1 Commentary by Clyde M. Miller Questions by John C. Sewell Praise God for His Works Psalm 111:1-10
2 Text: Psalm 111:1-10, Praise God for His Works Commentary by Clyde M. Miller 1. Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. 2. Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. 3. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. 4. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. 5. He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. 6. He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. 7. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. 8. They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness. 9. He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever holy and awesome is his name. 10. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. NIV
3 Introduction: I. Psalm 111 and Psalm 112 are closely related in poetic form, subject matter, and phraseology. A. Both are acrostics containing twenty-two lines, each succeeding line beginning with the following letter of the Hebrew alphabet. 1. Psalm 111 portrays God reflected in his works, and Psalm 112 the man who fears God and properly responds to him. 2. Some of the phraseology used in Psalm 111 to describe God is repeated in Psalm 112 to describe the Godfearing man. B. In an acrostic poem, the poetic form takes precedence over the development of the theme, so that the flow of thought may be uneven. II. In keeping with several historical psalms (cf. Psalm 78; Psalm 105; Psalm 106), this psalm alludes to the exodus from Egypt (Psalm 111:4,9), the giving of the law at Sinai (Psalm 111:7b-8), the wilderness wandering (Psalm 111:5a), the settlement in Canaan (Psalm 111:6b), and the covenant (Psalm 111:5b, 9). A. Psalm 78:1-72, O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old- what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our
4 forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. They would not be like their forefathers a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him. The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle; they did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his law. They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them. He did miracles in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand firm like a wall. He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night. He split the rocks in the desert and gave them water as abundant as the seas; he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers. But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the desert? When he struck the rock, water gushed out, and streams flowed abundantly. But can he also give us food? Can he supply meat for his people?" When the LORD heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven. Men ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. He let loose the east wind from the heavens and led forth the south wind by his power. He rained meat down on them like dust, flying birds like sand on the seashore. He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents. They ate till
5 they had more than enough, for he had given them what they craved. But before they turned from the food they craved, even while it was still in their mouths, God's anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel. In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe. So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror. Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again. They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant. Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. How often they rebelled against him in the desert and grieved him in the wasteland! Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember his power the day he redeemed them from the oppressor, the day he displayed his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan. He turned their rivers to blood; they could not drink from their streams. He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them. He gave their crops to the grasshopper, their produce to the locust. He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamorefigs with sleet. He gave over their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning. He unleashed against them his hot anger, his wrath, indignation and hostility a band of destroying angels. He prepared a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death but gave them over to the plague. He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham. But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through
6 the desert. He guided them safely, so they were unafraid; but the sea engulfed their enemies. Thus he brought them to the border of his holy land, to the hill country his right hand had taken. He drove out nations before them and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance; he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes. But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes. Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow. They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols. When God heard them, he was very angry; he rejected Israel completely. He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men. He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendor into the hands of the enemy. He gave his people over to the sword; he was very angry with his inheritance. Fire consumed their young men, and their maidens had no wedding songs; their priests were put to the sword, and their widows could not weep. Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a man wakes from the stupor of wine. He beat back his enemies; he put them to everlasting shame. Then he rejected the tents of Joseph, he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; 68 but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved. He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever. He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them. NIV B. Psalm 105:1-45, Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his
7 face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit." When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it, they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm." He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; and he sent a man before them Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true. The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free. He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed, to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom. Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham. The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes, whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants. He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness and made the land dark for had they not rebelled against his words? He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die. Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers. He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land; he
8 struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country. He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number; they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil. Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood. He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered. Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them. He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night. They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert. For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham. He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy; he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for- that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD. NIV C. Psalm 106:1-48, Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare his praise? Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right. Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them, that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise. We have sinned, even as our fathers did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly. When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name's sake, to make his mighty power known. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led them through the depths as through a desert. He saved them
9 from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them. The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived. Then they believed his promises and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test. So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them. In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD. The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it buried the company of Abiram. Fire blazed among their followers; a flame consumed the wicked. At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass. They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. So he said he would destroy them had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them. Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the LORD. So he swore to them with uplifted hand that he would make them fall in the desert, make their descendants fall among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods; they provoked the LORD to anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them. But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked. This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come. By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them; for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses' lipsalm They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them, but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. They wor-
10 shiped their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood. They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves. Therefore the LORD was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance. He handed them over to the nations, and their foes ruled over them. Their enemies oppressed them and subjected them to their power. Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin. But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented. He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive. Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD. NIV D. Psalm 111:4, 9, He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever holy and awesome is his name. NIV III. Several terms are used to refer to God's works: what he has made (Psalm 111:2,6,7,8), what he has done (Psalm 111:3), and that which creates wonder (Psalm 111:4). A. Psalm 111:2, 6, 7, 8, Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just;
11 all his precepts are trustworthy. They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness. NIV B. Psalm 111:3, Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. NIV C. Psalm 111:4, He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. NIV IV. This might be compared with Isaiah 45:9-13, where God is described as having fashioned (Psalm 111:9,11), made (Psalm 111:9b, 12), begotten (Psalm 111:10a), and stretched out (Psalm 111:12) the things which now exist. A. Isaiah 45:9-13, "Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, 'What are you making?' Does your work say, 'He has no hands'? Woe to him who says to his father, 'What have you begotten?' or to his mother, 'What have you brought to birth?' "This is what the LORD says the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands? It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the LORD Almighty." NIV Note: In poetry, technical distinctions in such varied terms are not to be stressed, but the terms are to be understood as practically synonymous.
12 Commentary: Praise the Lord! Psalm 111:1, Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. NIV I. With all my heart means sincerely, willingly. II. Council means a group assembled for a common purpose, whether for worship, instruction, or judgment to be rendered. III. Assembly refers to the assembled nation. IV. Upright is an ethical term describing the character God demands of the nation (cf. Psalm 32:11; 33:1). A. Psalm 32:1, 11, Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! NIV The Lord's Works Psalm 111:2-9, Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness. He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever holy and awesome is his name. NIV
13 Psalm 111:2, Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. NIV I. Pondered means more literally sought out (KJV). A. Searching out the wonders of the physical features of the universe and the laws which govern them has ever been a source of delight to man. B. As long as this searching is done in the fear of the Lord (Psalm 111:10), man will be richly blessed. 1. Psalm 111:10, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. NIV Psalm 111:3, Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. NIV I. God's glory, majesty and righteousness are seen in His deeds. A. Righteousness in this context refers primarily to those fixed and dependable laws of nature by which God created and maintains the universe. 1. Man must live in harmony with these laws and recognize the glory of God in the things that he has made if he would be truly happy (cf. Rom. 1:18-32). a. Romans 1:18-32, The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because
14 God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil;
15 they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. NIV b. Therefore, the ethical connotation is not completely absent from the word righteousness in this context. Psalm 111:4, He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. NIV I. God has caused His wonders to be remembered. A. It is not an accident, nor is it the result entirely of human ingenuity, that these wonders have been remembered. II. God's works reveal that he is gracious and compassionate. A. Wonders are those works of providence that cause the God-fearing man to see how God works all things together for good (Rom. 8:28). 1. Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. NIV Psalm 111:5, He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. NIV I. Covenant here could refer to the original provision that God made for man's happiness as he provided his necessary food (Gen. 1:26-
16 31), but the remainder of the psalm suggests that the reference is more likely to the covenant made with Israel at Sinai. A. Genesis 1:26-31, Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground everything that has the breath of life in it I give every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning the sixth day. NIV B. The miraculous provision of food and drink in the wilderness is elsewhere regarded as evidence of God's special care for Israel (78:11-31; 105:8-9,16-24,40-41; 106:13-15). 1. Psalm 78:11-31, They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them. He did miracles in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand firm like a wall. He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night. He split the rocks in the desert and gave them water as abundant as the seas; he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water
17 flow down like rivers. But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the desert? When he struck the rock, water gushed out, and streams flowed abundantly. But can he also give us food? Can he supply meat for his people?" When the LORD heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven. Men ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. He let loose the east wind from the heavens and led forth the south wind by his power. He rained meat down on them like dust, flying birds like sand on the seashore. He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents. They ate till they had more than enough, for he had given them what they craved. But before they turned from the food they craved, even while it was still in their mouths, God's anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel. NIV 2. Psalm 105:8, 9, 16-24, 40, 41, He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; and he sent a man before them Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to
18 pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true. The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free. He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed, to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom. Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham. The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes, They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert. NIV 3. Psalm 106:13-15, But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test. So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them. NIV 4. These references indicate that these blessings resulted from God's grace and mercy (Psalm 111:4) rather than from Israel's meritorious righteousness. a. Psalm 111:4, He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. NIV Psalm 111:6, He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. NIV I. The conquest and settlement of Canaan were by the power and grace of God (cf. Deut. 6:10-15; 9:4-12). A. Deuteronomy 6:10-15, When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you a land with large, flourishing
19 cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. NIV B. Deuteronomy 9:4-12, After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness." No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. Remember this and never forget how you provoked the LORD your God to anger in the desert. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the LORD. At Horeb you aroused the LORD's wrath so that he was angry enough to destroy you. When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD had made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water. The LORD gave me two stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God. On them were all the commandments the LORD proclaimed to you on the moun-
20 tain out of the fire, on the day of the assembly. At the end of the forty days and forty nights, the LORD gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant. Then the LORD told me, "Go down from here at once, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have become corrupt. They have turned away quickly from what I commanded them and have made a cast idol for themselves." NIV Psalm 111:7, The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. NIV I. God was faithful to His promise made to Abraham (cf. Psalm 105:8-9,42). A. Psalm 105:8, 9, 42, He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham. NIV II. Just (or justice) here means the same thing as righteousness (Psalm 111:3b), faithful, and trustworthy. A. Psalm 111:3, Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. NIV B. These last two words are from the same root in Hebrew. 1. God is dependable. III. His works and precepts which reveal His nature and will, respectively, are connected here and elsewhere (cf. Psalm 33:4,6,9; 19:1-6,7-13).
21 A. Psalm 33:4, 6, 9, For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. NIV B. Psalm 19:1-13, The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. NIV Psalm 111:8, They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness. NIV I. Man is to perform God's precepts with faithfulness and uprightness like that manifested by God.
22 Psalm 111:9, He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever holy and awesome is his name. NIV I. God first provided redemption for Israel, and then gave her a covenant by which to live (cf. Ex. 14:30; 19:1-6). A. Exodus 14:30, That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. NIV B. Exodus 19:1-6, In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt on the very day they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." NIV II. God's name represents his reputation, character and personality. III. Awesome carries the connotation of reverend (KJV). Response to the Holy God Psalm 111:10, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. NIV
23 I. The fear of the Lord is the basis of the ethical teachings of the wisdom writers in the Old Testament (Prov. 1:7; 9:10; 15:33; Eccl. 12:13; Job 28:28). A. Proverbs 1:7, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. NIV B. Proverbs 9:10, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. NIV C. Proverbs 15:33, The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor. NIV D. Ecclesiastes 12:13, Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. NIV E. Job 28:28, And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'" NIV II. The expression is the equivalent of our expression, religion. It involves worship, the commandments of God, and one's manner of life (cf. Psalm 19:9; 34:11). A. Psalm 19:9, The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. NIV B. Psalm 34:11, Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. NIV Application:
24 I. God reveals himself to man in two major ways. A. Man can discern the reality and presence of God through the created order and his own created intuition. B. God reveals His will for man through his covenant promises, precepts and warnings provided in the Scriptures. II. Careful acceptance of the scientific laws that govern the universe can lead to knowledge of God s moral order. A. Specific Bible instructions, however, are necessary for man to know how to obey God. B. Man needs to study the scientific laws that govern the universe in conjunction with the study of the Scriptures, not in opposition to them.
25 Questions Psalm 111:1-10 (Questions based on NIV text.) 1. the. 2. I will the with my in the of the and in the. 3. are the of the ; they are by all who in. and are his, and his. He has his to be ; the is and. He for those who him; he his. He has shown his the of his, them the of. The of his are. They are and, done in and. He for his ; he his - and is his. 4. The of the is the of ; all who his have. To him belongs.
26 5. List all of God s characteristics which are mentioned in Psalm 111. 6. What response to God is expected of the faithful according to Psalm 111? 7. What is wisdom? How do we demonstrate wisdom? 8. Compare Psalms 111 and 112.
27 9. To what does Psalm 111 allude? 10. Compare Psalm 111:2-12 and Isaiah 45:9-13. 11. Define as used in Psalm 111 the following: (a) with all my heart - (b) council - (c) assembly - (d) pondered - (e) righteousness - (f) wonders - (g) awesome - (h) the fear of the Lord - 12. What evidence does Psalm 111 provide regarding God s special case for Israel in the wilderness?
28 13. God s blessings on Israel resulted from s and rather than s. The and of were by the and of. 14. is to s with and like that by. first for, and then gave Israel a by which to. 15. How does God reveal himself to man?