Fear God, delight in His Word

Psalm 112 (KJV 1900)

1 Praise ye the Lord.

Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord,

That delighteth greatly in his commandments.

2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth:

The generation of the upright shall be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house:

And his righteousness endureth for ever.

4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness:

He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

5 A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth:

He will guide his affairs with discretion.

6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever:

The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.

7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings:

His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.

8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid,

Until he see his desire upon his enemies.

9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor;

His righteousness endureth for ever; His horn shall be exalted with honour.

10 The wicked shall see it, and be grieved;

He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away:

The desire of the wicked shall perish.

Introduction

Opening Question: If you could go back in time and speak to your teenage self. What do you say? Invest in Tesla? Braves win World Series? — Let’s go with “fear God, delight in His Word”

What are doing here tonight? What are we building. So much centers around this thought.

We have another acrostic Psalm. Psalms 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 119, and 145 are also written in an acrostic form.

Remember last weeks. A-Z

“It bears the same relation to the preceding which the moon does to the sun; for, while the first declares the glory of God, the second speaks of the reflection of the divine brightness in men born from above.” - Spurgeon

Character of a God fearing life. v.1

Psalm 112:1 (KJV 1900)

1 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, That delighteth greatly in his commandments.

God Fearing

What does it mean to fear the Lord?

You take God very seriously. But this leads to joy not misery.

A profound reverence.

God cannot be non-consequential. He should be heavy in our live.s

Psalm 99:1 “1 The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.”

Greatly delights in God’s Word

Both elements of fearing and delighting

We should be people who are enthusiastic about the Word of God

Scripture referred to His commandments, not suggestions

We cannot properly fear or delight in God outside of His Word

Transition: What would you life look like if we fear God and delight in His Word.

Consequences of a God fearing life. v.2-9

Influence through the generations.

Psalm 112:2 “2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: The generation of the upright shall be blessed.”

His seed = descendants / leave a godly legacy

Mighty = spiritual strength in the Lord

Dugdale's study Compares Jonathan Edwards to Max Jukes - Jonathan Edwards’ legacy includes: 1 U.S. Vice-President, 1 Dean of a law school, 1 dean of a medical school, 3 U.S. Senators, 3 governors, 3 mayors, 13 college presidents, 30 judges, 60 doctors, 65 professors, 75 Military officers, 80 public office holders, 100 lawyers, 100 clergymen, and 285 college graduates.

We are called to unleash - Christ centered, biblically anchored, world changing children.

God as equipped His children with supernatural gifts, which are specifically chosen for this moment in history, and that will best glorify Him.

This happens by exposing them not just to the Word but to the delight of the Word!

Increase properly gained.

Psalm 112:3 “3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: And his righteousness endureth for ever.”

Whose house? The person who fears God and delights in commands.

Why?

God centered lives are hard working lives. Proverbs 10:4 “4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.”

Highly, properly motivated life. We live for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 “31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

God fearing people are honest in their dealings with others.

God rewards diligence. Proverbs 13:4 “4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”

Insight into life decisions

Psalm 112:4 “4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.”

We live in a world or darkness and need a light to lead out path.

Psalm 119:105 “105 NUN (14th letter) Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path.”

Look at the verses that precede it. Psalm 119:103-105 “103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: Therefore I hate every false way. 105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path.”

Do you value or delight in God’s Word on this level? Do you believe this? Psalm 119:98-100

Psalm 119:98–100 (KJV 1900)

98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: For they are ever with me.

99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: For thy testimonies are my meditation.

100 I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep thy precepts.

Unless we see a subject from God’s perspective we will stay in the dark (science, history, marriage, finances)

Psalm 19:8 “8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.”

Integrity guarded by understanding

Psalm112:4-5 “4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 5 A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: He will guide his affairs with discretion.”

Fearing God creates gracious people.

Fearing God will fill us with compassion.

People who are mean and cankerous arent people who delight in God’s commands.

Fearing God makes us generous because we know God has been generous with us.

We will live with discretion, in integrity.

Immoveable by an established heart

Psalm 112:6-9 “6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever: The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, Until he see his desire upon his enemies. 9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; His righteousness endureth for ever; His horn shall be exalted with honour.”

Brings a stability to our lives.

What could move us?

Fear of evil news . 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings:

Fear of enemies

What keeps us unmoving?

Fixed heart - causes us to not move.

How? Trusting in the Lord.

How? Fear the Lord and delight in His Word.

Removes fear

You won’t have fear about your family (2).

Or about finances (3).

Or about the dark things in life (4).

Or about your business decisions (5).

Or about any bad news (7).

You won’t have to fear being generous in your giving (9).

You wont even have to fear your enemies (10).

Our strength (horn) will be exalted.

“He who builds his transient life on and into the Rock of Ages wins rocklike steadfastness…. Lives rooted in God are never uprooted.” (Maclaren)

Contrast of a God fearing life. v.10

Psalm 112:10 “10 The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: The desire of the wicked shall perish.”

Hot jealousy

They want what is offered to the Godly

· 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).

Desire of the wicked perish

wicked will be eternal, but not the desire

“When all the flashes of sensual pleasure are quite extinct, when all the flowers of secular glory are withered away; when all earthly treasures are buried in darkness; when this world, and all the fashion of it, are utterly vanished and gone, the bountiful man’s state will be still firm and flourishing, and ‘his righteousness shall endure for ever.’