Psalm 111:2
Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.
Great are the works of the LORD
The phrase "Great are the works of the LORD" immediately draws our attention to the magnitude and majesty of God's actions throughout history. The Hebrew word for "great" is "gadol," which conveys not only size but also importance and significance. This word is often used in the Old Testament to describe God's mighty acts, such as the creation of the world and the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. The "works" (Hebrew: "ma'aseh") of the LORD encompass all His deeds, both in creation and in His ongoing providence and governance of the world. These works are not only powerful but also purposeful, reflecting God's character and His plan for humanity. The use of "LORD" (Hebrew: "YHWH") emphasizes the covenantal relationship God has with His people, reminding us that His works are expressions of His faithfulness and love.

They are pondered by all who delight in them
The phrase "They are pondered by all who delight in them" speaks to the response of the faithful to God's works. The Hebrew word for "pondered" is "darash," which means to seek, inquire, or study diligently. This suggests an active engagement with God's works, not just a passive acknowledgment. Those who "delight" (Hebrew: "chaphets") in them find joy and satisfaction in contemplating God's actions and their implications. This delight is not superficial but is rooted in a deep appreciation and love for God's character and His deeds. The phrase implies that true wisdom and understanding come from meditating on God's works, leading to a life of worship and obedience. This is a call to believers to continually seek to understand and appreciate the depth and breadth of God's actions in the world, recognizing that they reveal His glory and His purposes for creation.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The central figure in this verse, representing the God of Israel, whose works are being praised.

2. The Psalmist
The author of Psalm 111, traditionally attributed to King David, who is expressing admiration for God's works.

3. The Works of the LORD
Refers to the acts of creation, providence, and redemption that God has performed throughout history.

4. The Delighters
Those who take pleasure in and meditate on the works of the LORD, seeking to understand and appreciate them.
Teaching Points
The Magnitude of God's Works
God's works are described as "great," indicating their vastness, complexity, and significance. Believers are encouraged to recognize and appreciate the magnitude of what God has done and continues to do.

The Call to Ponder
The Hebrew word for "pondered" (darash) implies seeking, inquiring, and studying. Christians are called to actively engage with God's works, seeking deeper understanding and insight.

Delight in the Divine
Those who delight in God's works are characterized by a joyful and eager attitude towards learning about and experiencing God's actions. This delight leads to a deeper relationship with God.

Reflecting on Creation and Redemption
God's works encompass both creation and redemption. Believers should reflect on how God's creative power and redemptive love are evident in their lives and the world around them.

Encouragement to Share
As believers ponder and delight in God's works, they are encouraged to share their insights and experiences with others, fostering a community of faith and wonder.
Bible Study Questions
1. What specific works of the LORD in your life or in the world around you do you find most awe-inspiring, and why?

2. How can you incorporate the practice of pondering God's works into your daily routine?

3. In what ways does delighting in God's works enhance your relationship with Him?

4. How do the creation accounts in Genesis and the descriptions of God's power in Job deepen your understanding of Psalm 111:2?

5. How can you share your reflections on God's works with others to encourage and build up the body of Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 1
The creation account, which exemplifies the "great works of the LORD" as He creates the heavens and the earth.

Psalm 19:1
This verse speaks of the heavens declaring the glory of God, connecting to the idea of God's works being evident and worthy of contemplation.

Romans 1:20
Paul discusses how God's invisible qualities and divine nature are understood through His creation, aligning with the theme of pondering God's works.

Job 37-38
These chapters highlight God's mighty works in nature, prompting reflection and awe, similar to the sentiment in Psalm 111:2.
Good Will Towards God Guiding the Search for GodR. Tuck Psalm 111:2
New Interest in God's WorksJohn Hunter, D.D.Psalm 111:2
On Seeking Out the Worlds of the Lord and Praising HimJ. Slade, M. A.Psalm 111:2
The Greatness of the Works of GodS. Summers.Psalm 111:2
The Order and Beauty of the Visible CreationS. Bourn.Psalm 111:2
The Works of the LordG. J. Zollikofer, D.D.Psalm 111:2
The Worlds of God, in Nature, Providence, and GraceH. F. Fell, M.A.Psalm 111:2
HallelujahJ. Irons.Psalm 111:1-10
The Highest Work of Mankind -- Praising GodHomilistPsalm 111:1-10
The Works of the LordS. Conway Psalm 111:1-10
The Works of the LordC. Short Psalm 111:1-10
Whole-Hearted PraiseHomiletic ReviewPsalm 111:1-10
People
Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Delight, Desiring, Pleasure, Pondered, Searched, Sought, Studied, Therein, Works
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 111:2

     5874   happiness
     5918   pleasure
     8662   meditation
     8674   study

Psalm 111:1-10

     8660   magnifying God

Psalm 111:2-9

     6688   mercy, demonstration of God's

Library
God and the Godly
'His righteousness endureth for ever.'--PSALMS cxi. 3; cxii. 3. These two psalms are obviously intended as a pair. They are identical in number of verses and in structure, both being acrostic, that is to say, the first clause of each commences with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the second clause with the second, and so on. The general idea that runs through them is the likeness of the godly man to God. That resemblance comes very markedly to the surface at several points in the psalms,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

December the Tenth the Only Wise Beginning
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." --PSALM cxi. If I want to do anything wisely I must begin with God. That is the very alphabet of the matter. Every other beginning is a perverse beginning, and it will end in sure disaster. "I am Alpha." Everything must take its rise in Him, or it will plunge from folly into folly, and culminate in confusion. If I would be wise in my daily business I must begin all my affairs in God. My career itself must be chosen in His presence, and in the
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Third Commandment
"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain." I was greatly amazed not long ago in talking to a man who thought he was a Christian, to find that once in a while, when he got angry, he would swear. I said: "My friend, I don't see how you can tear down with one hand what you are trying to build up with the other. I don't see how you can profess to be a child of God and let those words come out of your lips." He replied:
Dwight L. Moody—Weighed and Wanting

The Ordinance of Covenanting
THE ORDINANCE OF COVENANTING. BY JOHN CUNNINGHAM, A.M. "HE HATH COMMANDED HIS COVENANT FOR EVER." Ps. cxi. 9. "THOUGH IT BE BUT A MAN'S COVENANT, YET IF IT BE CONFIRMED, NO MAN DISANNULETH, OR ADDETH THERETO." Gal. iii. 15. GLASGOW:--WILLIAM MARSHALL. SOLD ALSO BY JOHN KEITH. EDINBURGH:--THOMAS NELSON AND JOHN JOHNSTONE. LONDON:--HAMILTON, ADAMS, & CO. MANCHESTER:-GALT & ANDERSON. BELFAST:--WILLIAM POLLOCK. TO THE REVEREND ANDREW SYMINGTON, D.D., PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY IN THE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Covenanting a Duty.
The exercise of Covenanting with God is enjoined by Him as the Supreme Moral Governor of all. That his Covenant should be acceded to, by men in every age and condition, is ordained as a law, sanctioned by his high authority,--recorded in his law of perpetual moral obligation on men, as a statute decreed by him, and in virtue of his underived sovereignty, promulgated by his command. "He hath commanded his covenant for ever."[171] The exercise is inculcated according to the will of God, as King and
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Holiness of God
The next attribute is God's holiness. Exod 15:51. Glorious in holiness.' Holiness is the most sparkling jewel of his crown; it is the name by which God is known. Psa 111:1. Holy and reverend is his name.' He is the holy One.' Job 6:60. Seraphims cry, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.' Isa 6:6. His power makes him mighty, his holiness makes him glorious. God's holiness consists in his perfect love of righteousness, and abhorrence of evil. Of purer eyes than
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Covenanting Adapted to the Moral Constitution of Man.
The law of God originates in his nature, but the attributes of his creatures are due to his sovereignty. The former is, accordingly, to be viewed as necessarily obligatory on the moral subjects of his government, and the latter--which are all consistent with the holiness of the Divine nature, are to be considered as called into exercise according to his appointment. Hence, also, the law of God is independent of his creatures, though made known on their account; but the operation of their attributes
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Morning Light
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. O ne strong internal proof that the Bible is a divine revelation, may be drawn from the subject matter; and particularly that it is the book, and the only book, that teaches us to
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Josiah, a Pattern for the Ignorant.
"Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place."--2 Kings
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

A Canticle of Love
It is not only when He is about to send me some trial that Our Lord gives me warning and awakens my desire for it. For years I had cherished a longing which seemed impossible of realisation--to have a brother a Priest. I often used to think that if my little brothers had not gone to Heaven, I should have had the happiness of seeing them at the Altar. I greatly regretted being deprived of this joy. Yet God went beyond my dream; I only asked for one brother who would remember me each day at the Holy
Therese Martin (of Lisieux)—The Story of a Soul

Covenanting According to the Purposes of God.
Since every revealed purpose of God, implying that obedience to his law will be given, is a demand of that obedience, the announcement of his Covenant, as in his sovereignty decreed, claims, not less effectively than an explicit law, the fulfilment of its duties. A representation of a system of things pre-determined in order that the obligations of the Covenant might be discharged; various exhibitions of the Covenant as ordained; and a description of the children of the Covenant as predestinated
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Period ii. The Church from the Permanent Division of the Empire Until the Collapse of the Western Empire and the First Schism Between the East and the West, or Until About A. D. 500
In the second period of the history of the Church under the Christian Empire, the Church, although existing in two divisions of the Empire and experiencing very different political fortunes, may still be regarded as forming a whole. The theological controversies distracting the Church, although different in the two halves of the Graeco-Roman world, were felt to some extent in both divisions of the Empire and not merely in the one in which they were principally fought out; and in the condemnation
Joseph Cullen Ayer Jr., Ph.D.—A Source Book for Ancient Church History

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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