1. ICEL Ron Michener 1 February 2015 Title: Posturing praise and gratefulness in the everydayness of life Scripture: Psalm 111 (NIV)

2. ICEL Psalm 111 (NIV) 1 Praise the L ORD. I will extol the L ORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. 2 Great are the works of the L ORD ; they are pondered by all who delight in them. 3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures for ever. 4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the L ORD is gracious and compassionate. 5 He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant for ever.

3. ICEL Psalm 111 (NIV) 6 He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. 7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. 8 They are established for ever and ever, enacted in faithfulness and uprightness. 9 He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant for ever – holy and awesome is his name. 10 The fear of the L ORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

4. ICEL Introduction It’s a nice Psalm, but is it relevant for me?

5. ICEL Background and context: · Probably post-exilic (after Babylonian captivity) · Begins a sequence of Hallelujah or Praise Psalms (Ps 111-118) · Wisdom hymn – linked closely to Psalm 112 · Hebrew poetry: use of chiasm, parallelism, and alphabetical acrostic

6. ICEL Outline: 1. Praise Yahweh God! 2. Why? His great works and faithful redeeming character 3. Fear Yahweh God and Praise Him!

7. ICEL 1. Praise Yahweh God! 1 Praise the L ORD. I will extol the L ORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

8. ICEL 2. Why? His great works and faithful redeeming character 2 Great are the works of the L ORD ; they are pondered by all who delight in them. 3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures for ever. 4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the L ORD is gracious and compassionate. 5 He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant for ever. 6 He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. 7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. 8 They are established for ever and ever, enacted in faithfulness and uprightness. 9 He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant for ever – holy and awesome is his name.

9. ICEL 3. Fear Yahweh God and Praise Him! 10 The fear of the L ORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

10. ICEL Conclusion: · When things seem hopeless, God remains faithful. · His great works and faithful character are worth remembering, repeating, and practicing by fearing Him in everyday life. · When we show praise and gratefulness to God this will flow through our character into the lives of others.