Beatitude of a God-Fearing Man

Psalm 112

The 112th Psalm opens with a call to worship God: “Praise the Lord!” This is a common feature of a hallelujah hymn.

Beatitude: Who is Blessed?

A beatitude is a blessing that is often a promise. Blessed means joyous, fulfilled, gratified, whole. It is also in the plural, which enhances its fullness. This man is not just blessed, he has blessedness due to his fear of the Lord.

Fear the Lord

To fear God is to stand in wonderment of Him, who He is, what He has done, will do, etc. God is to be taken seriously. It is a reverent reliance on God with a repulsion for iniquity. Many fears tend to immobilize man. This fear motivates men in a positive way. Those who fear God will keep His commandments (Eccl. 12:13). Some fears are healthy and protect from danger. This is why a good father will instruct his children not to play with matches to create in them a healthy fear of the dangers associated with fire. Yet, it is better to have a fear of God than fear the enemy (Matt. 10:28).

Delights in Commandments

Fear does not seem to go with “delight.” Those who love God find His commandments delightful and not overbearing (1 John 5:3). A blessed man will delight in learning of God’s will, gladly practice God’s commandments, and enjoy sharing the Lord’s instructions with others. The moral anarchist hates any kind of absolutes from the Lord. They want to love God while being free from His rules. The God-fearing man will be a cheerful, obedient servant without complying out of necessity.

The Blessedness of Fearing God

Descendants Will Be Blessed

The man who is blessed is one who fears the Lord and delights in His commandments. Now the psalmist lists the blessing which come to this man. “His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed” (112:2). The word “mighty” is used of a “mighty man.” He is a man of courage and spirit. The father who is righteous will have children who are courageous and blessed. A father will leave a spiritual legacy behind in the character and the blessedness of his children. “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). Not only does a father control his own happiness and destiny, he has a great influence over the direction and joy of his children. Fathers, if you want to leave you children with great riches and blessings, do not work hard at making a bunch of money to leave behind. Instead, fear God and keep his commandments for in doing so you will be blessed and so will your children after you. As the father is blessed, so will be his children.

Blessed With Prosperity

Prosperity and godly living are not polar opposites. “Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever” (112:3). Serving God will not deplete a man’s house but enrich it both materially and spiritually (Mark 10:19,30). This is not teaching the concept that if a man is righteous he will be rich or if a man is rich he will be godly. The Health/Wealth Gospel is not supported by either the teachers of the Old Testament or the New. Many wicked men are wealthy and quite a few righteous men are not rich. When Job lost everything, his three “friends” claimed it was proof he had not been living righteously. They insisted he repent. Wealth is a blessing, though it is not proof of godliness. Not all who live godly lives are prospered financially.

A principle taught in both Testaments is that a righteous work ethic will promote prosperity (2 Th. 3:10; Eccl. 9:10; Prov. 6:6-8; John 6:12; Matt. 6:33).

Light in Time of Darkness

Psalms contrasting metaphors like light and darkness appear in verse four, “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous” (112:4). Light and darkness are traits of moral conditions. “Darkness” is a metaphor for misfortune. “Light” is a metaphor for righteous living and cheerfulness. His godly character is a “light” shining in darkness. The wicked “love the darkness” (Jn. 3:19f) and the righteous “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7f). His fear of God and obedience has translated him out of the darkness and into the light. It is his relationship with God which brings light to his world. “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). This in turn has changed him into a man who is “gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.” After all, God has these characteristics in Himself (Ex. 34:6). “God himself is the light which arises in darkness for those who are sincere in their dealings with him” (Delitzsch).

The light of the upright results in the blessed man in becoming “gracious.” He is a man full of kindness and patience toward those around him. He is also compassionate, that is, he feels sympathy for others. Because of walking in the light he is righteous (1 John 1:7).

Wise and Kind in Business

“A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion” (112:5). He has wealth and is generous in lending to others. He is not a hoarder. He is like the Good Samaritan who was gracious in his dealing with a stranger in need (Luke 6:30). This good man will conduct his business dealings with wisdom and close attention.

Forever Known for Stability

His blessedness will extend to times of adversity and time without end. “Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance” (112:6). No matter what trials and temptations come his way, the blessed man will not be moved from his steadfast position of obedient fear of God. His children will remember his strong character in the face of adversity. His legacy of stability will not be forgotten. Many memorials lose their significance in the hearts of observers and monuments deteriorate in time. His reputation for righteousness is made of incorruptible materials which will endure long after he has gone on to his reward.

Steady in the Face of Bad News

Job’s response to bad news (Job 1:21-22) is an example of the next characteristic of the blessed man. “He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord” (112:7). The righteous man will be secure. Since the trust the Lord is in control of it all, they will remain firm in their mind in the midst of displeasing tidings. He does not worry about possible trouble which may be lurking unseen in the future. The past troubles are behind him. And the present adversities are in the hands of God. A man with more powerful allies in the face of weak enemies has nothing to fear. When evil threatens he is prepared. The shocking effect of bad news will not catch him off guard or knock him off his feet. His trust in God is an anchor. His heart will not intimidated by a menacing crisis.

Fearless in Face of His Enemies

“His heart is established; he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies” (112:8). Not only is he fearless in the face of bad threats, he is not afraid of evil enemies. His heart is just as steadfast when facing the foes as he is in dealing with disastrous news. To give someone your heart is to make yourself vulnerable. Confidence in God is never misplaced or regretted. His experience with God’s trustworthiness throughout the years had given him a calm reassurance to face the future justice of God upon his enemies. Vengeance is in God’s hands. He will one day see God make things right.

Righteous Benevolence is Honored

Paul quotes this verse in 2 Cor. 9:9. Paul applies it in the sense of seed-sowing. “He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted with honor” (112:9). Generosity reflects in an outcome of benefits. He is not stingy like Nabal or Laban. Instead he is like a farmer who scatters his seed of good deeds like throwing coin out to a crowd of needy souls. This passage reflects the law of sowing and reaping (Gal. 6:7,8). The basis of his generosity is his unending righteousness which stands for the honorable motive. The term “horn” epitomizes his reputation before God and the godly. He is not doing this to be seen and rewarded by mere men.

Woe of the Wicked

¡ Contradistinction of the Wicked

The characteristic contrast between the goodness of the righteous and the folly and destruction of the wicked is seen in verse ten. This gives us the choice of two opposite alternatives. The final destination of two paths.

¡ Inspection of the Wicked

“The wicked will see” the blessed state of the righteous. The righteous has a view of the past, present, and future. The wicked are not complete fools or completely fooled. They thought they had chosen a life that would have led to their happiness. The righteous’ life is filled with blessedness while his life will not bring enduring joys, a lasting legacy, or everlasting reward. One day the eyes of the enemies of the righteous will be opened to the truth like Saul of Tarsus’ eyes were opened to see the Lord the day he lost his sight.

¡ Lamentation of the Wicked

At the sight of the blessings coming to the God-fearing man the wicked are “grieved.” As in Jesus’ parable of the Rich man and Lazarus, the rich man opened his eyes in torment and was grieved. The rich man was sorrowful that he was in such a place, grieved he had mistreated Lazarus, and distressed his brothers will soon join him. The end for those shut out of heaven will be weeping and “gnash of his teeth.” “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12).

¡ Destruction of the Wicked

The psalm ends with a two-fold description of the destruction for the wicked: “melt away…shall perish.” The wicked man shall die and his name shall depart with him. He will not realize his objective of the good life or see his dreams become reality. He will face death with disappointment in his life. Every man must ask himself: “What do I really want out of life and/or eternity?”

– Daniel R. Vess

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