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Wednesday,
March 6, 2024
Rice
chaff
"Don't
Be Like
Chaff!"
Message
summary:
One glorious
future day the
Judgment of
Christ will
come and there
will be a
great harvest.
I don't want
to be like the
chaff of Psalm
1, "that
the wind blows
away".
Rather, I want
to be among
those who "stand
in the
judgment"
and gather "in
the assembly
of the
righteous".
I expect to
have great
fellowship
with you, our
readers, as we
await our turn
to stand
before Christ
and joyfully
confess that
He is Lord, to
the glory of
God the
Father.
“Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” (Psalm 1:4-6).
Chaff is an agricultural term unfamiliar to many today. It is the inedible, dry, scaly protective casings of the seeds of cereal grain. The above photo shows rice chaff up close.
Today
let us
consider a
reference to
chaff in one
of the most
familiar and
quoted Psalms:
Psalm 1.
The
first three
verses speak
of the blessed
person. It’s a
vital,
instructive
part of God’s
Word that
teaches the
believer how
to be firm in
their walk
with the Lord,
like a tree
planted by
streams of
water.
The
final three
verses
are a major
contrast with
a
focus on the
wicked: "Not
so the
wicked!"
An article written in “Our Daily Bread” many years ago vividly exemplifies the contrast between the godly and ungodly as portrayed in Psalm 1:
The shift in descriptive characteristics between the blessed and evil are quite pronounced in Psalm 1. Notice the emphatic manner in which verse 4 begins, “Not so the wicked!”
“They are like chaff that the wind blows away…” This characterization of the wicked is a major contrast to the characterization of the blessed man who is "like a tree planted by streams of water". To separate the chaff from the wheat early cultures tossed baskets of grain into the air and let the wind blow away the lighter chaff which was inedible and utterly useless. As we apply this illustration to the wicked we see their lack of meaningful existence much like Mark Twain elaborated.
“Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” This parallel statement points out the future lot of the wicked and unrepentant sinners. This is not a popular teaching today and many tend to shy away from it but it's a vital part of God's Word.
An article written in “Our Daily Bread” many years ago vividly exemplifies the contrast between the godly and ungodly as portrayed in Psalm 1:
“When
John Wesley,
who had been
joyous,
energetic, and
effective even
in his 88th
year, was
dying, he
suddenly sat
up, looked at
the people
weeping at his
bedside, and
said, ‘Best of
all, God is
with us.’
In contrast Mark Twain, morose and weary of life well before he died at 75, wrote, ‘A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle for bread; they squabble and scold and fight; . . . age creeps upon them; infirmities follow; . . . those they love are taken from them, and the joy of life is turned to aching grief. . . . [Release] comes at last—the only unpoisoned gift earth ever had for them—and they vanish from a world where they were of no consequence; . . . a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever.’”
In contrast Mark Twain, morose and weary of life well before he died at 75, wrote, ‘A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle for bread; they squabble and scold and fight; . . . age creeps upon them; infirmities follow; . . . those they love are taken from them, and the joy of life is turned to aching grief. . . . [Release] comes at last—the only unpoisoned gift earth ever had for them—and they vanish from a world where they were of no consequence; . . . a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever.’”
The shift in descriptive characteristics between the blessed and evil are quite pronounced in Psalm 1. Notice the emphatic manner in which verse 4 begins, “Not so the wicked!”
“They are like chaff that the wind blows away…” This characterization of the wicked is a major contrast to the characterization of the blessed man who is "like a tree planted by streams of water". To separate the chaff from the wheat early cultures tossed baskets of grain into the air and let the wind blow away the lighter chaff which was inedible and utterly useless. As we apply this illustration to the wicked we see their lack of meaningful existence much like Mark Twain elaborated.
“Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” This parallel statement points out the future lot of the wicked and unrepentant sinners. This is not a popular teaching today and many tend to shy away from it but it's a vital part of God's Word.
Being
unable to "stand
in the
judgment"
is a depiction
of those
unable to
withstand
God’s wrath.
They will be
struck down
and condemned
by God on
Judgment Day.
The New
Testament
verse comes to
mind, “Every
knee shall
bow…and
confess that
Jesus Christ
is Lord...”
The final verse contrasts the two ways:
One glorious future day the Judgment of Christ will come and there will be a great harvest. I don't want to be like the chaff of Psalm 1, "that the wind blows away". Rather, I want to be among those who "stand in the judgment" and gather "in the assembly of the righteous". I expect to have great fellowship with you, our readers, as we await our turn to stand before Christ and joyfully confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The final verse contrasts the two ways:
1)
“The LORD
watches over
the way of the
righteous”.
There are
eighty-eight
references to
the “eyes
of the Lord”
in
Scripture.
This is the
loving, caring
attentiveness
expressed in
numerous
verses such as
“But the
eyes of the
LORD are on
those who fear
Him, on those
whose hope is
in His
unfailing
love”
(Psalm 33:18).
2) “But the way of the wicked will perish”. Our focus on the Bible's most famous verse is rightly the love of God, “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” But this very verse also presents the reality of judgment. Those who believe "shall not perish" but for those who do not believe, "but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son" (John 3:18).
2) “But the way of the wicked will perish”. Our focus on the Bible's most famous verse is rightly the love of God, “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” But this very verse also presents the reality of judgment. Those who believe "shall not perish" but for those who do not believe, "but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son" (John 3:18).
One glorious future day the Judgment of Christ will come and there will be a great harvest. I don't want to be like the chaff of Psalm 1, "that the wind blows away". Rather, I want to be among those who "stand in the judgment" and gather "in the assembly of the righteous". I expect to have great fellowship with you, our readers, as we await our turn to stand before Christ and joyfully confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Be
encouraged
today,
Hebrews
3:13
Stephen
&
Brooksyne
Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, I want
my life to be
of value to
You and to
those around
me.
Through the
Psalmist You
depict the
wicked to be
like chaff
which has no
lasting value
here on earth
and certainly
not for
eternity.
What a tragic
waste to have
been given
human life and
to have wasted
it in such a
manner. I want
my life to
count right
here and now
and for all
eternity.
I bow my knees
and confess
with my lips
that Jesus
Christ is Lord
and Savior of
my life.
I choose not
to walk in the
counsel of the
wicked, but
rather I seek
counsel from
your holy Word
and delight in
Your ways.
Amen.Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental
Resources
"Psalm
1" Watch
on YouTube
Sons of Korah
"Psalm
1 (Everything
He Does Shall
Prosper)"
Watch
on YouTube
The Psalms
Project
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Weber -
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Stephen & Brooksyne
2024
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version and a variety of other versions.
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