Exhortation Station

Psalm 111 — “Praise YHWH! I will give thanks to YHWH with all my heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly. ² Great are the works of YHWH; They are studied by all who delight in them. ³ Splendid and majestic is His work, and His righteousness endures forever. ⁴ He has made His wonders to be remembered; YHWH is gracious and compassionate. ⁵ He has given food to those who 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 truth and justice; All His precepts are sure. ⁸ They are upheld forever and ever; They are performed in truth and uprightness. ⁹ He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name. ¹⁰ The fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.”

Good stuff!  These words are worth taking some time to digest.  Notice the tone of thankfulness that can be heard throughout this Psalm.  May we take a grateful attitude with us into 2020.  Let’s think about verse 2, which says that Yahweh’s works are “studied by all who delight in them.”  Note that the word “studied” is probably more literally translated “sought out.”  Yah desires that His works be delighted in and sought out.  Are we awe-inspired at the works of Yah — His creation, His acts of faithfulness, and His truth, or are we so caught up in the daily grind that we forget to appreciate His works which are right in front of us?

I think verse 10 is really cool — “…The fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments…”  Note that the words “His commandments” are in italics in the NASB, meaning they were not in the original text but were added by translators.  Given the context, the insertion of this phrase seems to me to be fairly reasonable.  Regardless, it is clear that action is involved here.  Let’s be courageous, persistent doers of Yah’s word so that His fountain of wisdom will pour through and infiltrate every corner of our hearts and lives.

Let’s look at a portion of Psalm 112, and then we’ll conclude.

Psalm 112:1-7 — “Praise YHWH!  How blessed is the man who fears YHWH, who greatly delights in His commandments. ² His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. ³ Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. ⁴ Light arises in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious and compassionate and righteous. ⁵ It is well with the man who is gracious and lends; He will maintain his cause in judgment. ⁶ For he will never be shaken; The righteous will be remembered forever. ⁷ He will not fear evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in YHWH.”

Wow, those are some serious blessings!  May we be as the man described in this passage — gracious, compassionate, righteous, willing to lend, steadfast, and trusting in Yahweh.

As we enter into 2020, may Yah inspire us to delight more in His commandments.  May we have an ever-increasing appreciation for His breathtaking creation, His everlasting justice and faithfulness, and His astonishing mercy toward us through Messiah Yahshua.  I encourage you to ponder your priorities in life and allow Yah to have full reign in your everyday decisions and thoughts.  Let’s catch a vision for how we can be different this year.  Let’s be intentional about how we spend each moment of each day, all the while looking joyfully and expectantly toward Him as our Provider and Protector.  How blessed is the man (or woman) who fears YHWH, who greatly delights in His commandments!

(All Bible passages NASB; Hebrew transl. added.)