Psalm 112:4

Psalm 112:4

Gracious, compassionate and righteous

It could be that the darkness, referred to here in this verse, speaks of the night-time, but surely the psalm writer is thinking more widely. He has lived through dark times; he has experienced the heavy cloud of enemy oppression or famine or disease. Maybe, he has lived at a time when the nation has turned its back on the Lord God and an evil despot has occupied the throne of Israel. He may even have suffered the personal darkness of losing a loved one or illness or financial ruin. At those times, when human resources and integrity have reached their limits, when all others have felt like giving up, the righteous continue to have hope. Those who trust in the Lord their God never experience complete darkness, there is always the potential of a new dawn, their sun is never far below the horizon. If we believe that the Lord is in control and that His purposes will always prevail, then no matter what happens, the light is not far from us. Even death is not the final curtain, for we know that it is simply the beginning of a new and fulfilling existence, and it will far surpass life on an earth that is oppressed by evil.

Psalm 111:4 speaks of the Lord who is “gracious and compassionate.” Psalm 116:5 says that “The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.” Psalm 112:4 transfers those qualities to “those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.” This is the incredible things that, yes, we can become like Him and start to exhibit the same characteristics that He does! Once again, we see the reference back to Moses’ encounter with God on Mount Sinai, recorded in Exodus 34:6-7, where we are told for the very first time that He is, “a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” Stop and think about this for a moment, those same qualities that set our God apart and that are fundamental to His character, these are the qualities that are exhibited in His followers, those who are becoming like Him. Wow! 

 

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