Psalm 112 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study
Psalm 112 Short Summary:
Psalm 112 is about the upright life and blessings received by a righteous man. God will establish a man who loves His commands and loves his neighbor. An upright man will succeed in his goals, while God will thwart the schemes of the wicked.
Psalm 112 Summary
AUTHOR:
The author of Psalm 112 is unknown.
NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES:
2 Corinthians 9:9
THEMES:
The righteous man is upright in his deeds and will be established by God.
DEFINITIONS:
Horn (112:9) - A bull’s horns are a symbol of his strength. The Bible occasionally uses the term “horn” in a similar way but regarding men. A person’s horn is their strength.
OUTLINE:
THE UPRIGHT MAN IS ESTABLISHED BY GOD (112:1-10):
Blessed is the man who respects the Lord and delights in His commandments.
He will be the recipient of many blessings from God.
Those blessings might include having blessed children or receiving blessings of wealth.
God promised to be a light in darkness for the upright man when he encountered hard days.
The upright man is marked by grace, mercy, generosity, and fair business dealings.
God will establish such a man and “he will never be moved” (112:6). He has no reason to fear adversity because God is on his side (112:8).
“His horn is exalted in honor” (112:9).
In contrast to this upright man, the wicked man will not succeed in accomplishing his plans. God will make sure his goals are never achieved.
APPLICATION:
How are we to understand the passages in the Bible that promise riches and children to upright people when we know of many upright people who haven’t been blessed with these things.
The books of Psalms and Proverbs contain many promises of physical blessings to the upright, but books like Job and the prophets give us multiple examples of godly people who didn’t get to live lives of comfort and ease.
How do we understand God’s promises in light of godly people who lived challenging lives?
As is so often the case in Bible study, the passages of the Scriptures must be considered as a whole to properly interpret them.
Psalm 112 is a general statement about how God supports and honors those who do His will, but it was never meant to be read as an absolute and specific promise applicable to all people for all time.
The psalmist who wrote it undoubtedly meant it to be understood in this way, because he would have been familiar with very godly people from Israel’s history that had neither children or riches, think of the prophets Elijah and Elisha.
Psalm 112 expresses God’s general blessing on the righteous in terms of money and children probably because those blessings are relatable to most people.
Will God bless the upright? Yes, absolutely, but the specifics of those blessings are left to His discretion.
When you read the Bible, interpret it comprehensively, and be careful about making absolute statement from one text when you haven’t balanced it with other relevant passages.
