Psalm 112 – Fear the Lord
In Psalm 112 – fear the Lord, we hear how those who fear the Lord, need not fear bad news. That is good news. How do we get to that state of mind? I know I’m not there. I worry far too much about the news I hear every day. What can we learn from this psalm?
Psalm 112
Psalm 112 – fear the Lord, picks up where Psalm 111 leaves off, with fear of the Lord. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” Psalm 111 tells us. Those who achieve this fear are blessed, we hear in Psalm 112. Where Psalm 111 is all about God, Psalm 112 is all about godly people, people who fear the Lord.
“Charles Spurgeon wrote this regarding the connection between Psalms 111 and 112: “It bears the same relation to the preceding which the moon does to the sun; for, while the first declares the glory of God, the second speaks of the reflection of the divine brightness in men born from above.” Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 112
Another acrostic psalm (where each line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet), Psalm 112 begins with words of praise, either alleluia, hallelujah, or praise the Lord. A blessing follows.
“Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.” (1)
This fear is not terror but awe. It is a source of delight.
“The fear the Bible is talking about is best described as a profound reverence; that is, we are to revere God, or stand in awe of him.” (Boice)
“This blessed one does not fear God in a sense of misery and reluctant obligation. This psalm speaks of one who delights greatly in God’s commandments.” Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 112
Benefits of Fearing the Lord
The psalm then talks about the benefits of fearing the Lord, including blessings on his family: “The one who fears the LORD and delights greatly in His commandments (Psalm 112:1) has God’s blessing on his family. The psalmist pronounced blessing on the descendants of this man, the one who is upright.” Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 112
“Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.” (2-5)
Wealth and riches were not for the righteous to hoard, but to share, as we see in verse 5. “Psalm 112:3 referred to the wealth and riches that often come to those who fear the Lord. Kidner observed, “The psalm deals realistically with the temptations that go with the possession of money.” These include abuse to power, refusing to lend, fear, rivalry, and lack of generosity.”
“This psalm has much to say about the generosity of the one who fears the LORD. Since he is blessed in regard to material things (Psalm 112:3), it is important that he is generous with his blessings. He is also wise; dispersed implies a wise and thoughtful distribution as part of the discretion that guides his affairs (Psalm 112:5). Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 112
The Righteous Remain Firm
The writer says the righteous will remain firm. “Because of His character and wisdom, the one who fears the LORD will be firmly established. His remembrance will last, with nothing to fear from evil tidings. As he trusts in the LORD, his heart is established and in the end, he will see victory over his enemies.” Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 112
“Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.
They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor.” (6-9)
In conclusion, the writer addresses the wicked.
“The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.” (10)
“In contrast to the enduring blessing upon the upright man, the wicked man will melt away. His misery will be all the worse as his desire is frustrated and he sees the blessings that come to those who fear the LORD.” Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 112
Darkness and Light in Psalm 112
Verse 4 tells us, “Even in darkness light dawns for the upright.” But what does this mean? How do the righteous escape the darkness that is part of life in this world? There are many forms of darkness in life. Psalm 112 deals with these realities.
“The psalm gives a realistic portrayal of wisdom as it brings out, not only the blessings of honor, children, and riches, but also the reality of adversities.” (VanGemeren)
“While we are on earth, we are subject to a threefold ‘darkness;’ the darkness of error, the darkness of sorrow, and the darkness of death.” (Horne) Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 112
Those who fear the Lord do not escape the darkness of this world. But God blesses those who fear the Lord with the light. This light shines forth to others through the darkness.
“The light received from God shines through the righteous one, and he displays to others the grace, compassion, righteousness, and generosity God has granted to him.” Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 112
Thus the righteous reflect God’s light in a dark world.
Fear the Lord
Psalm 112 – fear the Lord, tells the many benefits of fearing the Lord. But what does it mean to fear the Lord?
“Throughout the Old Testament, “fear of the Lord” is linked with obedience, wisdom, and covenant faithfulness. In Proverbs 1:7, we read: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” This verse reflects the central theme of the wisdom literature, underscoring that true understanding starts with a proper veneration of God.
Further, Proverbs 9:10 states: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” This indicates that awe and reverence for the Lord are necessary prerequisites for spiritual insight.” What does “Fear of the Lord” mean?
Stan Mast writes, “It is a life lived, a life of obedience that is motivated not by a sense of duty, but by a “great delight in his commands.” Fearing the Lord is not trying to do the right things in an effort to win the Lord’s favor, but trusting the Lord who has redeemed us and delighting to please the one who loves us faithfully. In other words, fearing the Lord is not a grim obligation or a dutiful burden, but a grace-filled, joyful mirroring of the way God lives.” Psalm 112 – Center for Excellence in Preaching
He goes on to say, “The Hebrew word means “to advance, to walk straight, or to follow the track.” Those who fear the Lord will follow the Lord’s will, walking straight, advancing toward the kind of life God himself lives. By doing that, they will be content, blessed, happy.” Psalm 112 – Center for Excellence in Preaching
Are the Words True?
But are the words of Psalm 112 true? Do those who fear the Lord get rich? Certainly, many righteous individuals struggle to pay bills or are childless despite their desire for children. Mast goes on to address this.
“Verse 2, then, is not a promise of a large happy family, but an observation that those who fear the Lord raise families that are a mighty force for Yahweh and enjoy the blessing of Yahweh. Similarly, verse 3 is not a promise of wealth, but an observation that God often blesses the obedient with wealth (e.g., Abraham, Job, David, and Solomon) and a subtle admonition that such wealth must be used righteously…
Overall, the “blessing” of “fearing the Lord” is righteousness. Through the dark times, the earthquakes, the bad news and the battles, the God fearing person is able to follow God’s will, walking straight, advancing toward the kind of life that God himself lives as explained in Psalm 111.” Psalm 112 – Center for Excellence in Preaching
“For believers, fearing the LORD involves a commitment to live according to His Word and to seek His guidance in all aspects of life. It calls for humility, recognizing human limitations and God’s infinite wisdom. Proverbs 3:7 advises, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” This counsel emphasizes the importance of relying on God’s understanding rather than one’s own.” Topical Bible: Those Who Feared the LORD
Psalm 112 – Fear the Lord
In the midst of all of the challenges around us in the world, those who fear the Lord do not fear the darkness of the world. They remain steadfast before the bad news around them.
“Evil tidings are all around us, and come to us every day. Evil tidings may come to us from our family, from our health, from business, from the unfaithful, from the culture around us, or from politics. Yet the one who fears the LORD will not be afraid.” Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 112
Unlike human endeavors that fail, those who fear the Lord have lasting success. They remain rooted in the Lord, not blown about by every passing fad.
All are reasons to rejoice, delight in following the Lord, and praise our God.
Do you find yourself facing fears that hamper your ability to enjoy life? Can you replace those fears with fear of the Lord?
(For another take on this psalm, see Psalm 112: The Rewards of Wisdom – Patricia M Robertson)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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