Happy People

Happy People

I originally was going to title this “Light Dawns” because Psalm 112:4 was filled with hope. “Light dawns in the darkness for the upright.” But as I studied Psalm 112, I discovered the psalmist was not only describing what characterizes happiness but who can be happy. Then as I was awake during the night, the title “Happy People” flitted around in my head. As we’ve looked at previously, many people are going through times of darkness. They need the hope of light dawning. As I meditated on what I learned from Psalm 112, I realized that we can be happy people regardless of our dark circumstances.

The word happy might be causing some raised eyebrows. Christians often shy away from it, but let’s read our text and then jump in. If you have an extra minute, read Psalm 111 also as it has several parallels to Psalm 112.

Praise the Lord!

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,

who greatly delights in his commandments!

2 His offspring 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 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;

he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;

who conducts his affairs with justice.

6 For the righteous will never be moved;

he will be remembered forever.

7 He is not afraid of bad news;

his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,

until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever;

his horn is exalted in honor.

10 The wicked man sees it and is angry;

he gnashes his teeth and melts away;

the desire of the wicked will perish! [1]

This Psalm (as does Psalm 111) begins with, “Praise the Lord!” It is fitting before delving into a Biblical description of a happy person that the psalmist directs praise to God. All the blessings we have are God’s grace towards us. Praising God is our grateful response to God for who He is and what He has done. Starting with “Praise the Lord!” puts the rest of the Psalm in perspective.

Today we will study the Psalm, but in particular, we will learn what Biblical happiness includes and who are the happy people (blessed).

“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord…” Blessed is the Hebrew word ashre. There is not any one English word that truly captures the Hebrew word ashre. Happy is another translation (hence our “Happy People” theme). It can also be translated as, “How joyful is the man who fears the Lord.” The Reformation Study Bibleexplains it this way, “to enjoy God’s special favor and grace.” “This same word (ashre). . . in fact, opens the whole book of Psalms, in 1:1. This same expression opens 32:1, 41:1, 119:1–2, and 128:1, and occurs in 13 other psalms as well.[2]

If we look back at Psalm 1:3, we see that ashre is tied to prosperity:

He [the one who delights in the law of the Lord] is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

We still live in a fallen world. Psalm 1:3 and what we will look at in Psalm 112 do not mean that we are immune to the effects of the fallen world. For light to dawn in the darkness (vs 4) means that there is darkness. There is bad news (vs 7). However, in God’s goodness, love, mercy, and grace, He blesses us midst the hard things. He brings us through the hard things. And one day, we will be with Him in glory where there is no darkness, no bad news, no hard things.

In Psalm 112, we observe four areas of prosperity or what Biblical happiness includes (ideas from Mark Futato’s commentary).

1. Our family prospers – “His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed” (vs 2). Proverbs 10:1 states that “a wise son makes a glad father.” I know as a youth leader that it brings me happiness to see our youth kids make wise choices and to grow in their faith and knowledge of God. I imagine this is a fraction of how a parent must feel.

2. Our finances can prosper – “Wealth and riches are in his house” (vs 3a). No, I am not preaching a health and wealth gospel. “We are to enjoy the measure of wealth we have in this life as the gift of God (Eccl 5:19; 1 Tim 6:17).”[3] We adopted my younger brother from Korea when he was about two and half years old. His first birthday with us was an all-new experience for him. He opened his first gift. I don’t remember what it was, but he was wide-eyed. He began playing with his new toy. He loved it. He was happy. Then my Mom tried to take the toy away in order to give him his next present. Big, silent tears welled up in my brother’s eyes. He didn’t understand English yet to hear the explanation. What he knew is that he was happy with what had been given him, that first toy. He didn’t need ten gifts. One blessing had made him happy.

I am also reminded of my first mission trip to Mexico. One of our projects was building a house for a family of five. They were currently living in a structure made of scrap wood with gaps in the walls and ceilings and a dirt floor. The whole “house” was about the size of a small bedroom. There was one bed for all of them, a couple of chairs, and a two-burner hot plate. Our team built a two-room house with a concrete floor, windows, and a tin roof. It was about three times the size of their old house. Our team knew the new house was much better than the old house, but it still wasn’t what we would think of when we think of a home in the States. Yet, the smiles on the family’s faces showed their happiness and gratefulness for God’s blessing.

3. Our emotions prosper – “He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady, he will not be afraid” (vs 7-8). Darkness or bad news doesn’t control us. Instead, they lead us to God. As we grow in our knowledge of who God is (His characteristics or “God is…” truths) and what He has done, fear is displaced by trust in our faithful God. What a source of happiness to rest in God instead of being consumed by fear or worry that toss you about like a stormy sea.

4. Our spiritual life prospers – “and his righteousness endures forever” (vs 3b, 9b). The good news of the Gospel is that we have been forgiven and reconciled to God. We are His beloved children. As His children, we are being conformed day-by-day to the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29) until it is complete (Philippians 1:6). More and more we reflect God which leads us to who is a happy person.

First, those who fear the Lord (vs 1; 111:10) are happy people. It isn’t fear that God will hit the smite button on you. It is a reverent fear at the awesomeness of God. He is amazing. He is holy. He is all-powerful. He loved and redeemed sinners like us at the cost of His own Son’s life. Come let us adore Him!

Second, those who greatly delight in His commandments (vs 1b) are happy people. Delight is a clue. Happy people don’t view reading and obeying God’s Word as drudgery. God’s Word is a delight. Obeying God’s commands are a delight.

God’s commands reflect His character, so happy people delight to reflect God’s character. Some of those ways a happy person reflects God’s character are in Psalms 111 and 112.

Gracious and merciful (vs 111:4; 112:4)

Righteousness that endures forever (vs 111:3; 112:3, 9)

Acting justly (vs 111:7; 112:5)

Giving generously (vs 111:5-6; 112:9)

Remembered forever (vs 111:4; 112:6)

I review that list and think what happiness there is in reflecting God in those ways to others. It is God’s grace and mercy that He uses weak, sinful people like me to reflect Him, but what a humbling privilege if someone sees Jesus in me. That brings us full circle back to the opening in verse 1, “Praise the Lord!” Happy people praise the Lord!

“Light dawns in the darkness” because our God blesses us every day. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Our Father loves and cares for us so much so that He sent His own to die in our place. We are blessed more than we can fathom.

Reflection

1. Are you in a place of darkness or bad news? What from Psalm 112 has encouraged you and helped light to dawn in your darkness and replace your fear with trust in God?

2. Write down at least one way you are a blessed or happy person as you think about your family, finances, emotions, and spiritual life.

3. Sometimes it can be discouraging when we consider how well we are reflecting God’s character. Remember that God is completing His transforming work in you and will complete it. Know that when God looks at you, He sees Jesus’ record of reflecting His Father perfectly. Now, prayerfully look back through the list of God’s characteristics in this Psalm. Talk to God about where you’ve grown and how you can grow more to be like Jesus. Be specific.

For example: Is there a situation where you have been compromising? Not acting with integrity or righteously? Maybe you have a playlist of music that really doesn’t reflect Jesus. You sing the lyrics in public or play them around your kids. Delete the playlist. Create a new playlist that leads you to worship God. Ask Christian friends what music they listen to that builds up and edifies. Do you need to ask forgiveness from someone exposing them to music that glorifies sin instead of God?

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 112:1–10. [2] Mark D. Futato, “The Book of Psalms,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 7: The Book of Psalms, The Book of Proverbs (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2009), 354. [3] Mark D. Futato, “The Book of Psalms,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 7: The Book of Psalms, The Book of Proverbs (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2009), 354.