Psalm 1 teaches us that a righteous person is like a tree planted beside streams of water.

We’ve already looked at this one word together. But there’s more to discover!

One danger is to stretch Biblical metaphors to the point of breaking them. Another risk is to ignore them altogether. Or we could distort them as we unconsciously adjust them to fit our cultural narratives.

Instead, we want to expand our imaginations to the size of the Bible.

This topic doesn’t fit onto a bumper sticker, but if you take this deep dive with me, you will better understand how God intends to bless you.

To anchor our understanding of being “planted,” we must go back to Exodus 14. This is where we read the remarkable story of God demonstrating his glory to the Israelites by saving them from their enslavers. In this passage, God’s angel is among the people as he parts the Red Sea so they might safely cross through dangerous terrain. Then God brings divine judgment upon Pharaoh and his army, throwing them into the sea.

This story will remind any Christian of how God came to be among us, to save us, and to defeat the forces of evil which oppress us. In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul teaches us that crossing the Red Sea was the Israelites ‘baptism.’ As the commentator Verlyn Verbrugge explains, Paul is saying that this epic event marked the official start of their relationship with God as his covenant people!

Then, after experiencing God’s salvation, Moses and the people respond in worship by singing a song of praise to YHWH. Dr. Alastair Roberts calls this “Song of the Sea” the national anthem for Israel.

Baptism. National anthem. A nation walks through the Red Sea on dry land! Exodus 14-15 isn’t just a random passage in the middle of the Pentateuch. No, these events are essential reference points for understanding Biblical themes!

And so it should be no surprise that in the ‘national anthem’ of Exodus 15, we see the same dramatic contrasts as in Psalm 1, the opening song in Israel’s prayer book.

For instance, in Psalm 1, the wicked are like chaff that the wind blows away. In Exodus 15, God “blew with his breath,” and the unrighteous are sent to the depths of the sea. We also read in Exodus 15:17-18:

You will bring [your people] in and plant them

on the mountain of your possession;

LORD, you have prepared the place

for your dwelling;

Lord, your hands have established the sanctuary.

The LORD will reign forever and ever!

As the people rejoice in God’s salvation, they anticipate that God will now establish them as his people. Where God plants them, God will dwell. Or, as we might say, God saved them. Now he will live among them and sanctify them.

We see the same idea in Psalm 44:1-2,

God, we have heard with our ears—

our ancestors have told us—

the work you accomplished in their days,

in days long ago:

In order to plant them,

you displaced the nations by your hand;

in order to settle them,

you brought disaster on the peoples.

The point is clear: God is the one who has planted his people. God intended for his nation to be a flourishing olive tree (Jeremiah 11:16).

In metaphorical language, Psalm 1 picks up on a theme that runs through the entire story of the Scriptures: God’s initiative and agency to bless his people.

In late-night college dorm room debates, this devolves into an endless discussion of predestination and free will. We miss the point when we consult the Bible to win a theological argument. We’re attempting to gather ammunition for a fight, but it doesn’t work because God designed the Bible to bless us.

“Planted.” The contrast is “uprooted.”

Do you ever feel displaced?

We can feel alienated from our culture. “I don’t belong here.”

More starkly, many millions are forcibly displaced by war.

Think of immigrants, beloved by God, who sense that their home is inhospitable, so they take great risks to establish their lives in another country.

Some do not feel at home in their bodies. They experience that their desires and their anatomy are at odds.

Those without homes shift from place to place, seeking a safe place to lay their heads.

All of our stories are different. I don’t have comprehensive policy proposals for the mega-questions of our day.

But in one way or another, we all feel uprooted - in exile - displaced. It’s an unwanted circumstance. Most of us anxiously attempt to avoid it. Whether it is a safe suburban home, a padded retirement account, or a gym-toned body, we all want to feel secure.

So the shock is to see Jesus on the cross. While we ran away from danger and to safety, God came among us. He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). He was abandoned, lonely, and far from home. He took on all of our problems and pain.

Why? Because God plants his people beside streams of flowing water.

Psalm 1 teaches us that God has “planted” his people. The Israelites knew this was true because they experienced God saving them as they crossed the Red Sea. The early church knew this was true because they experienced Jesus, risen from the dead.

Psalm 1 is an invitation to remember what God has done. Because God plants us, we are secure. God’s love assures us that he values us, he has a plan for us, he has provided for us, and he is with us.

May God bless you.

The Uncommon Pursuit community is here for you.

It’s a relational environment to be transformed for God’s mission.

If you’d like to participate, you can discuss this essay with us.

Giving credit: Photo by Eyoel Kahssay on Unsplash