Righteous Consequences

Scripture Passage: Psalm 112

A man was on his way home from a deacon's meeting and found himself behind one of "those" drivers - you know, the ones who drive sooo slooooooowly. They drive slow for no apparent reason. The man honked at the car and flashed his lights repeatedly to no avail. As they stopped at a traffic light, the deacon hopped out of the car and went to the slow driver's window to give him a good tongue-lashing.

What he didn't notice was the police officer listening from behind. To his amazement, the police officer arrested him, handcuffed him, and drove him to the police station to be booked. The deacon loudly proclaimed his innocence of any wrongdoing and complained loudly about the other driver. Nevertheless, he was fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a community holding cell.

After about an hour, the officer came out and told the man he was being released. "I'm sorry, sir," he said. "I didn't mean to delay you. But when I heard what you said to the other driver and saw your "Honk if you love Jesus" bumper sticker and the cross and fish symbols on your back window, I assumed the car must have been stolen." ¹

Q: Would you say this deacon was living the "good life?"

Perhaps he had forgotten what the good life is for one who loves the LORD Jesus.

Q: Was he making wise choices as we discussed last week in our study of Psalm 1?

Most definitely NOT!

Q: Were the results of his actions to verbally condemn the slow driver what he thought they would be?

No - perhaps he was looking for an apology from the slow driver.
No - perhaps he wanted to relieve himself of the anger he felt.
His actions accomplished neither of these.

When we make unwise choices - unrighteous choices - we find such unintended consequences. The bad consequences of unrighteous living can be with you for many years, sometimes the rest of your life.

Q: Does righteous living (marked by wise choices) then have good consequences for us?

Yes - the Bible is clear about this point. There is a principle in the Bible regarding "reaping what you sow."

7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8, NIV)

Pastor Charles Stanley put it this way: "You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow." ²
We often think of this in terms of the negative consequences. But it applies equally well to the positive consequences.

Our study today in Psalm 112 looks at both some characteristics of righteous living (wise choices), and the tremendously good consequences.

1 Praise the LORD.
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who finds great delight in his commands.

2 His children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.

4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.

5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,
who conducts his affairs with justice.

6 Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.

7 He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn will be lifted high in honor.

10 The wicked man will see and be vexed,
he will gnash his teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

(Psalm 112:1-10, NIV)

As we go through Psalm112, let's consider on one hand the character of the righteous person and on the other hand the consequences of righteous living.

Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. (Psalm 112:1, NIV)

Q: What is the character of the righteous person here?

Praise to the LORD who created all things. His praise is given without condition and without regard for circumstance.
Fear of the LORD - that is, great reverence and awe and love for Him. This "fear" gives God first place in this person's life.
Finds great delight in His commands - studies the word of God and looks forward to learning more. The righteous person has never "arrived" but is always straining to grow.

Q: What are the consequences of righteous living from verse 1?

Blessed - supremely happy or joy that lasts.

Q: Is happiness a legitimate pursuit in life?

Certainly we all have a desire to be happy.
It would not be legitimate to pursue happiness by any means.

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18, NIV)

Happiness is a byproduct of a life well-lived - by one who fears and loves the LORD and studies His word in order to know and love the LORD even more.

His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. (Psalm 112:2, NIV)

Q: What is the character of the righteous person here?

The righteous person is a family man or woman.
General command to humanity: "Be fruitful and increase in number" (Genesis 1:28, NIV)
Individual couples have a choice to make whether or not to try and have children. Not all couples have a choice in actually having children.
Not having children is not necessarily an unrighteous choice. However, the righteous person never thinks "I don't want to bring children into the world as bad as it is."
In following the LORD Jesus there is hope even in a dark world.

Q: What are the consequences of righteous living from verse 2?

Children who make a difference in the world.
Blessings to the world as a result of righteous living by the righteous man or woman.
In a few weeks we will see on television a movie called "It's a Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart for about the millionth time. Yet the message is particularly relevant here - your life matters.
Your life matters to God and it matters to this world. A whole generation of people can be blessed by the righteous life you lead.

Q: What are some ways that your righteous choices in life make a difference to your community?

Neighbors that do not live in fear that you will hurt them.
Neighbors that find help from your when they need it.
Neighbors that hear the good news of Jesus Christ and find forgiveness and eternal life.

Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. (Psalm 112:3, NIV)

Q: What is the character of the righteous person here?

A reputation for right living.

Q: Do you think your friends would call you a "righteous" person?

I hope so. More importantly I hope God would call you a "righteous" person like He did with Job:

[After Satan confronted the LORD] ... Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." (Job 1:8, NIV)

Q: What are the consequences of righteous living from verse 3?

A house.
Wealth and riches.

Q: Does this mean that if you live a righteous life, you are guaranteed to become wealthy?

Only as a Jew living by faith under the Mosaic Law (Old Covenant) in the land of Israel. The Christian living today under the New Covenant of Christ does not have this guarantee.
Remember also that in the biblical times, you were wealthy if you had a house and there was more than a day's supply of food in it.
Remember also that while the Old Covenant contained material blessings from the LORD (Deuteronomy 8, esp. vv 1, 9, 18), the New Covenant contains even better blessings - eternal, spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3).

A bible commentator named Beecher tells this story:

I heard a good man say once, as we passed the home of a millionaire, "It, doesn't seem right that such a man as he is should be rolling in wealth, while I have to work hard for my daily bread." I made no reply. But when we reached the home of the grumbler, and a troop of rosy children ran out to meet us, I caught one in my arms, and, holding him up, said, "John, how much will you take for this boy?" And he answered, while the moisture gathered in his eyes, "That boy, my namesake! I wouldn't sell him for his weight in gold." "Why, John, he weighs forty pounds at least, and forty pounds of gold would make you many times a millionaire. And you would probably ask as much for each of the others. So, according to your own admission, you are immensely rich. Yes, a great deal richer than that cold, selfish, childless millionaire whom you were envying as we came along. Nothing would tempt you to change places with him. Then you ought to be grateful instead of grumbling. You are the favorite of fortune, or, rather, of Providence, and not he." ³

We need to be thankful for the riches we have in an eternal, loving relationship with the LORD Jesus.

Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. (Psalm 112:4, NIV)

Q: What is the character of the righteous person here?

Gracious - treats every person as though they are the most important person on Earth.
Compassionate - from the Hebrew word "racham" (raw-kham')which means to be merciful and have pity toward others. It is the chief component of God's love that triggered His redemptive plan of salvation.
Upright - the word means "straight" either literally or figuratively. In this verse, it is figurative for righteous living.
And again ... righteous. The word used here has origins in Aramaic that speak of a king or priest's loyalty to the god he serves. So "righteous" in the sense of being loyal to God.

Q: What are the consequences of righteous living from verse 4?

Even during the most difficult times in our lives, we find hope and peace and even joy in the LORD.
I can say with personal experience that this is indeed the case. My wife and I went through some incredibly dark days with both of our children. And yet, the LORD was there with me through it all. Like the hope and peace that morning light brings to each day, the LORD shined His light into the darkness of my soul. He carried me through the darkness. His light always dawns for the righteous.

Are these not tremendously encouraging verses? If you follow the LORD Jesus, you can expect all these great consequences.

Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,
who conducts his affairs with justice. (Psalm 112:5, NIV)

Q: What is the character of the righteous person here?

Generosity - a willingness to give to others from what God has given you, even sacrificially if needed.
Lends freely - a willingness to provide for the needs of others without expecting anything in return.
Verse 9 also echoes this trait of generosity:

9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor. (Psalm 112:9, NIV)

Just - different from being fair. Fair treats everyone exactly the same. Just treats everyone according to their own specific needs and circumstances. If God was only fair, He would have wiped out humanity because of sin and started over. Since God was just, He chose to redeem us from sin and offer that salvation to every single person. At the same time, He does not force that salvation on every person. He is just.

Q: Are you just in conducting your own affairs in life?

Think about how you deal with people when there is a problem - do you immediately think or express bad thoughts as though the other person is trying to rip you off? This is not just.
Are you favoring one child over another or one parent over another? This is not just.

Q: What are the consequences of righteous living from verse 5?

Good will come to the righteous person who is generous and just.
"Wait a minute," you might say. "I did some good things for my spouse and yet I didn't get anything good in return!"
Did you do the good things in order to get something good in return? That is not what this verse is saying at all.
Righteous living results in generosity to others without expecting anything in return. Why? Because the LORD has been so exceedingly, abundantly generous to you when you did not even deserve it.

9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:9-10, NIV)

You will reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow. Always remember that in the most positive light of righteous living.

Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. (Psalm 112:6-7, NIV)

Q: What is the character of the righteous person here?

Stability throughout the storms of life.
Trusting in the LORD when life makes no sense.

Q: What are the consequences of righteous living from verse 6?

A good name that will be remembered by others long after you are gone.
Have you ever heard of someone who passed away and the first thing that everyone says, "That was a good man" or "That was a good woman"? This is what verse 6 means.
Simply enduring difficulties with faith, hope, and love makes a lasting impression on the people that know you.

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. (Proverbs 22:1, NIV)

8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes ... 10 The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing. (Psalm 112:8,10, NIV)

Q: What is the character of the righteous person here?

No fear.
Confidence that in the end, God wins.
Since he is a righteous person (by faith in the LORD Jesus) living a righteous life, he knows that he is on the winning side.
Resting in the love of God, there is no fear.

Q: What are the consequences of righteous living from verse 8?

The righteous people who have put their faith and trust in the LORD Jesus will one day see all the enemies of God vanquished.
We will see justice carried out literally and we will be glad in it and praising the LORD for it.

Nobody gets away with anything in this world. God takes note of it. Evil will not prosper. Wicked people will not slip by or talk their way out of the awesome judgment of God.

Conclusion

Righteous living requires wise choices that often seem to limit our options and pleasures in this world. Yet the consequences of a righteous life - a life well-lived - are beyond compare.

Whenever I am tempted to take a short-cut to happiness (that is, to sin) - wondering is it really worth it to live a righteous life - I find it helpful to bring to mind this verse from the Bible:

No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. (Psalm 84:11, NIV)

End Notes