Not So the Wicked

“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 leads to destruction” (Psalm 1:4-6).

After telling us what the blessed and happy person is like, the psalmist closes out the psalm by describing what the wicked are like.

The wicked:

• The wicked are like chaff which the wind blows away
• The wicked will not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous
• The LORD watches the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction

The wicked are like chaff which the wind blows away. The psalmist pictures a farmer who is gleaning wheat. The farmer gathers the wheat which is covered by a exterior skin that cannot be eaten. So the farmer throws the wheat grains into the air where the chaff is separated from the grain of wheat. The chaff is so light it floats in the air. The chaff is blown about by the wind.

Unlike the blessed and happy person who lay their roots deep into God’s word to withstand the storms and rapids, the wicked are like the chaff which is blown about by the winds and whims of the culture. Deeply rooted vs blown about by the whims of the culture.

Because the wicked are not rooted in God’s word and God’s truth, they will not stand in judgment nor in the assembly of the righteous. They will be judged and there will be no place for them in the presence of God.

God will watch over the way of the righteous but the wicked will be separated and sent away from the presence of God into Sheol or hell.

Many wonder what hell is. One of the best descriptions of hell is that hell is the place where God’s grace and mercy are absent. In hell, the only thing the wicked will receive from God is his judgment and wrath because grace and mercy will be absent.

Blessed. Wicked.

God has shown us clearly what he wants is for us to be blessed. Because he wants us to be blessed he has shown us how to live the blessed and happy life. Get rooted in the word of God.