How is God full of compassion (Psalm 112:4)?

Next, as in the last psalm the two-fold character of light and love is seen in Jehovah, so here this is seen in the one who walks in His way. "Wealth and riches shall be in his house; and his righteousness endureth for ever." Amid a dark world light arises for the upright; and the only upright one is he that is "gracious and merciful" as well as "righteous." Indeed our Lord has fully shown us in the parable of the thankless servant (Matt. 19) that for those who are debtors to mercy not to show it is not even righteous.

Psalm 112. I leave aside, of course, the promises of temporal blessing, which apply directly to the Jewish people and system. These latter psalms refer especially to them, because blessing is just come in by judgment, but some principles are worthy of note - the wisdom of acting in obedience through the path of trial is specially insisted on in these psalms. Much was there (there always is) to say that faithfulness was folly and ruin. God warns them, and in that is the path of wisdom. It lasts in its effects when the wicked disappear. The generation of the upright will be blessed. His righteousness endures for ever. No doubt darkness seems to shut him in, but light arises for him even there. We must learn to trust to God: blessing is sure to the obedient. But thus walking with God, peace of heart and the sense of goodness make him gracious and full of compassion towards others - upright too, with them. Self-seeking is not his governing principle. He shews favour, is liberal in heart, nor is there rashness of self-will. He carries out and carries through his matters in the fear of God, with soundness of mind; he does not use lightness, that his yea should be nay. Guided by God in going into them, he carries through his path to the end, because it is God's will, and with the strength and steadiness that the consciousness of doing it gives. And this is of importance in the path of the saints as a testimony that God is there, and His mind the guide of our path. He abides - he that does God's will does so.

And now there follow other three Psalms, each beginning — and how suitably after that which we have seen! — with "Hallelujah." The third (113) ends with the same two Hebrew words, Hallelujah. This marks them off as a little series by themselves. Jehovah espousing the cause of the afflicted one in Ps. 110, it is quite in keeping with that to learn of the character of our God. So to this we are to be turned in Ps. 111. In Ps. 19 we have learnt how God can be known — viz. by his works in creation, and also by His word in revelation. In Ps. 36 we have had the wicked man in his ways contrasted with those of Jehovah. Now in Ps. 111 we read of Jehovah evidencing what He is. His character is thus set before us. This is followed by Ps. 112, which treats of the ways and the character of the saint, illustrating thereby in a very interesting manner what it is to be a partaker of the Divine nature, even that of which Peter makes mention (2 Peter 1:4). Does Jehovah's righteousness endure for ever (111:3)? So will that of the godly one (112:3). Is Jehovah gracious, and full of compassion (111:4)? The same is predicated of the saint (112:4). Has Jehovah sent redemption to His people (111:9)? The righteous one has dispersed, having given to the needy (112:9). And so on. What then should follow the declaration of Jehovah's ways but praise in accordance with the prediction by Malachi (1:11), now at length about to be fulfilled (Ps. 113:3).

In Psalm 111 the twofold character of the Lord has been seen (vv. 3-4), now similarly such character is seen in the man who fears the Lord. Wealth and riches shall be in his house because of his righteous character which is as light arising in darkness (v. 4). In the present day of grace, we are not promised wealth and riches (except spiritually), but the godly are promised this in the millennium.

These three Psalms go together, and I know nothing more instructive than the comparison of this and the other (former) one; all three are "Hallelujah" - the first, o-deh Jehovah (I will give thanks to Jehovah) - the second ash-re-ish (O the blessings of the man) - the third hal'lu av'de Jehovah (Praise ye, ye servants of Jehovah) hal'lu eth shem Jehovah (Praise ye the name of Jehovah) i.e., the third being under and in the blessings of the second, by virtue of what Jehovah is in the first as in those blessings, the servant of Jehovah praises His Name so known in them. The person spoken of in this Psalm 112) is one then who, through or without reference to circumstances, fears the Lord - that constitutes his character and he delights exceedingly in His commandments. But this, while taken abstractedly true, has its trial and accomplishment in the evil day; he who is so shall be not only blessed himself, but his seed shall be gibbor (powerful) in the earth - they shall be the great ones "Princes in all lands" - the generation, company, class of the upright ones shall be blessed. Darkness he may be and will be in - is proud in it - the darkness even of Antichrist, for it is of the Jew, yea and worse apparently, after even the indignation, but light ariseth up to him.

God's path is narrow and difficult, but if everyone who is anxious for the glory of God and to bear a faithful testimony in these days of darkness, would only begin to separate himself from everything that either is not authorized by, or is condemned by the Word of God, he would soon find that "unto the upright there arises light in the darkness" (Ps. 112:4). Thus, seeking to do God's will, he would know if the doctrine was of God (John 7:17), and would be guided in the power of the Holy Spirit into all truth (John 16:13).

This reminds me of a christian lady, of whom I once read, who had long tried to make her peace with God dependent upon her feelings. She was upright in all her endeavours but felt all the more miserable. But "unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness," and their "end is peace." One night she dreamt that she was rolling down a steep hill towards a deep precipice. In her distress she caught hold of a small projecting branch at the mouth of the pit, and cried, "Lord Jesus, save me!" A voice from the deep answered her, "Let go the twig." "Why, it is my only support to keep me from falling." Again she cried with a louder voice, "Lord Jesus, save me!" The same voice again answered, "Let go the twig.

The blessing contemplated in the psalm is of an earthly and Jewish order, rather than the heavenly blessing of the Christian. However, whether for the earthly or heavenly saint, the practical enjoyment of either blessing springs from a life lived in the fear of God.

Verse 4 is full of sweetest power. He has not only wrought the work; He has also established its memorial. And what is this memorial? Rather may it be asked, What single member of redeemed creation, whether in heaven or on earth, will not be such in that day of joy? There is, indeed, a memorial of another sort. The power of His anger will be had in everlasting remembrance (Rev. 14:11; 19:3). Judgment as well as mercy will abide in their results for ever, to the praise of His glory who is both a Saviour and a Judge. In the present passage, however, it is the power of redeeming mercy that is more distinctly celebrated. And so the latter clause of the verse is an applausive echo of the gospel: "The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion."