Treasury of David

Charles Spurgeon

PSALM 112
 

TITLE AND SUBJECT.

There is no title to this psalm—but it is evidently a companion to the hundred and eleventh, and, like it, it is an alphabetical psalm. Even in the number of verses, and clauses of each verse, it coincides with its predecessor, as also in many of its words and phrases. The reader should carefully compare the two psalms line by line.

The subject of the poem before us is—the blessedness of the righteous man, and so 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. God is here praised for the manifestation of his glory which is seen in his people, just as in the preceding psalm he was magnified for his own personal acts.

The hundred and eleventh speaks of the great Father, and this describes his children renewed after his image. The psalm cannot be viewed as the extolling of man, for it commences with "Praise the Lord!" and it is intended to give to God all the honor of his grace which is manifested in the sons of God.

DIVISION.

The subject is stated in the first verse, and enlarged upon under several heads from 2 to 9. The blessedness of the righteousness is set forth by contrast with the fate of the ungodly in verse 10.

EXPOSITION

Verse 1. Praise the LORD.

This exhortation is never given too often; the Lord always deserves praise, we ought always to render it, we are frequently forgetful of it, and it is always well to be stirred up to it. The exhortation is addressed to all thoughtful persons who observe the way and manner of life of men that fear the Lord. If there be any virtue, if there be any praise, the Lord should have all the glory of it, for we are his workmanship.

Blessed is the man that fears the Lord.

According to the last verse of Psalm 111, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; this man, therefore, has begun to be wise, and wisdom has brought him present happiness, and secured him eternal felicity.

Jehovah is so great that he is to be feared and had in reverence by all them that are round about him, and he is at the same time so infinitely good that the fear is sweetened into filial love, and becomes a delightful emotion, by no means engendering bondage.

There is a slavish fear which is accursed; but that godly fear which leads to delight in the service of God is infinitely blessed. Jehovah is to be praised both for inspiring men with godly fear and for the blessedness which they enjoy in consequence thereof. We ought to bless God for blessing any man, and especially for setting the seal of his approbation upon the godly. His favor towards the God-fearing displays his character and encourages gracious feelings in others, therefore let him be praised.

Who delights greatly in his commandments.

The man not only studies the divine precepts and endeavors to observe them—but rejoices to do so. Holiness is his happiness, devotion is his delight, truth is his treasure. He rejoices in the precepts of godliness, yes, and delights greatly in them.

We have known hypocrites rejoice in the doctrines—but never in the commandments. Ungodly men may in some measure obey the commandments out of fear—but only a gracious man will observe them with delight. Cheerful obedience is the only acceptable obedience. He who obeys reluctantly is disobedient at heart—but he who takes pleasure in the command is truly loyal.

If through divine grace we find ourselves described in these two sentences, let us give all the praise to God, for he has wrought all our works in us, and the dispositions out of which they spring. Let self-righteous men praise themselves—but he who has been made righteous by grace renders all the praise to the Lord.

Verse 2. His seed shall be mighty upon earth.

That is to say, successive generations of God fearing men shall be strong and influential in society, and in the latter days they shall have dominion. The true seed of the righteous are those who follow them in their virtues, even as believers are the seed of Abraham, because they imitate his faith. These are the real heroes of their era, the truly great men among the sons of Adam; their lives are sublime, and their power upon their age is far greater than at first sight appears.

If the promise must be regarded as alluding to natural seed, it must be understood as a general statement rather than a promise made to every individual, for the children of the godly are not all prosperous, nor all famous.

Nevertheless, he who fears God, and leads a holy life, is, as a rule, doing the best he can for the future advancement of his house; no inheritance is equal to that of an unblemished name, no legacy can excel the blessing of a saint; and, taking matters for all in all, the children of the righteous man commence life with greater advantages than others, and are more likely to succeed in it, in the best and highest sense.

The generation of the upright shall be blessed.

The race of sincere, devout, righteous men, is kept up from age to age, and ever abides under the blessing of God. The godly may be persecuted—but they shall not be forsaken. The curses of men cannot deprive them of the blessing of God, for the words of Balaam are true, "He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it." Their children also are under the special care of Heaven, and as a rule it shall be found that they inherit the divine blessing. Honesty and integrity are better cornerstones for an honorable house than mere cunning and avarice, or even talent and push. To fear God and to walk uprightly is a higher nobility than blood or birth can bestow.

Verse 3. Wealth and riches shall be in his house.

Understood literally this is rather a promise of the old covenant than of the new, for many of the best of the people of God are very poor. Yet it has been found true that uprightness is the road to success, and, all other things being equal, the honest man is the rising man. Many are kept poor through knavery and profligacy; but godliness has the promise of the life that now is.

If we understand the passage spiritually it is abundantly true. What wealth can equal that of the love of God? What riches can rival a contented heart? It matters nothing that the roof is thatched, and the floor is of cold stone: the heart which is cheered with the favor of Heaven is "rich to all the intents of bliss."

And his righteousness endures forever.

Often when gold comes in the gospel goes out; but it is not so with the blessed man. Prosperity does not destroy the holiness of his life, or the humility of his heart. His character . . .
stands the test of examination,
overcomes the temptations of wealth,
survives the assaults of slander,
outlives the afflictions of time, and
endures the trial of the last great day.

The righteousness of a true saint endures forever, because it springs from the same root as the righteousness of God, and is, indeed, the reflection of it. So long as the Lord abides righteous he will maintain by his grace the righteousness of his people.

They shall hold on their way, and wax stronger and stronger.

There is also another righteousness which belongs to the Lord's chosen, which is sure to endure forever, namely, the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus, which is called "everlasting righteousness," belonging as it does to the Son of God himself, who is "the Lord our righteousness."

Verse 4. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness.

He does not lean to injustice in order to ease himself—but like a pillar stands erect, and he shall be found so standing when the ungodly, who are as a bowing wall and a tottering fence, shall lie in ruins. He will have his days of darkness, he may be sick and sorry, poor and pining, as well as others; his former riches may take to themselves wings and fly away, while even his righteousness may be cruelly suspected. Thus the clouds may lower around him—but his gloom shall not last forever, the Lord will bring him light in due season, for as surely as a good man's sun goes down it shall rise again.

If the darkness be caused by depression of spirit, the Holy Spirit will comfort him. If by financial loss or personal bereavement, the presence of Christ shall be his solace. If by the cruelty and malignity of men, the sympathy of his Lord shall be his support. It is as ordinary for the righteous to be comforted, as for the day to dawn. Wait for the light and it will surely come; for even if our heavenly Father should in our last hours put us to bed in the dark, we shall find it morning when we awake.

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

This is spoken of God in the fourth verse of the hundred and eleventh Psalm, and now the same words are used of his servant. Thus we are taught that when God makes a man upright, he makes him like himself. We are at best but humble copies of the great original; still we are copies, and because we are so we praise the Lord, who has created us anew in Christ Jesus.

The upright man is "gracious," that is, full of kindness to all around him; he is not sour and churlish—but he is courteous to friends, kind to the needy, forgiving to the erring, and earnest for the good of all.

He is also "full of compassion"; that is to say, he tenderly feels for others, pities them, and as far as he can assists them in their time of trouble. He does not need to be driven to benevolence, he is brimful of humanity; it is his joy to sympathize with the sorrowing.

He is also said to be "righteous". In all his transactions with his fellow men he obeys the dictates of right, and none can say that he goes beyond or defrauds his neighbor.

His justice is, however, tempered with compassion, and seasoned with graciousness.

Such men are to be found in our churches, and they are by no means so rare as the censorious imagine; but at the same time they are far scarcer than the breadth of profession might lead us to hope. Lord, make us all to possess these admirable qualities.

Verse 5. A good man shows favor, and lends.

Having passed beyond stern integrity into open-handed benevolence he looks kindly upon all around him, and finding himself in circumstances which enable him to spare a little of his wealth he lends judiciously where a loan will be of permanent service. Providence has made him able to lend, and grace makes him willing to lend. He is not a borrower, for God has lifted him above that necessity. Neither is he a hoarder, for his new nature saves him from that temptation; but he wisely uses the talents committed to him.

He will guide his affairs with discretion.

Those who neglect their worldly business must not plead religion as an excuse, for when a man is truly upright he exercises great care in managing his accounts, in order that he may remain so.

It is sometimes hard to distinguish between indiscretion and dishonesty. Carelessness in business may become almost as great an evil to others as actual knavery. A good man should not only be upright—but he should be so discreet that no one may have the slightest reason to suspect him of being otherwise.

When the righteous man lends he exercises prudence, not risking his all, for fear he should not be able to lend again; and not lending so very little that the loan is of no service. He drives his affairs, and does not allow them to drive him; his accounts are straight and clear, his plans are wisely laid, and his modes of operation carefully selected. He is prudent, thrifty, economical, sensible, judicious, discreet.

Men call him a fool for his religion—but they do not find him so when they come to deal with him. "The beginning of wisdom" has made him wise, the guidance of Heaven has taught him to guide his affairs, and with half an eye one can see that he is a man of sound sense. Such persons greatly commend godliness.

Alas, some professedly good men act as if they had taken leave of their senses; this is not religion—but stupidity. True religion is sanctified common sense. Attention to the things of Heaven does not necessitate the neglect of the affairs of earth; on the contrary, he who has learned how to transact business with God ought to be best able to do business with men. The children of this world often are in their generation wiser than the children of light—but there is no reason why this proverb should continue to be true.

Verse 6. Surely he shall not be moved forever.

God has rooted and established him so that neither men nor devils shall sweep him from his place. His prosperity shall be permanent, and not like that of the gambler and the cheat, whose gains are evanescent. His reputation shall be bright and lustrous from year to year, for it is not a mere pretense. His home shall be permanent, and he shall not need to wander from place to place as a bird that wanders from her nest; and even his memory shall be abiding, for a good man is not soon forgotten.

The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.

They are of a most ancient family, and not mushrooms of an hour, and their grand old stock shall be found flourishing when all the proud houses of ungodly men shall have faded into nothing.

The righteous are worth remembering, their actions are of the kind which record themselves, and God himself takes charge of their memorials. None of us likes the idea of being forgotten, and yet the only way to avoid it is to be righteous before God.

Verse 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings.

He shall have no dread that evil tidings will come, and he shall not be alarmed when they do come. Rumors and reports he despises. Prophecies of evil, vented by fanatical mouths, he ridicules. Actual and verified information of loss and distress he bears with equanimity, resigning everything into the hands of God.

His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.

He is neither fickle nor cowardly; when he is undecided as to his course he is still fixed in heart: he may change his plan—but not the purpose of his soul. His heart being fixed in solid reliance upon God, a change in his circumstances but slightly affects him. Faith has made him firm and steadfast, and therefore if the worst should come to the worst, he would remain quiet and patient, waiting for the salvation of God.

Verse 8. His heart is established.

His love to God is deep and true, his confidence in God is firm and unmoved; his courage has a firm foundation, and is supported by Omnipotence. He has become settled by experience, and confirmed by years. He is not a rolling stone—but a pillar in the house of the Lord.

He shall not be afraid.

He is ready to face any adversary—a holy heart gives a brave face.

Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.

All through the conflict, even until he seizes the victory, he is devoid of fear. When the battle wavers, and the result seems doubtful, he nevertheless believes in God, and is a stranger to dismay. Grace makes him desire his enemies' good. Though nature leads him to wish to see justice done to his cause, he does not desire for those who injure him anything by way of private revenge.

Verse 9. He has dispersed, he has given to the poor.

What he received, he distributed; and distributed to those who most needed it. He was God's reservoir, and forth from his abundance flowed streams of liberality to supply the needy. If this is one of the marks of a man who fears the Lord, there are some who are strangely destitute of it. They are great at gathering—but very slow at dispersing. They enjoy the blessedness of receiving—but seldom taste the greater joy of giving. "It is more blessed to give than to receive"—perhaps they think that the blessing of receiving is enough for them.

His righteousness endures forever.

His liberality has salted his righteousness, proved its reality, and secured its perpetuity. This is the second time that we have this remarkable sentence applied to the godly man, and it must be understood as resulting from the enduring mercy of the Lord.

The character of a righteous man is not spasmodic, he is not generous by fits and starts, nor upright in a few points only. His life is the result of principle, his actions flow from settled, sure, and fixed convictions, and therefore his integrity is maintained when others fail. He is not turned about by companions, nor affected by the customs of society. He is resolute, determined, and immovable.

His horn shall be exalted with honor.

God shall honor him, the universe of holy beings shall honor him, and even the wicked shall feel an unconscious reverence of him. Let it be observed, in summing up the qualities of the God fearing man, that he is described not merely as righteous—but as one bearing the character to which Paul refers in the memorable verse, "For scarcely for a righteous man, will one die: yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die."

Kindness, benevolence, and generosity, are essential to the perfect character. To be strictly just is not enough, for God is love, and we must love our neighbor as ourselves. To give every one his due is not sufficient, we must act upon those same principles of grace which reign in the heart of God.

The promises of establishment and prosperity are not to churlish Nabals, nor to niggard Labans—but to bountiful souls who have proved their fitness to be stewards of the Lord by the right way in which they use their substance.

Verse 10. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved.

This tenth and last verse sets forth very forcibly the contrast between the righteous and the ungodly, thus making the blessedness of the godly appear all the more remarkable. Usually we see Ebal and Gerizim, the blessing and the curse, set the one over against the other, to invest both with the greater solemnity.

The ungodly shall first see the example of the saints to their own condemnation, and shall at last behold the happiness of the godly and to the increase of their eternal misery. The child of wrath shall be obliged to witness the blessedness of the righteous, though the sight shall make him gnaw his own heart. He shall fret and fume, lament and wax angry—but he shall not be able to prevent it, for God's blessing is sure and effectual.

He shall gnash with his teeth.

Being very wrathful, and exceedingly envious, he would gladly grind the righteous between his teeth; but as he cannot do that, he grinds his teeth against each other.

And melt away.

The heat of his passion shall melt him like wax, and the sun of God's providence shall dissolve him like snow—and at the last the fire of divine vengeance shall consume him as the fat of rams.

How horrible must that life be which like the snail melts as it proceeds, leaving a slimy trail behind. Those who are grieved at goodness deserve to be worn away by such an abominable sorrow.

The desire of the wicked shall perish.

He shall not achieve his purpose, he shall die a disappointed man. By wickedness he hoped to accomplish his purpose—that very wickedness shall be his defeat.

While the righteous shall endure forever, and their memory shall be always green; the ungodly man and his name shall rot from off the face of the earth. He desired to be the founder of a family, and to be remembered as some great one—he shall pass away and his name shall die with him.

How wide is the gulf which separates the righteous from the wicked, and how different are the portions which the Lord deals out to them. O for grace to be blessed of the Lord! This will make us praise him with our whole heart.