Psalm 1 in the Context of the Bible, Pt 3

MATTHEW

The next Scripture we must go to, where these things really become wrapped together, is Matthew 13:31-32. A parable. Just like the parables in Ezekiel 17. Why did Jesus speak to the crowds in parables/proverbs? The disciples asked Jesus this same question in Matthew 13:10, and Jesus answers it: “And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given’” (13:11). Jesus speaks to the crowds in parables/proverbs because, “‘while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand’” (v. 13). In them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled (13:14-15, quoting Isaiah 6). They do not have the New Covenant heart, the New Covenant has not yet been fulfilled according to Jeremiah 31:31-34, a time which is still future from our standpoint. The fulfillment of the New Covenant is the fulfillment also of the Kingdom promises. They are all wrapped up together. We, the Church, are the first fruits of the New Covenant, but it has not yet been fulfilled according to what YHWH has promised in His Word in Deuteronomy 30:1-14, Jeremiah 31, and Ezekiel 36-37. Otherwise we would be in the kingdom, which we are absolutely NOT in right now.

The parables are concealing truth from the crowds, the people of Israel, because they do not have the New Covenant heart. But for Jesus’ disciples: “‘blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear’” (Matthew 13:16-17). Jesus presents the parable in Matthew 13:31-32 to the crowds (13:34-35). Here is the text: “He presented another parable to them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is the smallest of all seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is the largest of the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.’”

First, Jesus is speaking about the kingdom of heaven. This is the same kingdom that Nebuchadnezzar was speaking about in Daniel 4:3, 34. The same kingdom given to the one like a son of man in Daniel 7:13-14. This is a very simple text. Jesus is likening the kingdom to a mustard seed—the kingdom is like this plant: its seed is the smallest seed, but when it is fully grown it becomes the largest garden plant, it becomes a tree. With the result that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches. There’s that language again from Ezekiel 17:23, 31:6, and Daniel 4:12. A kingdom which is a tree that provides a dwelling for the birds, the beasts, the nations. The basic idea of the comparison: going from the smallest to the largest, from humility to exaltation.

Why would Jesus, teaching about the kingdom of heaven, talk about it in terms of a “seed” and a “tree” and reference Ezekiel 17, 31, Daniel 4, all within an agricultural/garden context? This language that Jesus used in this parable is very specific and intentional.

In verse 32 Jesus is quoting from or alluding to at least four texts: Ezekiel 17:23, 31:6, Daniel 4:12, 21. The strongest connections are with Ezekiel 31:6 and Daniel 4:12. Why? This kingdom, the kingdom of heaven, is like those kingdoms in that it is a tree and it provides for the animals. Yet this kingdom will not fall. Those kingdoms tried to fulfill God’s design for man in Genesis 1:26-28, but they were in it for themselves, for their own glory. Thus in the loftiness of their pride they fell. But this kingdom, and by very strong implication (in keeping with all that we’ve seen so far in Ezekiel and Daniel) also its King, will NOT fail. This kingdom will have dominion and will subdue the earth. This is YHWH’s superior, everlasting kingdom that Nebuchadnezzar confessed in Daniel 4:3, 34.

What have we learned so far? Kingdoms and their kings are described as trees and sometimes vines. Kingdoms and their kings are taken together, treated together; you can’t separate them. The glory of the kingdom is the glory of its king. So in saying that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which grows into a tree, Jesus is making a statement about the king of the kingdom of heaven; namely, Himself. Ezekiel 17 was speaking about an individual from the royal seed line of David being planted by YHWH and growing into a tree (a majestic cedar). Daniel 4 spoke of Nebuchadnezzar as the corporate head of his kingdom, and he was described as a tree (Dn 4:20-22). Matthew 13 speaks of the kingdom, and Jesus by referring to the kingdom as a tree (and based on the previous Scripture we’ve seen and which Jesus refers to) is by direct implication referring to its king as a tree. The imagery in these texts that we’ve looked at regularly combines the kingdom with its corporate head.

In light of this, we need to look at the language that Jesus uses here of “seed” and “a tree” in a garden and a kingdom context. I believe Jesus is tying together language of the promised Seed of the woman with the imagery of the man in Psalm 1 and the imagery of kings and their kingdoms likened to trees in Ezekiel and Daniel. Which serves this purpose: the Seed of the woman must be planted, must be buried, must die so that He may bear much fruit (John 12:23-24, 27, 32-33). The very simple language of going from smallest to largest in this parable is significant: Jesus came to earth in a humble state (Isaiah 42:1-4; 49:1-7; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12; Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus, the promised Seed of the woman, died on a cross. Jesus, the same promised Seed of the woman, was buried. You might say, He was planted. YHWH will plant Him on Mount Zion (Ezekiel 17:22-24). YHWH in Ezekiel 17 promised that He will pluck from the topmost of the young twigs of the cedar of Lebanon (the Davidic line) a tender one (17:22). It has a humble beginning. Like the shoot from the stem of Jesse in Isaiah 11:1, and the tender shoot which grew up before YHWH in Isaiah 53:2. Yet though He was humbled, the lowliest of men, “the delight/חפץ of YHWH will succeed/צלח in His hand” (Isaiah 53:10, same language from Psalm 1:2-3). This man will be humbled, but He will be exalted: He will succeed/prosper. He will become the largest of all the garden plants (Matthew 13:32).

No man has suffered like Christ has suffered (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). No man has been so humbled. Thus He is the smallest of all seeds. And therefore His exaltation is so much the greater (just like Philippians 2:5-11 describes). This seed must be buried/planted so that it will grow into a majestic tree and be the only source of sustenance, protection, and shelter for the nations. There have been kingdoms of men in the past that have become great and large, like trees (the Assyrian kingdom, the Babylonian kingdom), but they fell. Only one Kingdom is everlasting, only one Kingdom will exercise the dominion of Genesis 1:28. The kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of the Son of Man.

HOSEA 10, 14; JOHN 15

The last texts we should go to are in the book of Hosea and John 15. Hosea is a very vivid book; it’s a book that reveals YHWH’s compassion. There are a ton of significant statements in Hosea that are just spoken so plainly and clearly. The poetry of this book really puts God’s character and nature on display as the God who will judge Israel and the God who will save Israel because He is the God who loves Israel. In chapter 10 Hosea says that, “Israel is a luxuriant vine”. Israel is described as a vine. A rebellious, wicked, faithless vine who produces fruit for himself. Towards the end of chapter 10 there is a call to repentance (10:11-12) which ends saying this: “Indeed, it is time to seek YHWH / Until He comes and rains righteousness on you”. This is very significant language that is part of a theology of the Teacher for righteousness in the Scriptures, one of the major foundations of which is in Leviticus 26 with the promise of blessing Israel with rain. But for right now something we can understand from this is that there is coming a time when YHWH will come and rain righteousness down on the rebellious vine of Israel, He will make Israel righteous, He will bless Israel with righteousness.

Going to Hosea 14 we see again a call to repentance (14:1-3). Followed by a promise: “I will heal their turning away; I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from them” (v. 4). YHWH will heal Israel’s rebellion, He will forgive all iniquity when they repent (v. 2). The language of healing and forgiveness continues in vv. 5-7:

“I will be like the dew to Israel;

He will flourish like the lily,

And he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon.

His shoots will go forth,

And his splendor will be like the olive tree

And his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.

Those who live in his shadow

Will again raise grain,

And they will flourish like the vine.

His remembrance will be like the wine of Lebanon.”

This is a very theologically, Scripturally dense and weighty text. When YHWH says, “‘I will be like the dew to Israel’”, He is continuing the language from 10:12. This is also based on Deuteronomy 32:2 and Job 29:21-25, which are among the texts developing the Teacher for righteousness promises. Also there are a ton of links between Psalm 1 and Job 29. Back to Hosea 14, Israel is promised to be like a flourishing lily, like an olive tree in splendor; who will flourish and take root like the Lebanon, whose fragrance will be like the Lebanon (the mountain range in the land promised to Israel; which carries significant theological weight, especially regarding its trees, its cedars, which were used in the temple). Verse 7 has similar language to what we saw in Ezekiel 17:23, 31:6, and Daniel 4:12. Israel will grow like this when YHWH will be like the dew to Israel. YHWH will cause his growth.

Verse 8 is where this comes to a head:

“Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols?

It is I who answer and look after you.

I am like a luxuriant cypress;

From Me comes your fruit”.

YHWH describes Himself like a luxuriant cypress. A tree. From whom comes Israel’s fruit. Also, cypress trees from Lebanon were used in the temple (1 Kings 5:8, 10; 6:15, 31-36). YHWH is the One who provides for Israel, who grows Israel, who takes care of and blesses Israel. This greatly informs our understanding of John 15, when Jesus says, “‘I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-grower…I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing’” (15:1, 5; just read the whole chapter).

Jesus is the vine, from Him comes Israel’s fruit and also ours. He provides for His own, He takes care of His creation (Psalm 104). Just like Matthew 13 that says that the kingdom is like a tree which provides shelter, food, protection, security for the birds of the air which come and nest in its branches. Which is in all these texts in Ezekiel and Daniel. This fits in with Psalm 1:3, “which gives its fruit in its season”. Genesis 1:29—God created fruit trees for food for mankind. In the kingdom, Jesus who is the Christ will provide for the creation He will have dominion over.

Understanding Psalm 1

My point in going to these other Scriptures is to show that they were picking up on something that David was teaching in Psalm 1. Psalm 1 is a kind of base text. It’s a text that is tying together tons of previous Scripture to paint this definitive picture of the man, the blessed man. And it’s a text that later authors of Scripture continue to build off of in a major way.

Also note the language of “the man” in verse 1. If David is the writer of Psalm 1, he had only so much Scripture at his disposal. In which case it’s very likely that he has certain men in mind when he pens the words “the man”. The man like Job (Job 1:1, 3), the man like Abraham (Genesis 20:7), the man like Isaac (Genesis 24:65, 26:13), the man like Jacob (Genesis 30:43), the man like Joseph (Genesis 39:2-3, 23; 42:30, 33), the man like Moses (Exodus 2:20; 11:3; 32:1; Numbers 12:3), the ANGEL OF YHWH who appeared to Samson’s mother and father telling them that they would have a son and giving instructions to them for how to bring him up as a Nazarite (Jdg 13:10-11), the man like Boaz (Ruth 2:19-20). The term translated as “man” is the most common Hebrew term referring to man; used to refer to an individual man or a group of men as opposed to mankind as a whole. It appears 2,195 times. With the Hebrew article and with אִישׁ/man in the singular form it appears 183 times; much less comparatively. When this noun “man” has the article and is singular, this construction often refers to an actual, specific, individual man (like Abraham or Isaac or Jacob); it could also refer to an individual man in a more general context (in sections of commands/instructions in Exodus-Deuteronomy). It’s not a theological term in and of itself, but because of its context here in Psalm 1, David is referring to a specific, individual man. And it’s very likely that David has the theological figures mentioned above in mind as he is painting this picture of the man. This man is like these other men in so far as they pointed forward to the Seed of the woman. This man encapsulates all that these other men pointed forward to because this man is the one they pointed forward to, he is the Seed of the woman.

APPLICATION POINT: if this is the man, the Seed of Genesis 3:15, if indeed David is painting a picture of this man (and of all people, David would be the one to do this), then what David is doing is painting a very vivid picture with a very specific point: Israel, this man is the standard for you. Israel, if you want to be blessed by YHWH according to Deuteronomy 33:26-29, you must follow this man on the individual scale. Each one of you is either like this man or is not like this man. If you are not like this man, you are by definition of the camp of the wicked. This is presenting a standard by which men are judged. The wicked are condemned by this standard: “not thus the wicked”! (v. 4). Why won’t the wicked rise in the judgment (v. 5)? Because they are not like the man (v. 4a), they don’t measure up to the standard set by the man. Which is: perfect, complete, faithful obedience to YHWH’s torah, in which is separation from all wickedness and sin, and separation unto YHWH and obedience to His Word.

These tree kingdom texts (Ezekiel 17, 19, 31, Daniel 4, Matthew 13) are building on Psalm 1 because the authors understood David’s intention, and they understood the Scriptures which David was building Psalm 1 off of (Genesis 1-3, Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 17, Joshua 1:8, the book of Job, etc). David is painting a picture of the perfect Israelite, the king of Israel. Who is like a tree. Psalm 1 is almost nonchalant. It’s just stating fact, revealing God’s word and building on previous Scripture. But at the same time Psalm 1 is screaming its message to its audience. This is God’s Word, it reflects His holiness, His character as He breathed it out. It’s completely purposeful, thoroughly precise, it uses an economy of words. May YHWH be praised for graciously giving His people His righteousness through His Son.