Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Psalm 1:5
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
We have been exploring the gateway to the Psalms: Psalm 1. So far we have read that while the one who delights in God’s instructions is like a thriving tree, the wicked are like wind-blown chaff. The Psalmist continues this comparison in verse 5.
The Righteous Versus the Wicked
So far we have only described the person who delights in the Lord. This person has been contrasted to the wicked ones (Hebrew rashim) but has otherwise remained unnamed. In this verse, we finally receive a word to describe this thriving person: a righteous person (tzadik). This Psalm is not the only place contrasting these opposing types of people. This theme runs throughout the Bible.
When Solomon prayed during the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, he asked that the Lord judge his people, “condemning the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness” (1 Kings 8:32). More literally, he says to “make/declare wicked the wicked” and “make/declare righteous the righteous”.
During the plagues of Egypt, Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron to him and seemingly confessed, declaring that “the LORD is in the right (tzadik, righteous), and I and my people are in the wrong (rashim, wicked)” (Exodus 9:27).
The Lord is often described as tzadik, sometimes describing his actions (1 Samuel 12:7, Micah 6:5) while other times describing his character (Psalm 119:137, 129:4).
The book of Proverbs frequently contrasts the righteous (tzadik) and wicked (rasha). The Lord curses the wicked but blesses the righteous (Proverbs 3:33). Each of their ways of life is in sharp contrast: the words of their mouths (Proverbs 10:11), their efforts (Proverbs 10:16), and even their thoughts (Proverbs 12:5).
Justice and Judgment
While the righteous delight in God’s instructions, the wicked should fear God’s justice/judgment. There will be an ultimate reckoning. God will judge the righteous and the wicked. Those who have faithfully followed his ways have nothing to fear. Those who have forged their own paths will not stand up under the weight of the charges against them from the Holy Judge.
Is this verse alluding to the final judgment (like Revelation 20:11-15)? I think it is more likely given the context of when it was written that something closer was in mind. Possibly it was something that would happen in the wicked one’s own lifetime (a reversal of fortunes) or at a national level like the exile which the prophets frequently warned against.
Despite these dire consequences, the wicked always have the option to repent of their ways and turn back to God.
To Ponder…
While we cannot earn our salvation, our actions have consequences. Things may go well for those who go against God (even the writers of the Bible questioned this, like Jeremiah 12:1) and the righteous may suffer, but there will be an ultimate accounting for all of us. What do your actions reveal about your heart? What path are you on? Of what do you need to repent?
May you delight in God’s word and walk confidently in his ways, even in a world that scoffs at such ideas.
An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
Proverbs 29:27
but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.