Praise the Lord because as 2 Corinthians 4:6 says: “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” How could we respect the Lord unless He had made Himself known to us? The person who honors the Lord and delights in His commandments is blessed because God has revealed Himself to him. The person who fears the Lord is blessed because in John 12:26, Jesus said, “If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”
In 1 John 5:2, it is written, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.” Loving God and His commandments is a way to love to people. How many people take the time to learn what God has said and practice it? Such people are rare. Thus, as the Holy Spirit leads us to learn and keep God’s commandments, and as we follow His leading, we serve those around us, even if they don’t acknowledge or appreciate it.
“His descendants will be mighty on earth. The generation of the upright will be blessed.” Psalm 112:2
The descendants of people who fear the Lord will be mighty. The word in Hebrew for mighty is גִּנּוֹר (gibbor) which can be translated as outstanding, strong or warrior. The children of those who fear the Lord learn from their parents to lean on the Lord for strength and wisdom. “The generation of the upright” refers to the children of this couple. Such parents deal honestly and faithfully with God and their neighbors. [1]
The children of the upright benefit from the example of their parents. They should be careful not to throw away the blessings God has promised to them. [2] I say “parents” because I believe when our Lord says “man” in Psalm 112, He refers to mankind which includes both spouses.
Ideally, spouses are one in the Lord. In Matthew 19:5, Jesus said, “A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” So, spouses come together to produce children and then, as one team, they provide for their children, protect them and disciple them. Jesus teaches us. We, in turn, teach our children from what He has taught us. By abiding in Christ and following His leading, we and our family impact the world for Christ. See the picture below.
“Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.” Psalm 112:3
God blesses His children with material prosperity as far as it is good for them. Wealth and riches shall be in the house of the upright, but they shall not be ruled by them. Wealth and riches are wonderful servants but cruel masters. Make wealth and riches serve God not enslave the flesh.
The children of the parents who fear the Lord receive spiritual blessings that surpass the value of earthly riches. While many remain faithful during hardship but drift from God during success, those who love the Lord never want to be far from Him. [3]
“Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness. He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.” Psalm 112:4
The light arising in the darkness for the upright assumes that godly people will experience suffering. They are not exempt from hardships. However, just as the Israelites had light in their homes during the darkness in Egypt, God’s people have His light in dark times. [4] Even in dark places, Jesus, the light of the world shines upon them.
Upright people shun wrongdoing. God drew them with compassion and kindness to do what was right and honest. The charity they gave to others came from honest wages. [5] They gave as the Lord had given unto them... freely... expecting nothing in return.
In Psalm 111, the qualities of grace, compassion, and righteousness are attributed to God. In Psalm 112, they are qualities of godly parents. Thus, we are called to imitate God as His beloved children and to be merciful as He is merciful. [6]
“A good man deals graciously and lends. He will guide his affairs with discretion.” Psalm 112:5
People who lend money interest-free to God’s servants demonstrate God’s goodness and grace. When I worked with Hong Kong Youth for Christ, rich people loaned money to the organization without charging interest fees on their loans. This grace helped the organization to afford to purchase a larger facility, and to touch more young people for Christ. God’s moneylenders adhere to the two great commandments which are to love God and people. They make money work for God and neighbor.
Those who use their resources to do good will often see God bless their efforts. In Isaiah 28:26, it is written that “God instructs him and teaches him the right way.” [7]
The wiser people become, the more they recognize their need for God’s guidance. Therefore, they ask God for wisdom. In James 1:5, it is written, “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” [8]
“Surely, he will never be shaken. The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.” Psalm 112:6
Satan and his servants seek to rattle the righteous, but the Lord calms us. Though we may be initially shaken, we recover quickly because the Lord assures us of His presence with us..
“He will not be afraid of evil tidings. His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” Psalm 112:7
In Psalms 46:2, it is written, “We will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea!” In 2 Timothy 1:7, it is written, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” In 1 John 4:18, it is written, “There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear.”
“His heart is established. He will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies. He has dispersed abroad he has given to the poor. His righteousness endures forever. His horn will be exalted with honor.” Psalm 112:8-9
The righteous person helps the poor.
In Proverbs 19:17, it is written, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.” In Matthew 25:40, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.”
The righteous will not be afraid.
Doing right in God’s sight leaves the doer’s conscious clean. A guilty conscious tends to yield fear of unwanted consequences about to happen.
The heart of the righteous is established.
One of the greatest promises of God that we have to combat fear is the promise of eternal life. When the Lord calls us home to heaven, the devil’s attacks against us will end. In Revelation 20:10, the Lord tells us that the devil and his henchmen will be cast into the lake of fire to be tormented day and night forever. When we are in heaven with God, we will be glad that He saved us from the devil, and that He helped us to be generous toward the poor.
His righteousness endures forever.
Throughout the Bible the deeds of the righteous are remembered. Even in our world today, righteous people are remembered with gratitude long after they have died. Yet their greatest honor is not found on earth but in heaven where God’s remembrance of them rewarded them with an unfading crown of glory. [9]
The horn of the righteous will be exalted with honor.
The horn is a symbol of strength and honor. In contrast to the honor of the horn of the righteous, the honor of the horn of the wicked will be put down by God. In Psalms 75:5-7, we read, “Do not lift up your horn on high. Do not speak with a stiff neck. For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.” [10]
“The wicked will see it and be grieved. He will gnash his teeth and melt away. The desire of the wicked shall perish.” Psalm 112:10
When the wicked see God’s people honored and blessed, it rips them apart. They are undone when the wisdom of the righteous is affirmed and favored by God. The fullest expression of their grief will come in eternity, when the lost “gnash their teeth” as they see Abraham, Lazarus, and all God’s people enjoying His kingdom while they themselves are shut out. [11]
Praise the Lord! The people who fear the Lord and delight in His commandments are blessed.
[1-11] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
No comments:
Post a Comment