Directional Attributes
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stand in the path of sinners Psalm 1:1
How Blessed – Isn’t it nice to know that God has a sense of artistic symmetry? He is the author extraordinaire. Throughout Scripture, He demonstrates His literary skills with tiny subtleties that reveal an amazing mind behind the words. From “in the beginning” to “Alpha and Omega”, God crafts His word to us. Here, in the first psalm, is a small example of this craftsmanship, found in the first word. That word is ‘ashre (blessed). Of course, you can’t see the intricacy of this craftsmanship until you realize that ‘ashre is derived from the Hebrew verb ‘ashar, a verb that means, “to go, walk straight.” You can see this verb in Proverbs 9:6. Exactly how the idea of going or walking straight is etymologically connected with a state of bliss is not clear, but what is clear is that “blessed” comes from this verb of motion. The literary craft is seen in the subtle connection between the bliss of walking straight and the command not to walk crooked in the counsel of the wicked. The first word points the way. The rest is amplification.
But that’s not all. ‘Ashar is one of two words used for blessing in Hebrew. The other verb is barak. What is amazing is that God never uses ‘ashar to bless someone. He always uses barak. And no one ever blesses God with ‘ashar. Blessing God always involves barak. Why? Because ‘ashar is a blessing that involves a reward for something a man does while barak is a blessing that is given without consideration to a man’s effort. ‘Ashar is a word of congratulation. Barak is a word of benediction.
This insight changes everything. The first word of the Psalms is not about God dumping unmerited favor on me because He is gracious and kind. It is about me doing something for myself that results in a substantial benefit to me. The first word of the Psalms does not wait for God to act on my behalf. No, it tells me that the ‘ashre blessings in life are up to me! I can experience the bliss and joy of the straight path by learning not to accept the influence and advice of those who pay no attention to God. The first word is all about my choice of direction for my life. What great news! This part of my life is completely within my power. I can do it!
Of course, there is a flip side. Since it is completely within my power, I have no excuse for not doing it. If I don’t have the state of bliss that accompanies a walk on the straight path, I cannot blame God (or anyone else). God has constructed the world so that I can make this choice on my own. Walk straight. Experience bliss. Walk crooked. Experience wrath. God makes it simple.
So, what’s the problem? Which direction are you walking?
Topical Index: ‘ashar, direction, blessed, Psalm 1:1
Skip, does this use of the word “blessed” correspond with the “Blessed”s in the Beatitudes? Where our actions are directly responsible for our blessings?
The Hebrew word used here is equivalent to the Greek word used in the Beatitudes. I think I wrote about this in Today’s Word stuff but it is certainly in my book, The Lucky Life
Thank you. I have the book (fantastic) but I did not recall that you had covered this verse in Proverbs in context with the “Be-luckies”. Thanks!