Psalm 112 Part 2 

The one who fears the LORD and delights greatly in His commandments (v1) has God’s blessing on his ‘decedents’ (v2). This blessing is not accumulated wealth but an everlasting spiritual heritage that will not fade on his passing. However, the psalmist has also pronounced a blessing on the economic life of the one who fears God. The person is not the worse for his wealth, nor drawn aside by the deceitfulness of riches. ‘Righteousness’ here (v3) and in v9 refers to the generous giving of the man who fears the LORD. Both the Hebrew and Greek words normally translated ‘righteousness’ are often used to signify, not only justice and morality but also generosity and supporting the poor; and this the contextual meaning here.  The world is full of darkness (v4) but the ‘upright’ one who fears God is like a light in the darkness. The darkness of this world is four-fold: the darkness of error, the darkness of sin, the darkness of sorrow, and the darkness of death. These are the realities of our adversities.  

The relationship of God to the godly person is like the relationship of the sun to the moon. The sun shines by its own glorious light. The moon does not, but still it shines, and the way it shines is by reflecting the light coming to it from the sun. We are like the moon. We wax and wane, at our best full of holes, but when we are facing the Son we are covered in His righteousness. The light received from God shines through the righteous one, and he displays to others the grace, compassion, righteousness, and generosity God has granted to him. (v3-6). To be godly is true riches. The psalm deals realistically with the temptations that go with the possession of money. These include abuse of power, refusing to lend, fear, rivalry, and lack of generosity. He who builds his transient life on and into the Rock of Ages wins rocklike steadfastness. “Philosophy seeks truth, theology finds it, but faith possesses it. Human things must be known to be loved, but divine things must be loved to be known” Pascal