Orientation, Part 1: Two Ways and a Tree

The Book of Psalms is filled with images. And the first images in the Psalter are of two roads (or a ways) and of a tree. The roads signal the directions one takes in life — and the roads are characterized not by their geography (“you take the high road and I’ll take the low road”) but rather by who walks on each road and to whom each road belongs.

Down one road walk the wicked (those who do not depend on God), sinners (those who rebel against God’s will), and the scoffers (those who mock God). This road belongs to those who tread its path. This road leads nowhere. Those who take this road end up being non-resilient — they cannot take suffering. Down the other road walk the righteous (those who depend on God). This other road belongs not to those who take it, but to God — who watches over it.

The other picture in Psalm 1 is of a tree. Those who depend on God (the righteous) are like a tree, whose roots are sunk deep into the earth next to an irrigation stream. Because of this, the tree can flourish — even when the going gets tough. Like this tree, which drinks deeply from streams of water, the righteous drink daily from God’s Word. They are resilient, but God watches over the paths they walk.

One final comment — Psalm 1 introduces the entire Book of Psalms, and says that the Psalms are “Torah.” Psalm 1 makes a promise about the psalms: Those who drink deeply from the psalms will find a sustainable source of spiritual drink. A source that sustains one on the road of life and a source that will never run dry.