Psalm 112: Lessons Regarding the Blessings that God Offers When Your Reverent Fear of Him Produces the Fruit of Obedience
Introduction: Psalm 112 builds upon Psalm 111, where the Bible proclaims: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;” (Ps. 111:10; Prov. 1:7; 9:10; Ecc. 12:13). The Bible defines “fearing God” as “hating evil” (Prov. 8:13). Like Psalm 111, Psalm 112 is also arranged in an acrostic Hebrew poetry pattern, with each stanza starting with a consecutive letter in the Hebrew alphabet. But Psalm 112 also contains similarities with the wisdom proclamations in the book of Proverbs.1 God’s blessings come according to His timing and His will. They must also never be sought with the wrong motives. Nevertheless, when your fear of God produces the fruit of obedience, several of His blessings can follow. These include: (1) God’s contentment, (2) a legacy, (3) provision, (4) guidance, (5) confidence / stability, (6) honor, and (7) His mercy.
First, the psalmist proclaimed: “Blessed is a person who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments.” God may bless those who fear Him with His contentment. Second, the psalmist declared: “His descendants will be mighty on the earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed.” God may also bless those who fear Him with a legacy, which may include descendants. Third, the psalmist stated: “ Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.” God may further bless those who fear Him with provision. Fourth, for those who are generous, the psalmist promised: “Light shines in the darkness for the upright.” God may also bless those who fear Him with guidance. Fifth, the psalmist stated: “For he will never be shaken; . . . He will not fear bad news; His heart is steadfast . . . His heart is firm . . . .” God may bless those who fear Him with confidence and stability. Sixth, for those who are generous, the psalmist declared: “His horn will be exalted in honor.” God may bless those who fear Him with honor. Finally, in contrast to those who fear God, the psalmist warned: “The wicked will . . . be vexed, He will gnash his teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked will perish.” For those who fear God and repent, He will bless them with mercy through Jesus.
1. Contentment: God May Bless Those Who Fear Him with Contentment. Ps. 112:1.
Obey God for the right reasons, and He promises to bless you. Out of grace, not merit, God may bless those who delight in following His Ten Commandments with His grace: “Praise the Lord! Blessed is a person who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments.” (Ps. 112:1). Grace is the receipt of a gift you do not deserve. Mercy is the withholding of a punishment that you do deserve. Here, the blessing is contentment, not salvation: “This Psalm may be regarded as an exposition of Ps 111:10, presenting the happiness of those who fear and obey God, and contrasting the fate of the ungodly. True fear produces obedience and this happiness.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ps. 112).2
God may bless those whose faith leads to obedience. The psalmist stated that God may bless those whose fear of Him leads to obedience (Ps. 112:1). This promise is repeated throughout the Bible: “Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in His ways.” (Ps. 128:1). “Now then, sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.” (Prov. 8:32). “But He said, ‘On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it.’” (Lk. 11:28). “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” (Jo. 13:17). “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matt. 7:24). “And a voice came from the throne, saying, ‘Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.”’ (Rev. 19:5). This is a spiritual blessing of peace that comes from knowing that you are following God’s will for you.
God blesses that who find their delight in following His Ten Commandments3
God’s blessing comes from following His Law with the right motives. A person who follows God’s Law out of obligation is unlikely to persevere. Instead, the blessed person will persevere because he or she delights in God’s Law: “But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His Law he meditates day and night.” (Ps. 1:2). “I shall delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word … I will delight in Your commandments, which I love … How I love Your Law! It is my meditation all the day … I have inherited Your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart.” (Ps. 119:16, 47, 97, 111). Thus, you should never come to God with the wrong motives. Instead, if you enjoy following God’s will, He will bless you according to His will. This may include contentment.
Be content with what God has given you. Greed, idolatry, and lust also stem from a lack of contentment with God’s grace in your life: “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.” (1 Tim. 6:6). “Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” (Phil. 4:11). “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; . . .” (Heb. 13:5a). Are you content with God’s blessings in your life?
2. Legacy: God May Bless Those Who Fear Him with a Legacy. Ps. 112:2.
Obey God for the right reasons, and He will bless you with a legacy. The blessing of obedience motivated out of devotion to God can include a blessed legacy. This can include your descendants: “2 His descendants will be mighty on the earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed.” (Ps. 112:2). Anyone child is a reward from God: “Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” (Ps. 127:3). Thus, because many wicked people have children, God’s blessings are based upon grace.
God’s blessings for faith-led obedience can include fertility. Throughout the Old Testament, God promised to bless with fertility those who obeyed Him out of faith: “So I will turn toward you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will confirm My covenant with you.” (Lev. 26:9). “And He will love you, bless you, and make you numerous; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain, your new wine, and your oil, the newborn of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you.” (Dt. 7:13). “Blessed will be the children of your womb, the produce of your ground, and the offspring of your animals: the newborn of your herd and the young of your flock … And the LORD will give you more than enough prosperity, in the children of your womb, in the offspring of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.” (Dt. 28:4, 11). But God sometimes allows believers to struggle with infertility if it is part of His plan (Ro. 8:28). Thus, you should be careful not to look at your circumstances to determine whether God has withheld a blessing.
God’s blessings can also include success for a faithful believer’s descendants. In addition to the blessing of fertility, God also offers to bless a person’s descendants with success: “His descendants will be mighty on the earth; “His soul will dwell in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.” (Ps. 25:13). “The descendants of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will live in it.” (Ps. 69:36). “The children of Your servants will continue, and their descendants will be established before You.” (Ps. 102:28). “A righteous person who walks in his integrity— How blessed are his sons after him.” (Prov. 20:7). This can include a blessing for a person’s descendants. But it can also be the blessing of a legacy that blesses others because of your faith-led obedience.
God can bless your legacy in other ways. Those who serve out of faith-led obedience but are unable to have children can still find God’s blessing. If you spend your life serving God by helping others, you are more likely to leave a spiritual legacy. This might include helping a sinner to repent. It might also include helping others trapped in bondage, economic disadvantage or physical limitations. You will be honored through the lives that you help to transform to serve Him. Thus, a spiritual legacy can take many forms.
3. Provision: God May Bless Those Who Fear Him with Provision. Ps. 112:3.
God provides for the needs, not wants, of those who serve and obey Him. The blessing of faith-led obedience also includes God’s promise to provide for your needs, not your wants: “3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.” (Ps. 112:3). All income and wealth are gifts from God. “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (Jam. 1:17). Because many wicked people also have wealth, God’s provision is also based upon His grace and His divine plans (Ro. 8:28).
Seek after and follow God’s will, and He will abundantly provide for your needs.4
David declared his confidence that God would provide for his needs. Even though he was at times homeless, David always trusted God to provide for him: “A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I will not be in need.” (Ps. 23:1). “Fear the LORD, you His saints; for to those who fear Him there is no lack of anything. The young lions do without and suffer hunger; but they who seek the LORD will not lack any good thing.” (Ps. 34:9-10). “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.” (Ps. 84:11). Solomon made a similar promise: “The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger, but He will reject the craving of the wicked.” (Prov. 10:3). Thus, when you place your trust in God, you can trust Him to always provide for your needs, not your wants.
Jesus also promises to provide for your needs. God’s promise to provide for our needs is repeated in the New Testament: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” (Matt. 6:33). “So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matt. 7:11). “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19). Thus, Jesus wants you to focus on seeking and following His will and then trusting Him to provide.
Don’t place your trust in your wealth. God wants you to place your trust in Him and not in your wealth: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches;”’ (Jer. 9:23). The psalmist warned against: “Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the abundance of their riches?” (Ps. 49:6). “For the wicked boasts of his soul’s desire, and the greedy person curses and shows disrespect to the LORD.” (Ps. 10:3). “ . . . if wealth increases, do not set your heart on it.” (Ps. 62:10b). Solomon learned from his mistakes that extreme wealth can become an idol that draws a person off their walk with God: “Keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, so that I will not be full and deny You and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ And that I will not become impoverished and steal, and profane the name of my God.” (Prov. 30:8-9). Thus, “Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Truly I say to you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.”’ (Matt. 19:23; 1 Tim. 6:10). Do you place your trust in your wealth and intellect or in Jesus to get you through trials?
4. Guidance: God May Bless Those Who Fear Him with Guidance. Ps. 112:4-5.
God provides the light to guide His people. For those who are generous, the blessing of obedience may include God’s promise of guidance: “4 Light shines in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious, compassionate, and righteous. 5 It goes well for a person who is gracious and lends; He will maintain his cause in judgment.” (Ps. 112:4-5). Solomon promised a similar blessing in Proverbs: “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” (Prov. 4:18).
Show love to those who hurt you and those in need. Here, the blessing comes to those who are “gracious and lends” to a person in need (Ps. 112:5). Job was righteous before God in part because he helped those in need (Job 31:29-32). Jesus also commands you to show His love to others: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (Jo. 13:34). “And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.” (1 Jo. 4:21). “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Matt. 5:44). Will you show Jesus’ love to those who are in need?
David declared that God was his guiding light. As a man of faith, David trusted God to guide him: “A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; whom should I dread?” (Ps. 27:1). “For the fountain of life is with You; in Your light we see light.” (Ps. 36:9). “He will bring out your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday.” (Ps. 37:6). “Light is sown like seed for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.” (Ps. 97:11). “And if you offer yourself to the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness, and your gloom will become like midday.” (Is. 58:10).
God’s light is available to you through His Word. Believers are also warned against the sin of presumption (Jam. 4:13-17). “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Prov. 14:12). If you are in need of guidance, you only need to read God’s Word and pray for the Spirit to apply it to your life: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105; Prov. 6:23). “I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.” (Jer. 10:23). “And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” (2 Pet. 1:19). When you pray over God’s Word, the Holy Spirit can then apply it to your life: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;” (Jo. 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; Ro. 8:26). He will also guide you in prayer when you seek wisdom: “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (Ja. 1:5.) Are you seeking His guidance through the Word and prayer?
God wants you to share His light with the lost. The psalmist made clear that the blessing of God’s light was fully realized when you help others (Ps. 112:5). In both the Old and New Testament times, God always meant for His people to be light to the lost: “He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the protected ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’’ (Is. 49:6). “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” (Prov. 4:18). “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;” (Matt. 5:14). Are you sharing Jesus’ light of salvation with the lost (Matt. 28:16-20)?
5. Confidence / Stability: God May Bless Those Who Fear Him with Confidence and Stability. Ps. 112:6-8.
God can provide you with confidence and stability. For those who fear God, the blessing of obedience may include God’s promise of confidence and stability: “6 For he will never be shaken; the righteous will be remembered forever. 7 He will not fear bad news; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is firm, he will not fear, but will look with satisfaction on his enemies.” (Ps. 112:6-8). “His love to God is deep and true, his confidence in God is firm and unmoved; his courage has a firm foundation, and is supported by Omnipotence. He has become settled by experience, and confirmed by years. He is not a rolling stone, but a pillar in the house of the Lord. He shall not be afraid. He is ready to face any adversary—a holy heart gives a brave face. Until he sees his desire upon his enemies. All through the conflict, even till he seizes the victory, he is devoid of fear. When the battle wavers, and the result seems doubtful, he nevertheless believes in God, and is a stranger to dismay.” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 112:8).5
Those who fear God by hating evil will not be shaken. When you are rooted in God, the evil of the world will not pull you off from your firm foundation: “The righteous will never be shaken, but the wicked will not live in the land.” (Prov. 10:30). “I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Ps. 16:8). “For the king trusts in the LORD, and through the faithfulness of the Most High he will not be shaken.” (Ps. 21:7). “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” (Ps. 55:22). “A Song of Ascents. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but remains forever.” (Ps. 125:1).
When your fear of God leads to obedience, He offers confidence and stability.6
Those who fear God by hating evil will not fear evil. When your faith is firmly rooted in God, you also do not need to fear any evil: “But whoever listens to me will live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.” (Prov. 1:33). “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Ps. 23:4). “In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Ps. 56:4). “The LORD is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Ps. 118:6). “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” (Ro. 8:31). “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” (2 Tim. 1:7).
The blessings from fearing God are emphasized through a Hebrew poetry7
6. Honor: God May Bless Those Who Fear Him with Honor. Ps. 112:9.
God can also provide honor to His people. For those who are generous, the blessing of obedience may include God’s promise of honor: “9 He has given freely to the poor, His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted in honor.” (Ps. 112:9). “And He will cut off all the horns of the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.” (Ps. 75:10). “For You are the glory of their strength, and by Your favor our horn is exalted.” (Ps. 89:17). Even if you are not honored here, you will be honored in heaven.
God has many ways to bless and honor those who fear Him by obeying Him. “His righteousness endures forever: The profile of this man (or woman) who fears the LORD is remarkable. It is a reflection of the character of God Himself, even as the moon reflects the sun’s light. It is partially fulfilled in the godly man or woman, and perfectly fulfilled in the man Jesus Christ. · He is a God-fearing man (who fears the LORD). · He is a lover of God’s word (delights greatly in His commandments). · He is a prosperous man (wealth and riches). · He is a man who makes a home for his family (his descendants…his house). · He is a loving and kind man (gracious, and full of compassion). · He is a helping man (deals graciously and lends). · He is a wise man (will guide his affairs with discretion). · He is a strong man (not afraid of evil tidings). · He is a generous man (he has dispersed abroad). · He is a man who does not abuse power (his horn will be exalted with honor). · He is a hated man (the wicked will see it and be grieved).” (David Guzik on Psalm 112:9) (emphasis in original).8
God will honor you in heaven when your faith leads to serving Him by helping others.9
The fear of the Lord includes helping others in need. Helping others in need is part of God’s Law: “If there is a poor person among you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; but you shall fully open your hand to him, and generously lend him enough for his need in whatever he lacks.” (Dt. 15:7-8). Solomon also promised a blessing for those who honor God by helping those in need: “One who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, but one who is gracious to the needy honors Him.” (Prov. 14:31). “One who is gracious to a poor person lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed.” (Prov. 19:17). “There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in poverty. A generous person will be prosperous, and one who gives others plenty of water will himself be given plenty.” (Prov. 11:24-25). “All day long he is craving, while the righteous gives and does not hold back.” (Prov. 21:26). “One who gives to the poor will never lack anything, but one who shuts his eyes will have many curses.” (Prov. 28:27). Bless others, and God will honor you as well.
Jesus promises to bless and honor those who help others in need. Paul quoted Psalm 112:9 in the context of the blessings that follow for those who help others: “And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written: ‘He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor, his righteousness endures forever.” (2 Cor. 9:8-9). When your faith produces the fruit of generosity and compassion, Jesus promises to bless you: “And whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”’ (Matt. 10:42). “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.”’ (Matt. 25:40). “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, by having served and by still serving the saints.” (Heb. 6:10). Even if you are not rewarded financially on Earth, Jesus promises to honor you in heaven. “so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” (Matt. 6:4). Are you storing up honors in heaven?
Those who ignore the needy do not fear God. God’s love Him is not present when you ignore the needy: “But whoever has worldly goods and sees his brother or sister in need, and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God remain in him?” (1 Jo. 3:17). “and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” (Jam. 2:16). Thus, you can show your reverent fear of God by helping others who are in need around you.
7. God’s Mercy: God May Bless Those Who Fear Him with Mercy. Ps. 1112:10.
God also offers mercy, but the foolish reject what He offers. For those who have no fear of God and reject Him, the psalmist warns that they will suffer without His offer of mercy: “10 The wicked will see it and be vexed, He will gnash his teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked will perish.” (Ps. 112:10). Thus, every person should heed the Bible’s warnings to fear God: “So the psalm is a great encouragement for the righteous, but also a reminder of their obligations (1 Tim. 6:17-19).” (Allen Ross on Ps. 112).10
Those who fail to fear God and reject His offer of mercy will suffer. The psalmist also warned that suffering awaits those who reject God (Ps. 112:10). Solomon repeated these warnings: “The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand.” (Prov. 12:7). “One who despises the word will do badly, but one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.” (Prov. 13:13). “The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; One who watches his way protects his life.” (Prov. 16:17). “One who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but one who is careless of conduct will die.” (Prov. 19:16). Thus, your fear of God should produce obedience. ‘For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” (Jam. 2:26).
Those who reject God face an eternal realm of darkness. The psalmist warned of the wicked who reject God will one day “gnash his teeth” in agony (Ps. 112:10). Jesus also quoted from this psalm to warn of the misery that awaits those who reject His mercy and grace: “but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt. 8:12). “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out.” (Lk. 13:28).
God offers mercy when you repent and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Solomon warned that those who fail to acknowledge and repent of their sins will not prosper: “One who conceals his wrongdoings will not prosper, but one who confesses and abandons them will find compassion.” (Prov. 28:13). David’s willingness to let God expose his sins and his confessions of his sins is what made him a man after God’s heart: “I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not hide my guilt; I said, “I will confess my wrongdoings to the LORD”; and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah” (Ps. 32:5). If you confess your sins, Jesus promises to fully forgive you: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jo. 1:9). Thus, repent of your sins and be blessed with His mercy.
M.E. Thomas, “Psalms 1 and 112 as a Paradigm for the Comparison of Wisdom Motifs in the Psalms,” JETS 29 (1986):15-24.↩︎
James M. Hamilton Jr., Evangelical Bible Theology Commentary Psalms (Vol. II: Psalms 73-150) (Lexham Academic 2021) p. 303.↩︎
Image credit: Pin page (pinterest.com)↩︎
Allen Ross, A Commentary of the Psalms: Volume 3(90-150), Kregel Academic (2016) p. 383.↩︎