The Psalm 112 Man

I'm reading the Bible in one year and the Wisdom reading for Sep 26 is Psalm 112.

Psalm 112

Praise the LORD.

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.

His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.

Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.

Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.

He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honour.

The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

- Psalm 112 (NIV)

This is the first time I've meditated on Psalm 112 and the relationship between Psalm 112 and Proverbs 31 just blows my mind! Like Proverbs 31:10-31, Psalm 112 is an acrostic poem, the lines of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet - signifying completion.

The Book of Psalms and the Blessed Man

The book of Psalms begins with the account of the blessed man - who delights in the law of the LORD.

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." - Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)

And as we have seen above, Psalm 112 echoes the account of the blessed man in Psalm 1 - who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.

"Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands." - Psalm 112:1 (NIV)

The Book of Proverbs and the Blessed Woman

Meanwhile, the book of Proverbs begins with exhortations to embrace wisdom - by fearing the LORD.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." - Proverbs 1:7 (NIV)

Metaphorically speaking, in the book of Proverbs wisdom *is* a woman - the wife of noble character.

"Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city.

"Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment. "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding."" - Proverbs 9:1-6 (NIV)

"She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." - Proverbs 31:26-27 (NIV)

Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars... She watches over the affairs of her household.

"Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment... She speaks with wisdom.

Of course, the book of Proverbs ends with the account of the blessed woman - who fears the LORD.

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." - Proverbs 31:28-31 (NIV)

Application: Fear the LORD

Psalms and Proverbs. The Psalm 112 man and the Proverbs 31 woman. The blessed man who fears the LORD and the blessed woman who fears the LORD.

Instead of focusing on finding a wife of noble character, why not focus on being a man of noble character?

Instead of focusing on finding a Proverbs 31 woman (who cannot be found anyway except by God's grace), why not focus on being a Psalm 112 man?

Links: The Proverbs 31 Woman (14 Feb 09), The Wife of Noble Character (14 Feb 10), A wife of noble character who can find? (5 May 10), The Man of Noble Character (6 Sep 10)