Psalm 112 greets me like the one before it – with Hallelujah! “Praise Yahweh!” It also reminds me how “blessed is the man who fears the LORD [and] greatly delights in his commandments” (1). This reminds me of Psalm 1:2 that says the blessed person’s delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night. The more meditation, the greater the delight. Psalm 112 echoes Psalm 111, not only in its praise but also as the reflection of God himself. If 111 focused on God, 112 focuses on the “upright” or godly person. 112 gives me some understanding of what an upright/godly person is: he/she is like God and has a Godward focus. 111:3b told me God’s righteousness endures forever. 112:3b says this about the upright person. The same here. As God is “gracious & merciful” (111:4b), so is the upright/godly person (4b). In 111 I saw the “generous” display of God’s works and his provision for his people (111:2-5). 112 tells me “it is well with the man who deals generously and lends” (5a). 111 ended with the fear of Yahweh as the beginning of wisdom. 112 begins with the happiness or admirability of the person who indeed fears the LORD. When a godly person fears the LORD, “he is not afraid of bad news.” Why? Because “his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD” (7). And “his heart is steady; he will not be afraid” and will look “in triumph on his adversaries” (8). Because God has been so generous to the God-fearing person, he can share “freely” what he has, giving to the poor without being stingy (9). That kind of right living will be honored by God. Such godliness really upsets the wicked (10), who will see their desire for more and more simply “perish.”
I can’t help but apply this psalm directly to the COVID-19 pandemic. The REAL pandemic is fear; but people fear the virus more than they fear God. Instead of turning to God in repentance and crying out to him for protection and safety, they look to their local, state and federal governments to protect and provide for them. Instead of fearing their accountability to God, they fear going out in public. But God’s people have firm and steady hearts that are tusting in the Lord (while taking all the necessary precautions, I agree). What will commend us to a world full of people who don’t fear God? They need to see men & women of God who truly respect & honor & hope in God by living calmly and peacefully and joyfully delighting in God’s word. That is admirable indeed!
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