Tuesday, December 12
“Light in the Darkness…”
Psalm 112:1-10
1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments.
2 His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.
4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion.
6 Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
9 He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor.
10 The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish.
The book of Psalms begins with several verses that are very similar to the first verse in Psalm 112. “ Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:1-3). Matter of fact it also ends almost the same way this psalm does. You quickly get the idea that the whole book of Psalms is about the contrast between the blessed man who walks uprightly, is honored and endures forever, and the wicked person whose life is meaningless and will one day perish.
Not only is a person who fears the LORD blessed, their family is blessed and people around them are blessed (vv. 1-2). But also under the old covenant, material wealth was one of the evidences of the Lord's blessing on His people as they moved into the Promised Land (Deut. 7:12ff; 28:1-14). This explains why the apostles were shocked when Jesus said that it was difficult for rich people to enter God's kingdom (Matt. 19:16-30). If rich people could not be saved, then who could? To Job's three friends, the fact that Job had lost everything was proof that God was punishing him for his sins. It was faulty logic, but they held to it tenaciously. The person described in this psalm was righteous before the Lord (vv. 3, 4, 6, 9) and did not acquire his wealth in some unlawful manner. He was generous in his use of the wealth the Lord gave him, sharing it with the poor and lending it freely without interest (Deut. 23:19-20). He was certainly not miserly or covetous, and he was obedient to the Lord's admonition to care for the poor and needy (Ex. 23:11; Lev. 25:35-38; Deut. 15:7, 11).
When the Apostle Paul quoted verse 9 in 2 Corinthians 9:9, he used this person as an example for believers today to follow. (See also Prov. 11:24.) The word "horn" in verse 9 is an image of power and dignity (75:5; 132:17; Luke 1:69). Because of this man's generosity, the Lord allowed him to be lifted up, or exalted with honor in the eyes of his peers. As you see this man's faith in the Lord and love for those in need, you cannot help but think of the promise in Matthew 6:33.
In verses 6-8, the psalmist goes on to point out that a believing heart is a steadfast heart, one that is not easily shaken by bad news or difficult circumstances. The person described was confident that the Lord could handle any problem that might come to him. A double-minded person has no stability (Psalms 119:113; James 1:8; 4:8) and therefore, no ability to face the demands of life. (See Psalms 57:7; 108:1; and Isa. 26:3.) Believers with a confident heart and a clear conscience have nothing to fear when they receive bad news because they know the Lord is in control. If there is darkness around them, they wait for the Lord to send the light (v. 4). This is what encouraged Joseph during thirteen years of waiting and suffering in Egypt. "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord" (Psalm 27:14).
In verses 9-10, we are reminded that God rewards the “delight” of the righteous (v. 1) but ignores the “desires” of the wicked (v. 10). Those who walk with the Lord and live godly lives are opposed and hated by the wicked, because the good works of the godly are like a “light in the darkness” that reveal the evil in the world (Matt. 5:14-16; Eph. 5:1-14).
The fact that the wicked oppose the godly is a good sign that the godly are living as they should. Actually, in Matthew 5:10-12, Jesus said we should “rejoice and be exceedingly glad” when this happens to us.
God bless!
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