday School STUDENT Manual 11 October 2020 – Lesson 6
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TOPIC — Psalms 1: The Blessedness Of The Righteous [RCCG Sunday School STUDENT Manual 11 October 2020]
MEMORY VERSE: “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” – Psalms 92:12
BIBLE PASSAGE: Psalms 1:1-3 KJV (RCCG Sunday School STUDENT Manual 11 October 2020)
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
INTRODUCTION: Psalm 1 stands as a kind of introduction to the rest of the Psalms. It’s subject matter is very general and basic. It touches in two subjects that continually occur throughout the Psalms: the BLESSEDNESS of the righteous and the doom of the ungodly. In this lesson, we shall be doing an exposition of Psalm 1:1-3 which deals with the character of the righteous and the conditions for divine blessings.
LESSON OUTLINES:
- THE CHARACTER OF THE RIGHTEOUS
- THE CONDITION FOR DIVINE BLESSINGS AND ITS RESULTS
1. THE CHARACTER OF THE RIGHTEOUS
The Psalmist begins with the character and conditions of a godly man. The character is expressed in verse one: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”
To be blessed means to be highly favoured by divine grace and enjoying the bliss of heaven.
Firstly, “the man” receives the blessings of God because he does not ‘walk in the counsel of the ungodly’. The counsels of the ungodly are pieces of advice, plans and purposes that do not conform to God’s word (Prov. 1:10; 1 Kings 12:9-14; 2 Sam. 13:3-5, 14). The ungodly is one that lives or acts without consciousness of God – wicked and unjust. Therefore, the man (a believer in Christ) that will enjoy the blessings of God must not embrace ungodly principles, adopt their philosophies or encourage their practices (Eph. 5:11; Prov. 24:1; 2 Cor. 6:14-15; 2 Thess. 3:6).
Secondly, ‘the man’s does not stand in the way of sinners (Prov. 1:11-15; 4:14-15). That is, he must not compromise, take side with or submit to the position of sinners (Matt. 26:14-16). A sinner is one who transgresses the law (1 John 3:4), engages in unrighteousness (1 John 5:17) or refuses to do what is good (James 4:17). Therefore, the man (a believer in Christ) that will enjoy the blessings of God must know his standing in Christ, be firm in his faith and flee from every appearance of evil (2 Tim. 2:19; Galatians 5:1; 1 Thess. 5:22).
Thirdly, ‘the man’ does not sit in the seat of the scornful. The scornful are those who mock (set their mouths against) the heaven or anything that represents God. They openly defy all that is sacred, scoff at religion and make a jest of sin (Exo. 5:2; 2 Chron. 32:10-15; Nehemiah 2:19). Fools may think foolish thoughts (Ps. 14:1) but scorners go a set further and blurt them out proudly. Scorners are not reachable because they refuse to listen (Prov. 9:8; 13:1; 15:12). Therefore, the man that will be blessed does not relax himself with those that sit down secured in their wickedness. He does not associate himself with those that sit in close cabal to find out ways and means for the support and advancement of the devil’s kingdom, or that sit in open judgement to condemn the generation of the righteous (Psalm 69:12).
The great lesson to learn from the whole of verse one is sin, is progressive; one evil propensity or act leads to another. He who Acts by bad counsel may soon do evil deeds; and he who abandons himself to evil doings may end his life in total apostasy from God (James 1:14-15). As the blessedness of the man is great who avoids the ways and the workers of iniquity, so wretchedness is great who Acts on the contrary.
2. THE CONDITION FOR DIVINE BLESSINGS AND ITS RESULTS
In verse two, the condition for being blessed is stated “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” This means the man’s will, desire, affection, every motive in his heart and every moving principle in his soul are on the side of God and His truth. He takes up the law of the Lord as the rule of his life. The law of the Lord is the Word of God (Psalm 119:1, 47, 97; James 1:25).
To meditate in God’s word is to discourse with oneself concerning the great things contained in it, with a close application of mind and fixedness of thought. Meditation must continue until one is suitable affected with those things and experience the savour and power of the word in his heart (Joshua 1:8; Ps. 119:11; Prov. 4:20-22).
The result of the fulfilling of the the condition for being blessed is found in verse three: “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” This truth is also spelt out in Jeremiah 17:8. A man planted by the river is likened to a man who has regular supply of nourishment and refreshments. The source of his blessings is the Word of God. He is intentionally positioned, cultivated by God and grows in the knowledge and service of God (Psalm 92:12-13). He will experience irreversible fruitfulness and will not suffer loss of any kind (John 15:4-7). He will be healthy all round, prosperous and enjoy the fruits of his labor (Isaiah 3:10; 3 John 2).
CONCLUSION: To remain blessed, one has to abstain from every appearance of evil and live by the word of God.
ASSIGNMENT: Identify five (5) people that bible calls righteous with one scriptural reference each to support your answer.
RCCG Sunday School HYMN
- O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
O how I love Thee well,
I am happy, it makes me glad
To rejoice at Thy birth. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Thy friendship suits me well,
Both young and old will sing Thy song,
We long for Sunday School. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Christ was Thy first teacher,
The Holy Spirit, great teacher,
Does manifest in thee. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
This testimony is sure,
That God, the Father Almighty,
Poured His blessing on Thee. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Though the sun be so bright,
Or if the clouds black with rain,
I’ll be in Sunday School. - O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
I rejoice to see Thee,
Will thou pass over me today?
Without my being blest?