Psalm 1 begins with the word “Blessed,” with verse 3 expanding on what this blessing looks like:
Psalm 1:3 (NIV)
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers.
Within the affirmation (confession)-as-meditation approach, we may be tempted to seek this blessing by verbally confessing it over ourselves. However, meditating (thoughtfully reflecting) on this verse introduces us to the psalmist’s approach to obtaining this blessing.
By reflecting on the verse, we realize that the blessing is described as belonging to a specific kind of person, introduced in verse 3 as “that person” (the KJV introduces this person as “he”). We then ask (still in meditation): Who is this person the Bible describes as “that person”?
To answer this question, we will need to walk back to verses 1–2:
Psalm 1:1–2 (NIV)
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, [2] but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
“That person” whose blessing is described in verse 3 is the same as “the one” introduced in verse 1 (“Blessed is the one…”). Meditation therefore helps us to notice the connection between verses 1–2 and verse 3, rather than seeing verse 3 as an isolated blessing available for anyone to claim without context.
As we progress further in meditation, we see how verses 1 and 2 describe this blessed person we have identified as “the one.” He is characterized by two dimensions: what he avoids and what he embraces.
1. What he avoids:
He does not walk in step with the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the company of mockers (verse 1).
2. What he embraces:
He delights in the Law of the Lord (the Word of God) and meditates on it day and night (just as Joshua was instructed in Joshua 1:8).
We then realize that “the one” is a kind of person the psalmist is inviting us to become. This person hates iniquity (wickedness) and loves righteousness. He rejects what is contrary to God’s Word and delights in God’s Word — and in everything (including people) aligned with it. As we become this kind of person, the blessing described in verse 3 naturally flows from our lives.
Refusing to become this kind of person automatically subjects a person to the outcome described in verses 4–5 as the outcome of the (way of the) wicked, whether or not one verbally rejects that outcome.
The psalmist then summarizes everything in verse 6:
Psalm 1:6 (NIV)
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
We now see that the psalm is a contrast between two kinds of people: the righteous and the wicked. The righteous, according to the psalmist, love God’s Law and hate iniquity (and do not keep company with those who practice it), while the wicked are the opposite. Loving righteousness positions a person for the blessing, and from verse 6, we see also that the Lord Himself is committed to the way of the righteous — He watches over their path.