Context-
This is a Psalm written by David. I like David because he’s one of the people in the Bible that we get to see both sides of, both his successes and his failures in following the Lord. I also like that he wears his heart on his sleeve and did everything passionately. So he’s basically the opposite of us conservative, reserved Germans.
This Psalm follows a prophetic psalm about Jesus and is the first in a series of three related psalms that begin with the phrase “Praise the Lord”.
The first, Psalm 111, talks about who God is and what He has done. The second, Psalm 112, describes how God blesses those who follow him and is against the wicked. And the third, Psalm 113 says the Lord is glorious and worthy of praise and He cares for the downtrodden.
We’re going to go through this Psalm verse by verse.
Verse 1
David is being true to character here and devoting his whole being to praising the Lord. He is praising the Lord in the presence of his advisers (the council of the upright) and in public (the assembly) and from his position of authority. He is setting the example for his people that even the king submits to the Lord and humbly gives him praise. We should also be setting the example of true worship in our families and in the lives of the people we know.
Verse 2
David states here the things that God does are great. The NIV uses the word “pondered” meaning they should be reflected on and rolled around in our minds and meditated on. David could look back on a multitude of great works done by God in his life; the slaying of Goliath, being anointed as king, escaping from Saul, many military victories, and receiving God’s promise to continue his line on the throne. I think we should reflect often on some of great works that God has done in our lives as well as in the lives of others. It helps us remember how gracious and good God has been to us.
Verse 3
David continues to give God praise for what he has done, calling His deeds glorious and majestic, two words that are reserved for the describing the best of what this world has to offer. These words call to mind snowy mountain peaks or a beautiful sunset; things that display not just earthly beauty but the power that was inherent in their creating. David then couples these words with God’s righteousness and His eternal nature. All these together give a sense of a God who is unchanging and unshakable. A God who is beyond time and who never makes an error or misstep.
Verse 4
David uses some interesting language here. He says that not only are God’s wonders remembered, but that God himself has an active role in causing them to be remembered. Many men can claim to have done some great things, but none of them can claim to have the ability make them be remembered. It shows us that God has power even over the hearts and minds of men.
In the second half of the verse David shifts from describing God’s greatness to talking about God’s faithfulness to his people. He uses the words ‘gracious’ and ‘compassionate’ which bring to mind God’s attitude toward us in his saving work. God’s compassion and love for us show in how He extends His grace to us. This ties back to the first half of the verse because our salvation is a work of God that should be ever present in our minds. It is also by His grace and compassion that we have His word that teaches us who He is and how to draw near to Him.
Verse 5
David describes how God provides for us. Food here is used to represent our most basic needs. We can trust God to give us all that we need right down to the basics of food and shelter. And it isn’t just a one-time provision, God remembers His promises forever. They will never be forgotten or left undone. This is in stark contrast to my promises which I easily and often forget. If you ask Tanna, I am sure she could confirm this. I have no doubt that she could give you a long list of my promises that I haven’t kept. This is likely true of any relationship because we are so fallible. Isn’t it great that we serve a God who is so unlike us? We never go to Him and hear Him say “Oh, sorry, I forgot about that one. Thanks for reminding me. I’ll remember next time. “
Verse 6
David then gives an example of God’s fulfillment of a promise. It’s the promise to give His people a land of their own, where He will provide for all of their needs. God’s power was displayed many times in Israel’s journey to the promised land and their conquest of it. God’s power brought them through trial after trial in the dessert and through many hard battles against unbeatable enemies. When they relied on God they were blessed and unbeatable in battle. When they forgot about God and tried to do things in their own strength, they were easily defeated. The same is true for us. Our own strength may sustain us for a while, but it is not infinite in either length or power. So it will ultimately fail. But God will not fail, He cannot fail.
Verse 7
God is both faithful and just. To understand this, we can look at the negative cases. It is possible to be faithfully unjust or unfaithfully just. In the first case, that means always being unjust or unfair. History is filled with examples of people who were corrupt through and through. The second case means being inconsistent in carrying out justice. Again history has many examples of those who were just only when it suited their desires. Fortunately we serve a God who is perfect both in His faithfulness and in His justice. We never need to worry that He will be unfair in His dealings with us. And He is more than fair, giving us forgiveness that we do not deserve and salvation that we cannot earn.
Precepts is a word that I have often heard and but realized that I didn’t have a great definition in mind of what it meant. So I decided to look it up. The definition is “a general rule to regulate behavior or thought”. So with that definition in mind, this verse says that all of the guidelines that God lays out for us in His word that show us how to live a Godly life can be trusted absolutely to lead us in the right direction. God’s word will never give us bad instructions. It is the light unto our path and the lamp unto our feet.
Verse 8
This seems to be referring to the works mentioned in verse 7. God’s works always stand the test of time. What God wills to be done always comes to be and cannot be undone. His works are steadfast and always have a purpose in them. God works to fulfill His promises (faithfulness) and His works are done in a way that brings Him glory and honor and are never contrary to his character (uprightness).
Verse 9
David now gives an example of one of God’s greatest works, our redemption. Our redemption is not something that we can achieve or attain by our works, our wealth, or our status. It is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Our salvation is solely the work of God in our hearts to cause us to recognize our sin, repent and seek to serve Him like David, with all of our heart, soul and mind. He has also done the work of keeping His covenants. No promise of God has or ever will go unfulfilled. Who can do all of these things? As David says, a holy and awesome God.
Verse 10
So now we come to the conclusion of this Psalm. David has laid out a lavish description of God’s character, His works, His faithfulness, and His righteousness. He brings it all home in verse 10.
He lays out 3 things we should do in light of knowing the God he has just spent the previous 9 verses describing.
- Fear the Lord.
- Follow His precepts.
- Praise Him forever.
So let’s unpack the statement “the fear of the Lord” a little bit. What does it really mean to fear the Lord? Is it the same fear we experience when we are met with some daunting circumstance we are ill equipped to handle like paying bills we can’t afford, facing a diagnosis of cancer, or losing someone close to us? No, that is the fear that comes from being shown our own weaknesses. That’s the fear that comes from being powerless to change our circumstances. That’s the fear that is common to all men.
The fear of the Lord is altogether different and it is exclusive to those who know God. The fear of the Lord is to understand the unbounded power of an infinite God that can do anything at any time. A God who made the cosmos with a word from His mouth and sustains it by the power of His will. A God who could snuff out our sin stained lives at any moment and be perfectly justified in that action. A God who will judge all men and angels and send many to an eternal punishment away from His presence. A God who is so full of love, mercy, compassion and grace the He would hang His only Son on a cross to suffer and die in our place. A God who has the power not only to ordain death but to defeat it. A God who is perfect in both justice and grace.
So to fear the Lord is have an understanding of who He truly is. That fear should both drop us to our knees in sheer terror and lift our hands in unbridled praise.
That is the fear that brings wisdom. That is the fear that both humbles us and gives us courage in every circumstance. That is the fear comes from understanding who God is. That is the fear that is absolutely essential in our lives, because without it we have no ability to understand the world around us. Without the fear of the Lord, we have no context, no foundation and no understanding of what is truly important. Without it we flounder in the baseless wisdom of this world which brings us anxiety, endless worry and the fear of the opinions of men. Without it we are completely and hopelessly lost. Without it we are like ships in a storm with a broken rudder, no compass and no view of the sky to guide us home.
So how do we keep from being that ship? How do we maintain our course on true North?
Three Things from this Psalm
- Fear the Lord
- Follow His Precepts
- Praise Him Forever