Day 1, Psalm 1

This is a short six-verse Psalm to open this project. Two images jump out at me: the metaphor of righteous folk being like trees planted by streams of water (v. 3) and wicked being compared to chaff blown about by the wind. Ten days ago I drove through rural Manitoba during the grain harvest, and I could taste and smell the grain dust in the air. It was everywhere, and not to be avoided. Although combine harvesters now mostly prevent the chaff from being blown around, the image is still strong, because grain dust and particles are easily transported by the wind.In this opening Psalm, the writer is careful to set the tone for what follows: evil is pervasive and flighty, compared to righteousness, which has deep and solid roots.