Bible Verse:What does Psalm chapter 112 mean?
Chapter Context
Both this and the preceding psalm (Psalm 111) are written in an acrostic form. As written in the original, each line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. These lines are often three Hebrew words long, but this pattern doesn't correspond to translated versions. Both Psalm 111 and 112 repeat statements seen in other psalms and the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 1:7; 20:7). Where Psalm 111 focuses on God's great deeds, Psalm 112 emphasizes the blessings of faithfully honoring the Lord.
What does Psalm chapter 112 mean?
This song echoes a major theme of the book of Proverbs: that those who follow God's will set themselves up for success (Proverbs 1:7; 3:1–2; 15:33). This does not
guarantee material wealth, or health, or happiness. An ungodly world will often persecute a faithful Christian (John 16:33). But obeying the Lord keeps the believer away from many dangers and promotes valuable, helpful attitudes (Proverbs 1:7; 3:33–34; 8:32–36). Similar ideas are seen in other psalms (Psalm 111:10; 119:4).
Where the prior psalm emphasized God's great deeds, this one looks at the personal benefits which come from faith. Cooperating with the One who created us, as common sense would indicate, leads away from dangers and towards a better likelihood of success. The godly person has good reason to anticipate a positive reputation, a successful family life, positive business relationships, and mutual help from others (Psalm 112:1–6).
For the same reasons, the godly person has great peace of mind (Psalm 23:4). Even when news is bad, the believer has an anchor of hope (Psalm 46:1–2). Those who place their trust in God anticipate eternal victory. No matter what happens in this life, those redeemed by the Lord know their future is secure. In contrast, those who reject God have no such hope. They can only expect to live in jealousy and angst, until their life ends (Revelation 20:11–15) and everything they have gained is lost (Psalm 112:7–10).
