Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. Psalm 112:1
Suggested further reading: James 2:14–26
In the second clause of the verse, the prophet specifies that the fear of God includes delighting greatly in his commandments. The addition of this explanatory clause is quite apparent, for while people boldly condemn the law of God, yet it is also common for them to pretend that they fear God. The prophet refutes such impiety when he acknowledges that no one is a true worshiper of God who does not also endeavor to keep God’s law. The prophet makes a significant distinction between a willing and prompt effort to keep the law, and one that merely consists of servile and constrained obedience.
We must, therefore, cheerfully embrace the law of God in such a manner that our love of it, with all its sweetness, may overcome all allurements of the flesh. Mere attention to the law is fruitless. A person cannot be regarded as a genuine observer of the law unless he truly delights in the law of God and renders obedience that is agreeable to God.
In considering the passage at large, the prophet affirms that the worshippers of God who delight in his Commandments are blessed, thus guarding us against the very dangerous deception that the ungodly practice upon themselves in imagining that they can reap a sort of happiness from doing evil.
— John Calvin
For meditation: Calvin offers a sobering test of our fear of God here: do we truly delight in obeying God’s commands or do we only submit out of mere obligation or duty? Do you esteem His smiles and frowns to be of greater value than the smiles and frowns of people? Do you welcome any means He may employ to urge us on to obedience?