Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

Psalm 111. This is a hymn of praise, celebrating the great works that the Lord has done for his people in calling them to be his, in caring for them, and in protecting them. These great works express God's unstinting goodness toward his people. The purpose of singing the psalm is to remind the people of these deeds and to encourage them to embrace the privileges that God's call has bestowed, by a heartfelt "fear of the Lord" (v. 10). Psalm 111 focuses on the deeds God has done for his people as a body. The "covenant" (v. 5) established Israel as God's people, and the "works" sustain and protect Israel as a whole. The "redemption" described here (v. 9) is for the sake of calling and protecting the whole people and for fostering the conditions under which true piety may thrive (see note on Isa. 1:24-28). Psalms 111-112 go together. Both follow an acrostic pattern: after the initial "Praise the Lord" (Hb. hallelu-yah), the first word of each line begins with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. For both psalms, the flow of thought is governed by the acrostic structure. Psalm 111:10 brings its praise to a close with a reference to the fear of the Lord--a "wisdom" idea, coupled with "understanding"--while Ps. 112:1 leads off its wisdom meditation with "the man who fears the Lord." This clear connection helps readers in interpretation: in Psalm 111 it is the Lord whose "righteousness endures forever" (v. 3) and who is "gracious and merciful" (v. 4, echoing Ex. 34:6), while in Psalm 112 it is the godly person whose "righteousness endures forever" (112:3) and who is "gracious and merciful" (112:4). The implication is that the person who fears the Lord and attends to his commandments has God's own moral traits reflected in his character. This is the goal of redemption, to renew the image of God in human beings. Psalm 111, in stressing God's mighty deeds of redemption for his people, focuses on the "big story" for the whole people; Psalm 112, in stressing "wisdom," encourages each member of God's people in a day-to-day walk, a "little story," that contributes to the big story of the whole people. Christians sing these psalms in the same way, with the mighty deeds including Jesus' resurrection and installation as the heir of David, and God's continuing care for his people.