Catechism deep dive #5: Psalm 1 (Part 4)

he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water

that brings forth its fruit in its season

whose leaf also shall not wither

and whatever he does shall prosper.

Tree from the Brockington house

I'm back again with another deep dive into my classroom Catechism. This is number five, and we're looking at the last section of Psalm 1. Here we have a Homeric simile, a simile that is extended over many lines. It is used to bring intensity to the comparison, to make sure that the author demonstrates to the reader why he or she should pause, contemplate, and celebrate the richness of what is being compared.

The first thing that is mentioned here is a tree. Why a tree? What does a tree have to do with being a scholar? Trees are so common it would be easy to just skip over this without really understanding what the author is trying to say. Well, what do we know about trees? How would we contemplate tree-ness?

We should probably begin by defining our terms...Tree....Bitzer!

Bitzer: ‘Plant.  Perennial.  Elongated stem, or trunk, supporting branches and leaves. Many, angiosperms or hardwoods, the rest gymnosperms, or softwoods.

A tree. The physical, the plant itself. What does it have? A tree is a resources for building homes, fences, walls, art art, paper, ink, and food and drink. Also, what does the tree do? It lives, grows, dies, converts light into food, breathes CO2 and release O2. Here is where the learning usually stops. But let’s take it further… What does a tree mean? It means health, life, permanence, steadfastness, strength, sacrifice, nature, and family. This is not exhaustive.

What could be meant by a tree being planted by the rivers of water? Is that a good thing? If a tree is planted by water, it would have an almost endless supply. Not only does it have all the water that it could ever need, it would be surrounded by the ecosystem of a river. All of the plants and animals in the water and on the land would lead to a rich soil with all of the minerals and nutrients a tree would need to thrive.

Being healthy, It would always bring forth good fruit when it should. The leaf not withering would mean is there would always be healthy leaves to produce energy for growth or regeneration, and will continue to do the things that will keep the whole tree tapped into it's source of energy.

Now, what could one learn about being a student from a tree? It would be like always having everything a student needs: a home, a place of real sanctuary and rest, loving, caring parents, good food, and always being able to bring and deliver your best work when it is needed. This student will never tire or lose heart, and all the things that he or she touches would show forth prosperity. Does this not sound like a very blessed way to live? And all of these things come from living the way that one should, by staying away from bad influences following the law (or loving the standard) and always contemplating the goodness and order that the law will bring.

This passage was not picked just because of its practicality, but because it demonstrates blessing. It is what being blessed looks and feels like.