Psalm 112 is about the character of people who have submitted themselves to be led by God. It follows on the heels of Psalm 111 which reveals the character of our God. In that psalm God is described as gracious and compassionate, a provider, Someone who makes promises and keeps them faithfully, and One who acts with truth and justice. This psalm is how those characteristics are worked out in those that belong to God. Psalm 112 also encouraged us to “fear the Lord” which is a combination of actual fear of God’s holiness, but then reverential awe for a God so holy who can wash away that which makes us impure.
1
It begins with the “Hallelujah” of the hallelujah psalms. Everything hinges on these two aspects of submission: you are blessed or happy if you 1) fear the Lord and 2) taking delight in His Word. You believe that God is who He says He is and that His character and will are revealed in His Word. It doesn’t get much more basic than that.
The rest of the psalm details the results of a relationship with Yahweh. For those who have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, our characters are being changed bit by bit into His.
2Cor. 3:18 We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
So through our relationship with God through Jesus, our character is being changed to mirror the character of what we see in these verses:
2
God’s power will flow through those that love Him. Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power [dunamis: ability] when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
3
God will richly bless those that love Him. It doesn’t mean financially necessarily. I think it primarily means rich in the character of God—righteousness that will never go away. This reminds me of the story of the pearl of great price in Matthew 13. The pearl represented the knowledge of the kingdom of God in the gospel, and the knowledge of the grace of God through Christ (Ephesians 2:7).
4
No matter the difficulty we find ourselves in, God’s presence is light. God is known as One who shines grace into the dark abyss of sin that is this world. I think this also speaks of clarity. Shining light in the darkness means exposing something for what it really is. Darkness means we stumble around ignorant. But light means we see clearly.
John 12:46 “I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness.”
Also: John 3:19, John 8:12.
Acts 26:18 “… to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that by faith in Me they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified.”
Even as God is described as gracious and compassionate (Psalm 111:4) so too are those that belong to Him.
5
God is also a God of justice and fairness. This character comes out in us as we serve Him. And He is incredibly generous.
Rom. 8:31 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (KJV)
6 – 8
I just have to continue to quote Romans 8 here—it’s too perfect.
Romans 8:35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ?
Can affliction or anguish or persecution
or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36 As it is written:
Because of You
we are being put to death all day long;
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.
37 No, in all these things we are more than victorious
through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that not even death or life,
angels or rulers,
things present or things to come, hostile powers,
39 height or depth, or any other created thing
will have the power to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!
You are unbreakable in Christ. No matter what bad news comes, the good news of the gospel outweighs it a million to one!
9
Giving to those who are in need is another characteristic of generosity. “Horn” here represents power. The final thing is that all of these acts will have a lasting impact. What you do as a Christian in this world makes a difference. On those whose hearts are open it draws them to the gospel. For those whose hearts are hard, it has another effect:
10
In the end, those that cling to evil will be “confused or troubled” (angry). And here is a truth—those who desire anything outside of God will only be disappointed.
The bottom line: evil will not be able to touch you but in the power and love of God you can reach into the middle of someone taken captive by evil and wrest them from Satan’s grasp through the gospel. Part of that gospel message is simply the expression of God’s character lived out in your everyday life.
Psalm 113
This psalm is filled from beginning to end with praise for the wonderful character of our God.
1 – 3
Four times in these three verses the word “praise” is used. It’s the word halal, where we get “hallelujah” which is “praise Yahweh”. In verse 2 the word is translated “praise” but is actually the word “to bless.” It reminds me so much of what Paul said: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
(Philippians 4:4 HCSB).
So how do we praise Him?
4 – 9
We praise Him because He is the true King of the earth (and the heavens)
We praise Him because no one is like His character or His power
We praise Him because He looks out for us who are in need and helps us
I love this picture of the “garbage pile” in verse 7. This was us.
Ephesians 2:4 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, 5 made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses.”
We praise Him because He turns what was a fruitless existence into something full of joy and fruit.
What a wonderful God we serve!
Psalm 114
This psalm celebrates Israel’s single most wonderful miracle—the birthing of the nation as God brought her out of Egypt.
1 – 2
These verses speak of the fact that God brought them out and made them “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:6).
In: Rev. 5:10 “You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
3 – 6
The “sea” refers to the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22)
The “Jordan” refers to when the Lord caused the Jordan to reverse its course so they could pass through to the Promised Land (Joshua 3-5). The Mountains skipping refers to Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:16).
7 – 8
The “rock” here refers to Numbers 20:11 or Exodus 17:6 when God provided water for His people from a rock.
The parallel of course is that of our salvation. The Red Sea and the Jordan signify the baptism of Israel, just as baptism today signifies our coming into relationship with God through Christ Jesus. But I don’t want to us to lose sight of the fact that God really had to take Israel kicking and screaming out of Egypt. In the wilderness where God gave them water they complained up one side and down the other. And even as they prepared to enter the Promised Land they were impure and had not followed God’s command for circumcision.
My point simply is that God’s grace and love is greater than our sin and rebellion. That’s something to praise God about!
