Blessed Is the Man Who Fears YHWH

Psalm 112 calls God's people to praise! For it describes the lot of the righteous. And the righteous, we are told right away, are those who fear YHWH: "Blessed is the man who fears YHWH, who greatly delights in his commands" (Ps. 112:1). As so often in Scripture (e.g., Prov. 8:13), so also here we are told what the fear of YHWH is. Here the coloring of what it means to fear is full of delight, delight in the commands of God.

God's commands are not burdensome, that is, for those who love and delight in the One who gives them. See that they are his commands. That pronoun is not a throwaway word! It's worth meditating on! The godly never forget the Giver of the imperative. The godly ever rivet their attention on the Giver, looking through every command to the Lord, Maker, and Redeemer of all as the Delight and Satisfaction of the soul. With Augustin, in rapturous joy and brokenness, the godly cry out to God, "Command what you will, and grant what you command!"

As you consider Psalm 112, consider two additional things: first, the blessings that come in the path of fearing YHWH; second, the character of those who fear YHWH. Pleasant surprises await you in this short, powerful psalm.