The first Psalm sets the stage for the entire book of Psalms: Whom do we worship? And what does that path of worship involve? These questions must be answered before the worship in the Psalms can truly begin. Worship of the true God begins with trusting in God above all things. The second Psalm, which I would maintain is also introductory, shows our relationship with the Son of God.
1 1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers. (NIV)
The first Psalm doesn't contain any commands. It takes a gospel-centered approach to state the truth. There are only two ways for anyone. There is no "third" way. There is either the way of God, or the way of the wicked. The "wicked" in the Psalm would include hypocrites, unbelievers, apostates (people who have fallen away) and anyone else who rejects the true God. When Balaam the false prophet was speaking God's word by the grace of God and not by his own will (as his donkey did), he said longingly, "Who can count the dust of Jacob...? Let me die the death of the righteous" (Numbers 23:10).
The first Psalm presents these basics for us: (1) The way of the righteous is the only way that leads to life (avoid everything else, verses 1-3); (2) The way of the wicked leads only to death (verses 4-5), and (3) the two ways are separate (verse 6).
The three verbs, walk..., stand..., sit..., show a dangerously increasing familiarity with the ways of the unrighteous. Don't take his advice, don't hang out with him, and don't become him. The three words that describe the wicked also tell us something: The wicked (Hebrew resha'im) are people who are guilty of breaking God's commands, even in their thoughts. Sinners (chata'im) are guilty of sins they have committed in their deeds, stepping over God's line. Mockers (letsim) are those who have sinned with their words in foolish or sinful speech. This is a reminder that sin can happen in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds. Any sins break God's laws. All sins need to be forgiven by God.
That's what makes the Savior's work so essential. There is no way to approach our holy God in our sinful unholiness, unholy in our thoughts, our words and our actions. We need the Savior, whose actions, whose words and whose very thoughts made us right with God. His blood atoned for all of our sins, and now we can approach God with our prayers assured that he hears us and answers us. And more than that, we can rest assured that on the last day we will rise from our graves and stand before God unafraid, because our sins are forgiven.
We are at peace with God because we are blessed by the Man who never walked in the counsel of the wicked, who never stood in the way sinners go, and who never sat in the company of mockers. He stood in the counsel of the Father, he stood on the path of righteousness, and he sat upon the foal of a donkey and hung on the cross.
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