Psalm 111:1 ¶ Praise ye the
LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the
upright, and in the congregation. 2
The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have
pleasure therein. 3 His work is
honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever. 4 He hath made his wonderful works to be
remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. 5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him:
he will ever be mindful of his covenant.
John Gill reported that this Psalm was thought to have been penned
by David. Each sentence or clause starts with a different letter of the Hebrew
alphabet according to Gill. This was possibly done to help with memorization.
The Psalm starts out, as many do, with a praise of the LORD, all
caps, or Jehovah God. This particular praise is coming from within the
congregation of God’s saints, His people. God’s works are beyond understanding
they are so great with everything from the smallest cell function to galaxies
being formed in the furthest reaches of space a direct action of His will. I
recently watched a video purported to be time-lapse photography of the spine
being formed in an embryo and it amazingly looked like it was being knitted
together as I watched. It was incredible.
Everyone who loves God wants to see His works in progress and on
display. We contemplate His word and the physical reality we can see and study
things that are unseen. God’s work is good and His righteousness endures
forever. Christ is the ultimate expression of the divine will as without Him
nothing was created and without Him we are not saved.
God made His incredible works to be a memorial to His glory and
power, and His love. He has given spiritual food to those who stand in awe and
fear of Him and, it is said, He will never forget the covenant He made with
humankind. Here, in context it would a reference to the covenant with Israel
but we can take it to refer to all of His people.
Psalm 86:5 For thou, Lord,
art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call
upon thee…15 But thou, O Lord, art a God
full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and
truth.
Psalm 111:6 ¶ He hath
shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of
the heathen. 7 The works of his hands are
verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. 8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are
done in truth and uprightness. 9 He sent
redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and
reverend is his name. 10 The fear
of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all
they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Literally, this passage starts being, in context, a declaration of
what God did to provide the Promised Land to Israel. He showed Israel His power
to give them confidence that He could fulfill His promise of Canaan the land,
fulfilling the prophecy of Noah with regard to Canaan, his grandson, what is
popularly called Palestine today and the country of Israel and environs.
Genesis 9:24 ¶ And Noah
awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. 25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of
servants shall he be unto his brethren. 26
And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his
servant. 27 God shall enlarge Japheth,
and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
Believers trust that we can be confident in the works of God’s
hands in truth and judgement. Most of us have seen clearly His work in our
lives. Those who have faith will see that His commandments are strong to hang
our lives upon.
Psalm 105:7 He is the LORD
our God: his judgments are in all the earth. 8 ¶ He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the
word which he commanded to a thousand generations.
The convenants, the Law, the commandments, the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, all are righteous and sure. God is the very standard of what is good
and righteous and upright. Read Psalm 89 as a validation of this idea.
Psalm 89:1 ¶ «Maschil of
Ethan the Ezrahite.» I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my
mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. 2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for
ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. 3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have
sworn unto David my servant, 4 Thy seed
will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
5 ¶ And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O
LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. 6 For who in the heaven can be compared unto
the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD? 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly
of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. 8 O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD
like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? 9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the
waves thereof arise, thou stillest them. 10
Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast
scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm. 11
The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the
fulness thereof, thou hast founded them. 12
The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall
rejoice in thy name. 13 Thou hast a
mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. 14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of
thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
15 ¶ Blessed is the people that know the joyful
sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. 16 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day:
and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. 17 For thou art the glory of their strength: and
in thy favour our horn shall be exalted. 18
For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.
19 ¶ Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one,
and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen
out of the people. 20 I have found David
my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: 21 With whom my hand shall be established: mine
arm also shall strengthen him. 22 The
enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him. 23 And I will beat down his foes before his
face, and plague them that hate him. 24
But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall
his horn be exalted. 25 I will set his
hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. 26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God,
and the rock of my salvation. 27 Also I
will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. 28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore,
and my covenant shall stand fast with him. 29
His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days
of heaven. 30 If his children forsake my
law, and walk not in my judgments; 31 If
they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 32 Then will I visit their transgression with
the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 33
Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor
suffer my faithfulness to fail. 34 My
covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that
I will not lie unto David. 36 His seed
shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. 37 It shall be established for ever as the moon,
and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
38 ¶ But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou
hast been wroth with thine anointed. 39
Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his
crown by casting it to the ground. 40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou
hast brought his strong holds to ruin. 41
All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.
42 Thou hast set up the right hand of
his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice. 43 Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword,
and hast not made him to stand in the battle. 44 Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast
his throne down to the ground. 45 The
days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.
46 How long, LORD? wilt thou hide
thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire? 47 Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast
thou made all men in vain? 48 What man
is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the
hand of the grave? Selah. 49 Lord, where
are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy
servants; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people; 51 Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O
LORD; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed. 52 Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and
Amen.
God redeemed His people with an everlasting covenant. While we can
examine His promises to Israel and be assured that He is not done with the Jews….
Romans 11:25 For I would
not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be
wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until
the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
…we can view verse 9 in regard to the everlasting covenant made
with those who trust in Christ.
John 10:28 And I give unto
them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck
them out of my hand.
His name, God’s name, is reverend. I see no justification
in calling a person reverend, to be revered. This should be reserved
only for God Himself.
The fear of the Lord as a recurring theme is the beginning
of wisdom and knowledge. It is good and beneficial. Here are
examples;
Proverbs 1:7 ¶
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 My
son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 For
they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about
thy neck.
Proverbs 8:13 The fear of
the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the
froward mouth, do I hate.
Psalm 19:9 The fear of the
LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and
righteous altogether.
God uplifting our understanding in that regard will last forever
and ever. Commentators will say that His praise can also be taken and
understood as its praise. You are understanding and wise if you follow
what God has said to do. God’s word is the essence of all wisdom and understanding.
For the Christian we can uplift God and acknowledge His power and
His mercy and His love towards us. He loved Israel and He loves us and His
promises are enduring and everlasting and we can be assured of His commitment to
His people.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ
the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Our Promised Land is Heaven and we are on our way.
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