The Blessings of God Upon the Righteous
This psalm tells us of the blessings that come for believers with a life lived in the fear of the Lord. These blessings come in the form of a full and fulfilled life and future vindication at His hands in the day of judgment.
The psalm begins by speaking of the great blessings for the one who fears the Lord (112:1-3). Fearing the Lord = reverential obedience. God’s commands are not burdensome, but rather are a delight (112:1). Obedience to God’s will affects others: our descendants will reap the spiritual benefits that come from obeying (112:2). The Lord also provides sufficient riches to the righteous. God does not promise great wealth, but He provides what His people need physically, and spiritually, so that they can endure (112:3).
The righteous demonstrate that they fear the Lord in their behaviour towards others. In a dark world they are given light (the Scriptures) to guide them (112:4). They reflect that God’s light (His attributes) in their lives. They are compassionate and gracious and righteous in all that they do. He gives to those in need without expecting anything in return (112:9). The person who is generous and compassionate lives a “good life,” that is just in all of his ways (112:5).
The righteous does not fear the world because he lives in fear of God. They trust in God and is not shaken in their faith (112:6). Calamities, disasters, bad news will not shake their steadfast trust in the Lord (112:7). Their lives will be a memorial to successive generations who will speak about their faith (112:9).
The final blessing of the righteous is that they will see ultimate justice done by the Lord; in which they will be vindicated and the wicked will perish (112:10).