Psalm 112: "Is Prosperity Theology biblical?"

 This morning, we will read and reflect on Psalm 112. I didn't pick this psalm randomly, but I don't want to say any more until we've worked our way through it. Except, I'll admit that this is going to be a stretch for you, and maybe require you to fundamentally rethink what God wants to do for you. In a good way. Consider yourself warned :) Verse 1: (1) Praise Yah! Blessed is the man who fears/reveres Yahweh. In his commandments he has delighted very much. The psalmist begins by praising Yahweh. "Hallelu Yah!" There are lots, and lots, of reasons to praise God. Here, why does the psalmist call worshippers to praise Yahweh? Why should we praise God? We continue reading, expecting a partial answer to this. But the second line throws us for a loop. We find ourselves transitioning from a call to worship, to talking about how people are blessed when they fear, or revere, Yahweh. And then the follow up line, parallel to the first, talks how the ones who fear Yahweh, delight in Yahweh's commands. So when we read these together, we are supposed to understand that part of what it means, or looks like, to revere Yahweh, is to delight in his commands. When God tells us to do something, we know that this is for our benefit. We know that it's a good thing to obey God, and please Him. It's not a burden to obey. It's a privilege. And what this should tell us is that OT language about "fearing" God needs to be understood in a particular way. If we are living rightly toward God, "fearing" God doesn't mean living in terror of what God will do to us. God is not a harsh taskmaster, difficult to please, or unreasonable, or short-tempered. "Fearing" God, in this context, means something more like "revering" God. We walk, as a people, with a constant awareness of who God is, and what He wants. We are aware that He is with us, that his Holy Spirit dwells in and among us. And everything that we say, and do, and see, we do with an awareness that we are a holy people serving a Holy God. But what does this have to do with praising Yahweh? The answer is found in the idea of blessing. "Blessed is the man who fears/reveres Yahweh." Yahweh showers blessings on people who revere Him, and who delight in God's commands. That's why we praise God, in this psalm. We know how good God is to his people. The psalmist then describes what these blessings include, starting in verse 2. And he's going to keep talking about God's blessings for the entire psalm. Let me just read it as a whole (slowly), to try to overwhelm you with God's blessings, and then we will unpack it: (2) Strong/Warriors in the land, his seed shall be. The generation of the upright shall be blessed. (3) Wealth and riches [are] in his house, while his righteousness endures forever. (4) It rises in the darkness, light, for the upright, the gracious, and compassionate, and righteous [one]. (5) It is well with the man who deals graciously and is lending, he contains his ways with exercising of authority. (6) because, for forever he shall not be shaken/moved, remembered forever, the righteous shall be. (7) Of evil reports he shall not fear, Firm, his heart is, trusting in Yahweh. (8) Established, his heart is, he shall not be afraid until he looks [in triumph] upon his enemies. (9) He has freely given to the poor, his righteousness stands forever. His horn/power shall be exalted in honor/glory. (10) The wicked one shall see, and (then) he shall be angry. His teeth shall gnash, and (then) they shall melt away. The desires of the wicked shall perish. God showers blessings on the ones who revere Him. He gives his people strength, descendants, wealth, light, and victory over their enemies. And it's for this reason that we find ourselves singing, "Praise Yah!" Are you bothered yet? A little worried? Or do you find yourself rejoicing? Let's go through the psalm, verse by verse, and think about each of these things. (2) Strong/Warriors in the land, his seed shall be. The generation of the upright shall be blessed. The first specific blessings the psalmist describes, have to do with your children. If you're a parent, one of your main concerns in life is making sure your children become responsible, prosperous adults. And you can define "prosperous" however you want; I'm not trying to be difficult here. But you watch your children growing up, and you have expectations, and hopes, for how they will turn out. You want your kids to become strong, capable, fully functioning members of society. You want to be able to die, when the time comes, and not worry about them-- to know that you've raised a generation of warriors. The psalmist says, the children of God-fearers shall be strong in the land. They shall be blessed. So the promises we are about to read are not just for you; the blessings are for your children as well. Verse 3: (3) Wealth and riches [are] in his house, while his righteousness endures forever. If you're reading off my translation, you'll notice that the second line here begins with "while." The word order, in Hebrew, is designed to tie these two ideas together. And we have to tie these two ideas together, or we will, literally, mess up everything here. The first line talks about money, right? The ones who revere Yahweh are rich. They have wealth in their house. They have food. They have savings. They aren't broke. They have plenty. The second line, connected to the first, talks about his "righteousness." I've said a million times, and I'll say it a million more, that "righteousness" in the Bible usually has to do with rightly relating to God and to people. You have an obligation to live in a certain way toward God and people. And when you fulfill this obligation, you are righteous. How do these two ideas go together? What does having riches have to do with acting rightly toward God and people? The psalmist will answer this, if we keep reading. But seriously. This is important. You need to keep these two lines together. Verse 4: (4) It rises in the darkness, light, for the upright, the gracious, and compassionate, and righteous [one]. Darkness is a time of evil. Bad things happen at night. And when people's lives are falling apart, and they talk about it, there's a reason they will describe it as a "dark time." Part of how Yahweh blesses people who revere Him, is by giving them light in the darkness. If you walk in the light, you don't stumble; you don't trip; you don't find yourself confronted with an unexpected enemy or disaster. Yahweh is Light, and He gives light. Now, I say all of this, but the emphasis of verse 4 falls on describing the God-fearer in more detail. Who does Yahweh's light shine on? People who live uprightly. People who act with grace toward others. People who show compassion on the needy, and vulnerable. People who are righteous. All of these adjectives are practical. If you see someone who is cold, compassion doesn't mean feeling sorry for them. You show compassion with a blanket. If someone is hungry, you help find them a job, and/or give them something to eat. If someone is being bullied, you stand up for them (Job 29). And in all of this, you are upright-- you are the kind of person that you appear to be. You don't just seem like you care about people, and seem like you help people. You do it. You live with integrity. The psalmist continues, in verse 5: (5) It is well with the man who deals graciously and lends, he contains his ways with justice/exercising of authority. When you see someone in need, you really only have two choices. You can shut your eyes to that person, and their need, or you can really see it. You can live with clenched fists toward the person, hanging on tight to what you have, or you can open you hand, and lend and/or give to them. When you find yourself in this situation, you're going to be tempted to focus on yourself, and not the other person. You're going to ask yourself, "Am I going to be better off if I help them?" Verse 5 says that the answer to this question is "yes." "It is well with the man who deals graciously and lends." The second line in this verse is really interesting, if you enjoy a puzzle. Probably the main feature of Hebrew poetry is its parallelism between lines. When we have parallel lines, we are supposed to read them together, and see how they interact with each other. So this is verse 5, as a whole: (5) It is well with the man who deals graciously and lends, he contains his ways with exercising of authority. One of the marks of the God-fearer is that he sets firm limits for what he will and won't do. There are boundaries to his actions, and he contains his ways within this boundaries. And he does so by exercising authority over them (here, following Goldingay's explanation of "justice"). A lot of times, when people do something stupid, they will say afterward, "I couldn't help myself." The psalmist would have a cow about that. You are the one who decides whether you will do right or wrong. You can contain the limits of what you will and won't do (1 Cor. 9:26-27). And when we read these two lines together, what do we get? The picture we get from "containing our ways," is of boundaries, right? There are things-- bad things-- that we won't do. And so we picture ourselves withdrawing from the edge of wickedness. But pulling back from evil here, means extending an open hand to people in need. "Containing our ways" means overcoming our urge to be selfish, and fearful, and greedy, and give, or lend, generously to people in need. Now, we have to read verses 5-6 together: (5) It is well with the man who deals graciously and lends, he contains his ways with exercising of authority, (6) because, for forever he shall not be shaken/moved, remembered forever, the righteous shall be. Why is it well with the man who deals graciously and lends? Because the one who lives generously toward others will stand firm forever. He will be remembered forever. When you give, or lend, to others, you are maybe going to find yourself worrying about yourself. You worry that you will end up like the person you ought to help. You worry that you will be vulnerable, and fall. The psalmist says, if you give, you won't be shaken forever. And you will be remembered, forever. When you die, and people rise up to speak at the prayer service, people will publicly remember the ways that you helped them when times were hard. People will mourn your passing, and they will remember you as someone who was righteous-- both toward God, and toward people. Verse 7: (7) Of evil reports he shall not fear, Firm his heart is, trusting in Yahweh. The one who fears God, doesn't fear evil reports. When the phone rings, he doesn't worry that something catastrophic has happened to him or his family. He doesn't come home at the end of the day, and worry about what's on the other side of his door. And he doesn't live in constant fear that something terrible will happen. There's no going through life, wondering if the other shoe will drop. Why? How? How can we be freed from fear? The one who fears/reveres Yahweh, understands that God is loyal to his people. God watches out for them. God provides for them, and protects them. If you have truly committed yourself to God-- if you live in reverence toward God-- you have confidence in God. You trust him. You know that God is trustworthy. So, maybe, if you find yourself living in fear, that's a sign to you that you aren't fearing/revering God. Verse 8: (8) Established, his heart is, he shall not be afraid until he looks [in triumph] upon his enemies. People who fear God, don't fear their enemies. And by this, I don't mean people you hate. I mean, people who hate you. Who have it out for you. People who fear God, don't fear the people who hate them. What can they possibly do to you, really? Verse 9: (9) He has freely given to the poor, his righteousness stands forever. His horn/power [is/shall be] exalted in/with honor/glory. Here, again, the psalmist circles back to talking about the way that the God-fearer lives. The one who reveres God gives... how? Freely. The God-fearer doesn't carefully dole out his help. There's no doing the minimum, or of trying to get out of helping this or that person. The God-fearer gives freely, to meet the need. And this type of lifestyle-- this free giving-- is something that goes on forever. At no point in your life, do you close your hand, and stop helping. You live palm up, palm open, forever. And when you live this way, out of reverence for God, you grow in power, and honor (cf. Job 29). Verse 10: (10) The wicked one shall see, and (then) he shall be angry. His teeth shall gnash, and (then) they shall melt away. The desires of the wicked shall perish. What do the wicked desire? The wicked desire all the things that God promises to those who fear Him. The wicked want power. Honor. Wealth. Freedom from fear. But how do the wicked try to get those things? By living with closed fists toward people. And when they live this way, God promises that their desires will be frustrated. Their desires will perish. What actually happens to the wicked, is that they will see you, the one who fears God, and they will see how God has blessed you. They will become angry; they will gnash their teeth in frustration, and then they will melt away. So that's Psalm 112. The question you are maybe wondering, is if this is a psalm that you dare take for yourselves. Are you allowed to read this, and claim it as your own? Or are you supposed to remember that prosperity theology is the boogeyman, tear Psalm 112 out of your Bibles, and run from it? One of the things I've been trying to work on with you, is getting you used to the idea that all Scripture is God-breathed, and that all of it is useful, and helpful, in lots of different ways. You can read the OT, as God's word, and apply it, as God's word. But for some of you, this doesn't work for Psalm 112. You read this, honestly, and you don't think this is for you. You think this was for God's people in the OT, living under the Mosaic covenant. Now, I'll admit to picking Psalm 112, in large part because I have an Ace card. The Apostle Paul, who is kind of a big deal in the NT, uses Psalm 112. Let's turn to 2 Corinthians 9 (really, we should start at chapter 8) (ESV). In this chapter, Paul continues to encourage the Corinthian church to give generously so that they can send help to the church in Jerusalem, which was struggling with a famine: 9 Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, 2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. 4 Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated-to say nothing of you-for being so confident. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction. 6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace (=favor) abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written, "He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." Here, Paul is quoting our psalm, Psalm 112:9. 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul quotes Psalm 112 as Scripture, and he applies Psalm 112 as a promise to the church. If you give generously-- of your own free will, not under compulsion-- God will richly bless you. He will multiply your seed for sowing; He will make all grace abound to you. Let's reread verse 11: "You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way." This is exactly the idea of Psalm 112. The problem with "prosperity theology" or "the prosperity gospel" isn't that the basic idea is wrong. God wants to bless you. God wants to give you wealth, and health (Ps. 103:3), and prosperity. That's all true. The problem with this isn't that it's unbiblical. The problem is that it's usually framed in a way that strips out the context-- that strips out what God wants. Your starting point, as God's people, isn't God's blessings. It's God. You need to live in fear, or reverence, of God. You are people who delight in... what? Psalm 112 started, in verse 1, by saying that the one who reveres God, delights in God's commands. You are happy to obey Him. And what that means, concretely, above almost everything else, is living generously toward others. You lend freely. You give freely. You live palms up, palms open. And at no point in your life, does this change. Your righteousness, toward God and people, endures forever. And it's when you live this way, that God richly blesses you. But He blesses you, so that you can be a blessing to others. The end result is a virtuous cycle-- like Job. So, as we live at a time when millions of people are out of work, and struggling to pay the bills, those of us who are able, should live generously, especially to those within the church. Now is the time to give freely, and lend freely. Now is the time to make sure our brothers and sisters are doing okay (Acts 4:34). And, returning to Psalm 112:1, all of this is one reason why we Hallelu Yah! We praise God, because God is good to his people-- to the ones who live in reverence toward Him. God is the One Who Gives Generously. God is the One Who Protects. God is the One Who Blesses. [And this, I would say, is the baseline for understanding everything else the Bible has to say about prosperity.] --------------------------------------------------- Obviously, there's all kinds of ways we could qualify Psalm 112 (like through Matt. 5; 19:29; Heb. 10:34), and strip it of its truth and power. Wrongly, strip it. And I could also have talked about how part of the reason there's no lack among God's people, is because they freely give to meet need (Acts 4:34). But not every sermon can address every angle, and Psalm 112 is also part of the Bible. ---------------------------------------------- Translation: (1) Praise Yah. Blessed is the man who fears Yahweh. In his commandments he has delighted very much. (2) Strong/Warriors in the land, his seed shall be. The generation of the upright shall be blessed. (3) Wealth and riches [are] in his house, while his righteousness endures forever. (4) It rises in the darkness, light, for the upright, the gracious, and compassionate, and righteous [one]. (5) It is well with the man who deals graciously and is lending, he contains his ways with exercising of authority. (6) Because, for forever he shall not be shaken/moved, remembered forever, the righteous shall be. (7) Of evil reports he shall not fear, Firm his heart is, trusting in Yahweh. (8) Established his heart is, he shall not be afraid until he looks [in triumph] upon his enemies. (9) He has freely given to the poor, his righteousness stands forever. His horn/power shall be exalted in honor/glory. (10) The wicked one shall see, and (then) he shall be angry. His teeth shall gnash, and (then) they shall melt away. The desires of the wicked shall perish. 12