The Lord Praised for His Goodness.
111 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the assembly.
2 Great are the works of the Lord;
They are [c]studied by all who delight in them.
3 [d]Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has made His [e]wonders [f]to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and compassionate.
5 He has given [g]food to those who [h]fear Him;
He will remember His covenant forever.
6 He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations.7 The works of His hands are [i]truth and justice;
All His precepts are [j]sure.
8 They are upheld forever and ever;
They are performed in [k]truth and uprightness.
9 He has sent redemption to His people;
He has [l]ordained His covenant forever;
Holy and [m]awesome is His name.
10 The [n]fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who [o]do His commandments;
His praise endures forever.
There is a thread woven throughout this psalm, focusing first on the works of God, and then changing slightly to God’s “precepts” that will be “upheld forever and ever… performed in truth and uprightness. The psalm ends with a verse (10) that you may have heard before, speaking once more about respecting (even fearing) God and doing His commandments (it’s right up there, go read it again).
Let’s back up once more to v. 2, where God’s works are studied by all who delight in them. That doesn’t mean they delight in them because God did them, and they may even come up with some pretty wild conclusions in their studies, often to avoid ascribing those works to God at all. Yet this is the foundation: many study this amazing world, from biology to astronomy, and the natural world that we can observe is stunning in its intricacy.
Yet even David, who did not know even a tenth of what we do now, stated that he was “fearfully and wonderfully made”. Or as more modern translations would put it, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” Let’s not park there though, after speaking of the power of God’s works, the psalmist turns to His precepts and commands, which are no less amazing.
We would do well to study these also, for they are not so outdated as many would like you to believe. Certainly, there may seem to be laws that are a little odd to us now, like abstaining from pork. Though again, with what we know now, that was a pretty smart thing to do, as dangerous parasites harbor in pigs that must be cooked properly to avoid disease. Yet long before mankind understood disease, God told them to stay away from these disease-plagued creatures (not just pigs).
He even took great lengths to give them instruction for avoiding leprosy and sickness from mold, and a whole host of things. All of these long before anyone knew how any of that worked. Even a couple hundred years ago, scientists were still seeking for the causes of disease. Still now we search, and seek to improve upon God’s design, sometimes winning, and sometimes going far afield.
But more practically, one could focus on things like the ten commandments, which we still feature in the highest court of the land (the Supreme Court of the United States). To stray from these is disastrous at best, and yet there are those who would have you forsake God’s instruction. It’s not relevant, it’s not current, it’s outdated and obsolete. Surely things written millennia ago could not be vital still today.
And yet they are, so be careful in your own life. Do not so willingly toss out tradition for new customs. Look for the principles of God, study them, know them, live them, and you will do well. Be mindful of your flesh, for it would love nothing better than to follow those alluring voices. Yet that is a road to death, as God knew then, and He knows still. He wants, and has always wanted, what is best for us, for His creation. Cease your striving against the wind, for you cannot overcome it.
If you want wisdom, do what God commands. And as Jesus so aptly told us, they all boil down to this: love God and love people, accept no substitutes.