The text: Psalm 111 – NRSV
This wisdom psalm is worth studying carefully and slowly. At first this poem seems more like a song of praise as it recounts the marvelous acts of God. But the further one reads into the psalm, it becomes clearer that the focus is not on the deeds themselves, but on the nature of the God that did them. We at last get the famous “punch line” in the final verse (where “fear” here is more like “honor” or “respect” than “dread” or “terror”). Having saved the central claim until the end, the psalm invites us to reread it with that focus in mind. As you do this, pause on each couplet (verse), and ask yourself how the two statements of the couplet are related. What are the connections? You may find that the more you ask of this psalm, the more questions arise, and that’s a good sign you’re dealing with Hebrew wisdom literature! A quick example: in v. 2 (where we already get a sense of the importance of wisdom here), the greatness of God’s works is coupled with the study of those works by those who delight in them. How do we study the works of God? How do we delight in those works? What does it mean for God’s works to be “great”? How can we tell? And so on. Let the psalm guide you, and maybe it will also become a psalm of praise for you! (Maybe there’s even a connection between wisdom and praise…) Enjoy the journey!
Curious about this series of posts? Read the initial post.
Want to catch up on any you missed? See them all by clicking on ‘Lenten Psalms” below.
