Psalm Challenge 111

Psalm Challenge 111

This Psalm coincided with my following 11:11 awakening code,
have become more aware when I see it (sequence of "ones").
Have been busy with time off and we went to a concert last night,
almost forgot the weekly challenge.
I borrowed a piece found in the public domain scroll down...below the line is theirs...

This will have to do and after I read it, it really grew on me. meg.
ps. mom did not like the fear factor of religion. she thought it was not God like to instill fear when He/She is said to be a  forgiving God.
drilling down, it is more than fearing God, perhaps...
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Psalm 111:10

EXPOSITION Verse 10. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. It is its first principle, but it is also its head and chief attainment. The word "beginning" in Scripture sometimes means the chief; and true religion is at once the first element of wisdom, and its chief fruit. To know God so as to walk aright before him is the greatest of all the applied sciences. Holy reverence of God leads us to praise him, and this is the point which the psalm drives at, for it is a wise act on the part of a creature towards his Creator. A good understanding have all they that do his commandments. Obedience to God proves that our judgment is sound. Why should he not be obeyed? Does not reason itself claim obedience for the Lord of all? Only a man void of understanding will ever justify rebellion against the holy God. Practical godliness is the test of wisdom. Men may know and be very orthodox, they may talk and be very eloquent, they may speculate and be very profound; but the best proof of their intelligence must be found in their actually doing the will of the Lord. The former part of the psalm taught us the doctrine of God's nature and character, by describing his works: the second part supplies the practical lesson by drawing the inference that to worship and obey him is the dictate of true wisdom. We joyfully own that it is so. His praise endureth for ever. The praises of God will never cease, because his works will always excite adoration, and it will always be the wisdom of men to extol their glorious Lord. Some regard this sentence as referring to those who fear the Lord -- their praise shall endure for ever: and, indeed, it is true that those who lead obedient lives shall obtain honour of the Lord, and commendations which will abide for ever. A word of approbation from the mouth of God will be a mede of honour which will outshine all the decorations which kings and emperors can bestow. Lord, help us to study thy works, and henceforth to breathe out hallelujahs as long as we live. EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS Verse 10 (first clause). In this passage fear is not to be understood as referring to the first or elementary principles of piety, as in 1 John 4:18 , but is comprehensive of all true godliness, or the worship of God. --John Calvin. Verse 10. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, etc. The text shows us the first step to true wisdom, and the test of common sense. It is so frequently repeated, that it may pass for a Scripture maxim, and we may be sure it is of singular importance. Job starts the question, "Where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?" He searches nature through, in quest of it, but cannot find it: he cannot purchase it with the gold of Ophir, and its price is above rubies. At length he recollects the primitive instruction of God to man, and there he finds it: To man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. Job 28:28 . Solomon, the wisest of men, begins his Proverbs with this maxim, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, Proverbs 1:7 . And he repeats it again: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the holy, (the knowledge of those that may be called saints with a sneer), is understanding, Proverbs 9:10 . "The fear of the LORD" in Scripture signifies not only that pious passion or filial reverence of our adorable Father who is in heaven, but it is frequently put for the whole of practical religion; hence it is explained in the last part of the verse by doing his commandments. The fear of the Lord, in this latitude, implies all the graces and all the virtues of Christianity; in short, all that holiness of heart and life which is necessary to the enjoyment of everlasting happiness. So that the sense of the text is this: To practise religion and virtue, to take that way which leads to everlasting happiness, is wisdom, true wisdom, the beginning of wisdom, the first step towards it: unless you begin here you can never attain it; all your wisdom without this does not deserve the name; it is madness and nonsense. To do his commandments is the best test of a good understanding: a good sound understanding have all they that do this, all of them without exception: however weak some of them may be in other things, they are wise in the most important respect; but without this, however cunning they are in other things, they have lost their understandings; they contradict common sense; they are beside themselves. In short, to pursue everlasting happiness as the end, in the way of holiness as the mean, this is "wisdom," this is common sense, and there can be none without this. --Samuel Davies, A.M. (1724-1761), President of Princeton College, New Jersey.