Psalm 111:3
Splendid and majestic is His work; His righteousness endures forever.
His work
The phrase "His work" refers to the deeds and actions of God, which encompass all of creation and His ongoing involvement in the world. The Hebrew word for "work" here is "ma'aseh," which implies not just a single act but a continuous series of actions that demonstrate God's power and purpose. In the context of the Psalms, this often points to both the natural world and the redemptive acts of God throughout history. From the creation narrative in Genesis to the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, God's works are a testament to His sovereignty and faithfulness.

is majestic
translates from the Hebrew word "hod," which conveys a sense of splendor and grandeur. This term is often used in the Old Testament to describe the kingly and divine attributes of God. The majesty of God's work is evident in the vastness of the universe, the complexity of life, and the beauty of nature. It also reflects His moral and spiritual authority, which commands reverence and awe. In a historical context, the majesty of God was a source of comfort and strength for the Israelites, reminding them of His ultimate control over all things.

and glorious
comes from the Hebrew word "hadar," which means beauty, honor, or glory. This word is frequently used in the scriptures to describe the visible manifestation of God's presence and His divine attributes. The glory of God's work is not only seen in the physical world but also in His acts of salvation and justice. Throughout the Bible, God's glory is revealed in His interactions with humanity, from the giving of the Law at Sinai to the incarnation of Christ. This glory is a reflection of His perfect character and His desire to be in relationship with His creation.

and His righteousness endures forever
The phrase "and His righteousness" refers to God's moral perfection and His commitment to justice and truth. The Hebrew word "tsedaqah" is used here, which encompasses the idea of rightness, justice, and ethical conduct. God's righteousness is a central theme in the Bible, highlighting His unwavering commitment to what is right and just. It assures believers that God will always act in accordance with His holy nature and that His judgments are fair and true.

endures forever
This phrase emphasizes the eternal nature of God's righteousness. The Hebrew word "olam" is used, which signifies perpetuity and timelessness. Unlike human standards of righteousness, which can change and falter, God's righteousness is constant and unchanging. This assurance of God's eternal righteousness provides hope and stability for believers, knowing that God's promises and His moral order are everlasting. In a world where human justice can be flawed and temporary, the enduring righteousness of God is a foundation for faith and trust.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Psalmist
The author of Psalm 111, traditionally believed to be King David, who composed many psalms as expressions of worship and reflection on God's character and deeds.

2. God
The central figure in this verse, whose works are described as splendid and majestic, and whose righteousness is eternal.

3. Israel
The nation often addressed in the Psalms, experiencing God's works firsthand through history, such as the Exodus and the establishment of the covenant.
Teaching Points
The Splendor of God's Creation
Reflect on the beauty and complexity of the world around us as a testament to God's splendid work. Consider how this should inspire awe and worship in our daily lives.

The Majesty of God's Deeds
Recognize the historical acts of God, such as the deliverance of Israel, as demonstrations of His majestic power. Let these accounts strengthen your faith in God's ability to act in your life today.

The Endurance of God's Righteousness
God's righteousness is unchanging and eternal. Trust in His moral perfection and justice, knowing that His ways are always right and true.

Living in Response to God's Character
As recipients of God's splendid and majestic works, live a life that reflects His righteousness. Seek to embody His values in your interactions with others.

Worship as a Response to God's Majesty
Engage in regular worship, both personally and corporately, as a response to the majesty and splendor of God's works. Let worship be a central part of your spiritual life.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the description of God's work as "splendid and majestic" in Psalm 111:3 influence your understanding of His creation and actions in the world?

2. In what ways can you see the enduring nature of God's righteousness in your own life or in the world around you?

3. How do the historical acts of God, such as those experienced by Israel, encourage you in your current circumstances?

4. What practical steps can you take to reflect God's righteousness in your daily interactions and decisions?

5. How can you incorporate worship into your daily routine as a response to the majesty and splendor of God's works?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 1
The creation account reflects the splendor and majesty of God's work, as He created the heavens and the earth.

Isaiah 6:3
The prophet Isaiah's vision of God's holiness and glory echoes the majesty described in Psalm 111:3.

Revelation 4:11
The heavenly worship scene acknowledges God's worthiness and the enduring nature of His righteousness.
God and the GodlyA. Maclaren, D.D.Psalm 111:3
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
Abideth, Deeds, Endures, Endureth, Forever, Full, Glorious, Glory, Honor, Honorable, Honour, Honourable, Majestic, Majesty, Righteousness, Splendid, Splendour, Standing, Unchanging
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 111:3

     1045   God, glory of
     1090   God, majesty of
     1125   God, righteousness
     1140   God, the eternal

Psalm 111:1-10

     8660   magnifying God

Psalm 111:2-9

     6688   mercy, demonstration of God's

Psalm 111:3-4

     1030   God, compassion
     8608   prayer, and worship

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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