SHEVAT 16
Which Path?
“Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wrong, And shall not stand in the path of sinners …” (Ps 1:1)
This first verse from Psalm 1 focuses on what we should NOT be doing, the things that will quickly get us into trouble with our Creator. There is a downward spiral in this verse: from “not walking (or listening)”, to the avoidance of “standing”. We have also switched from a group of people that are ‘wrong’, to those who are now ‘sinners’. I would suggest that this is going from bad to worse …
Our friend Noah Webster uses the following for one of his definitions of ‘sinner’: “One that has voluntarily violated the divine law; a moral agent who has voluntarily disobeyed any divine precept or neglected any known duty”[1]. Please notice, folks, that this person willingly and knowingly violated the Torah of our Elohim, it was their choice to do so. Also, folks, please recognize that an accidental transgression because we did not know any better does not necessarily make us ‘sinners.’
Walking is movement; it can also refer to the manner in which we conduct ourselves, our way of life. However, if our walk leads us into the ‘path of sinners’, we have a problem. From our opening verse, we perceive that we should not only persistently be trying to stay on the correct path, we should also make every effort to not stop, and stand still, in the middle of somewhere we know we shouldn’t be. When we reach the place where we are investigating the path – the lifestyle – of those who intentionally disobey the Word of our Elohim, we are no longer cultivating the “fear of Yahweh” (see Deu 10:12-13), with imminent consequences. A dangerous situation to find ourselves in.
The Hebrew word that has been translated as ‘path’ is the word derek (Strong’ H1870), a word that is also used to describe a manner, a habit, or a course of life. When linked to ‘sinners’, this should never be the path of those who belong to the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Our Father has given us a path to walk, and its name is Torah. On this path, we find safety, security, blessings and fulfillment. Please, people, pay attention to where your feet (and eyes) have been, and be careful of where you stop (and look around) to catch your breath.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” (Ps 119:105)
“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” (Pro 4:18)
©2021
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