The Seat of the Scornful

By Virginia Brandt Berg (1886-1968)

Audio length: 7:55
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Every morning before I get up, I review Psalm 23. Then I say the Lord’s Prayer. Then I always read Psalm 1, and chapters 11 and 12 of Hebrews. I go through quite a few scriptures that bless my heart and help to prepare me for the day. But now I want to read you Psalm 1. I think many of you may know it or perhaps you memorized it long ago.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

“Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” You know, in so many places today there’s a scorning of the things of Christ, and it seems like nothing is sacred anymore. So much of the news is slanted toward modernism and communism (atheism). And some of the leaders that we expected so much from, it seems as if they’re not on the side of Christ.

I can understand why some people do not want to be outspoken for the Lord Jesus Christ. They come to a place where they are fearful. They don’t themselves sit in the seat of the scornful, but they’re afraid of these scornful ones and those that will ridicule them, or they’re afraid of the repercussions that could impact their career or reputation.

Some of the greatest people in history have been scorned for their stand. There is a lot of criticism these days, and it does make it hard for people to testify and to witness about the power and blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ.

True, every Christian who strives to faithfully bear witness for his Lord is going to pay dearly for his courage and his fidelity. Peter declared long ago, “Know this, there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (2 Peter 3:3; 1 Peter 5:8).

Now the paths of service are crimson with the blood of suffering. Hearts have been broken and hopes have been dashed and souls are needlessly wounded by thoughtless, cruel people who are willing to occupy front seats among the scornful. These people sit on the seat of the scornful and jeer at God’s people and make it hard for them to testify or witness about the things of Christ. I love those words in the psalm: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful” (Psalm 1:1).

It was the same, though, for the Lord Jesus Christ. He was a hero of the multitude, but when the curtain came down on His ministry, men of religious bigotry and political malice unsheathed the sword of hatred, and at His arrest, His disciples fled for their lives. At the cross there was but one of His chosen disciples who dared to stand by.

You know, Paul was the heart of the early church. You remember that in his hour of direst need, he said: “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world and has departed … and Crescens is gone,” and “Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil. … At my last trial no man stood with me. All men forsook me” (2 Timothy 4:10, 14, 16). Paul’s friends were not able to face the lions and the swords of fire and martyrdom. They clung tenaciously to their seat among the scornful.

This occurs in our time also. I had an experience along this line. A young woman had been greatly blessed; God had healed her marvelously, and she went to tell someone about it. She said, “Oh, I had the most marvelous doctor, and he did such a wonderful work.” Then she added in a whisper, “Of course, the Lord helped a little.”

I turned to her, and I said, “You did have a good doctor, but you’ve got a very jealous God; and the Lord healed you through the prayers of all your friends, and I prayed for you desperately. True, the doctor did help some, but the Lord did the work.” It seemed she was ashamed of this.

A friend complained of the blasphemy of a certain program, and I said, “Did you write in or protest?” She said, “Oh, goodness no! They would’ve published my name and my letter.” I responded, “Well, those that stand against Christ and the things that you believe, they don’t mind having their names published.”

One time a Christian woman and I were sitting in the Southern Pacific train. A conversation between three people took on a vitriolic tone toward the Bible and Christ. She couldn’t stand it any longer and she got up and left. She never said one word of protest or gave any witness of her faith before those people.

There’s something tragic when we’ve got so much to witness about, but we let those that sit in the seat of the scornful put fear into us. It’s an awful thing when we have such a wonderful Lord, and there can be such transformation in others’ lives, and yet we don’t tell people about the balm that there is in Gilead. We used to sing a hymn in Sunday school:

Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone.
Dare to have a purpose true,
And dare to make it known.
—Phillip Bliss, 1872

Oh, I wish that some unsaved one listening in right now would have the courage to trust God for salvation and then help us stand out for His truth. Declare your allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ right now. Do you have the courage to do that? What a changed life you would have. What a witness you could be for the truth and the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God help you to have courage to stand out for the cause of Christ in this dark day. It’s needed so very much, and surely you owe the Lord Jesus Christ that much loyalty that you’ll not listen to the scornful or sit anywhere near the seat of the scornful. God help you to have the courage to speak for Him.

From a transcript of a Meditation Moments broadcast, adapted. Published on Anchor March 2026. Read by Lenore Welsh.

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