Introduction to Psalm 111
As we continue in worship, let’s turn our attention to Psalm 111. It is a Psalm that is often referenced when we are speaking about wisdom—maybe you’ve heard verse 10 before: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”.
This Psalm fits into the category of Wisdom Psalms. As you read through the Psalter, you’ll see some characterized by praise, others by thanksgiving, and others by lament. This one is focused on wisdom—in particular, the beginning of wisdom, which is rooted in God Himself and our relationship with Him.
The Psalter is more than just a big book in the middle of our Bibles; it has historically been the songbook of God’s people. For millennia, they have used these Psalms to guide their worship of the Triune God. This is a song that has been sung and read for thousands of years, meant to shape us not just individually as a devotional, but corporateley as God’s people gather.
Reading: Psalm 111

“Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. Greater the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate. He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the land of other nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established forever and ever, enacted in faithfulness and uprightness. He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.”


Defining True Wisdom
Around this time of year, many of you are starting to consider New Year’s resolutions. You might be assessing how your year went—your budget, your parenting, your schoolwork—and asking, “What do I need to do differently this coming year?”.

When we consider wisdom, we usually start with knowledge. Maybe you bought a 10-step book on finances or watched a TED Talk. But knowledge often sits on the shelf and collects dust. In the context of Scripture, wisdom starts with knowledge, but it is always applied knowledge. It is taking what we’ve learned and applying it to our lives.
For example, if two 18-year-olds are given advice on investing in a Roth IRA, and one starts saving regularly while the other puts it off for decades, we would call the one who applied the knowledge “wise”.
When we think about the wisdom of God, we often think it just means memorizing the Bible or going to Bible studies. Those are good starts, but verse 10 tells us: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”.
What is the “Fear of the Lord”?
As a kid, I thought this meant being constantly terrified of God. However, the Hebrew word really implies reverent awe. It means living before God as though He is actually God.
Furthermore, in your Bibles, the word “LORD” is often in all capitals. This indicates the covenant name of God: Yahweh. To fear the Lord is to live in reverent awe of Yahweh—our covenant-keeping God. Wisdom starts by living in a relationship with the God who says, “I am your God, you are my people, and I will be ever faithful to you”.
James tells us that if we do what the law requires but not from faith, it is sin. Works without faith mean nothing because they aren’t rooted in a covenant relationship with God.

Four Points of Godly Wisdom
1. Confessing the Lord
The Psalmist begins: “I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly”. This is a public, corporate confession.
Being in the “council of the upright” doesn’t mean you are always at the top of your spiritual game. We are counted as upright because of the work of Jesus. Wisdom starts with this public acknowledgment: He is my God. We aren’t praising some generic, ill-defined “god” of moralism. We are praising Yahweh—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God who brought His people out of bondage in Egypt and saved them through His Son, Jesus Christ.
2. Delighting in His Works
“Greater the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them”. If we are God’s people, the story of the Bible is not just an ancient text or mythology—it is our history.
When we read about Creation, Noah, or the Exodus, we are reading our family history. God’s mighty works culminate in the person and work of Jesus, where our sins are washed away. We delight in these works by remembering them. Just as you might reminisce about a family Christmas, God wants us to recall His faithfulness in our own lives—how He drew us to Himself, perhaps through a neighbor, a chapel message, or even through a crisis.
The story of God’s people is not a straight line of perfection. It is a story of God’s faithfulness in spite of human failure—from Noah and Abraham to David and Moses. God is always working to redeem His people and reconcile all things to Himself.
3. Trusting in His Will
“The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy”. Precepts describe the totality of God’s will.
God’s laws are not just a list of “dos and don’ts.” They are a revelation of who He is and how He has set the world to function. When God calls us to obedience, it is for our ultimate good and for right relationship with Him. When we view the law only as a weight of consequences, we are crushed by our inability to keep it. But in the context of a covenant relationship, the law is God saying, “I have saved you; now here is what is best for you”.
4. Living in the Fear of the Lord
Again, the fear of the Lord is a blessing, not a hardship. It means we don’t have to hide; we can come before Him as children because He has worked for our good and provided our redemption. Wisdom grows when we stop trying to worship and trust ourselves and instead place our trust in the person of Yahweh.

Conclusion

As you seek wisdom, remember it is rooted in the person of Yahweh. Be who you are in Christ: love His commandments and delight in His works. If you fail, know that God is not rejecting you. You are His child. Follow Him, because He loved you first.

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