The author of Psalm 112 is not known; however, the author shares with us the advantages of having faith in God. God guards the minds and actions of those who follow his commands.
Psalm 112:1 - "Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands"
Fear does not mean what you think it does - in this context it means to revere, adore, appreciate. This verse also tells us that that are many blessings available to us - honor, prosperity, security, freedom from fear - if we fear (adore, appreciate, revere) the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. If you expect God's blessings, you must appreciate him and obey him.
Psalm 112:5 - "Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice"
Generosity will cure two problems that money can create. The rich man may abuse others in his desire to accumulate wealth. Generosity will eliminate that abuse. Also, the fear of losing money can be a snare. Generosity and respect for God places our trust in him, not our money, for justice and security.
Psalm 112:7,8 - "He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. 8-His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes"
We all want to live without fear, our heroes are fearless people who take on all dangers and overcome them. The psalmist teaches us that fear of God can lead to a fearless life. To fear God means to respect and revere him as the almighty Lord. When we trust God completely to take care of us, we will find that our other fears - even of death itself - will subside.
Psalm 112:9 - "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor"
"His horn will be lifted high in honor" means that God's dignity will be lifted and those faithful to God will be honored. The horn was a symbol of power and dignity just as the horns of animals represented their strength.
Psalm 112 / New International Version
ReplyDelete1 Praise the Lord.
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who finds great delight in his commands.
2 His children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.
7 He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn will be lifted high in honor.
10 The wicked man will see and be vexed,
he will gnash his teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.