#1 Holy Wit – Bible Study The Beginning of Wisdom (WW – Wisdom and Worship – Psalm 111) - Scripture Reading (NKJV): Psalm 111:1 Praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. Psalm 111:2 The works of the LORD are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them. Psalm 111:3 His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever. Psalm 111:4 He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and full of compassion. Psalm 111:5 He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant. Psalm 111:6 He has declared to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations. Psalm 111:7 The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. Psalm 111:8 They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. Psalm 111:9 He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name. Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever. Psalm 111 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+111&version=NKJV 1. Wisdom Begins with Reverence, Not Intelligence Modern people often speak of wisdom as though it were mainly a matter of information, education, or experience. Scripture does not begin there. Psalm 111 tells us plainly that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. Not panic. Not superstition. Reverence. Awe. Holy regard for the God who made us and sustains us. A person may possess degrees, vocabulary, and impressive opinions while still being spiritually foolish. Meanwhile another person, perhaps simple in the eyes of the world, may possess genuine wisdom because he rightly understands who God is and who he himself is before God. The Psalms repeatedly remind us that the universe does not revolve around human cleverness. It revolves around the Lord. Psalm 111:10 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+111%3A10&version=NKJV Psalm 14:1 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+14%3A1&version=NKJV 2. Praise Is One of the Habits of Wise People Psalm 111 opens not with analysis, but with praise. “Praise the LORD!” The psalmist does not ease into worship cautiously like a man testing bathwater with his toe. He begins there immediately. This is important because many Christians quietly treat praise as optional decoration around the edges of the Christian life. Something reserved for church services, holidays, or moments when life happens to be going particularly well. But Scripture presents praise as a regular discipline of spiritually healthy people. Wise people develop the habit of deliberately remembering and speaking about the goodness of God. They train their hearts to acknowledge His faithfulness instead of allowing anxiety, irritation, and complaint to dominate every conversation. Psalm 111 does not portray praise as emotional excess. It portrays praise as clarity. Psalm 111:1 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+111%3A1&version=NKJV Psalm 92:1–2 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+92%3A1-2&version=NKJV 3. Wise People Study the Works of God “The works of the LORD are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them.” That word “studied” matters. The psalmist does not describe shallow religious sentiment. He describes thoughtful attention. Wise believers pay attention to what God has done. They observe His faithfulness in Scripture, in history, in providence, and in their own lives. Foolishness drifts into forgetfulness very easily. Human beings have a remarkable ability to panic on Tuesday about needs God already faithfully met on Monday. We can stand in answered prayers while worrying that perhaps the Lord has suddenly retired from managing the universe sometime after breakfast. So the Psalms repeatedly call us to remember. Praise helps memory. Memory strengthens faith. Faith deepens reverence. Reverence grows wisdom. Psalm 111:2 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+111%3A2&version=NKJV Psalm 77:11–12 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+77%3A11-12&version=NKJV 4. The Fear of the Lord Changes How We Live Psalm 111 does not leave wisdom floating in abstraction. The psalm ends by connecting wisdom with obedience: “A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.” Biblical wisdom is not merely admired. It is practiced. A man who speaks eloquently about theology while living in continual rebellion against God is not wise in the biblical sense. Wisdom shows up in conduct. In repentance. In speech. In priorities. In worship. In how a person responds when nobody is applauding. The fear of the Lord produces stability because it places life upon the right foundation. Reverence reorders the heart. The world teaches people to begin with self. Scripture teaches us to begin with God. Psalm 111:10 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+111%3A10&version=NKJV Psalm 128:1 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+128%3A1&version=NKJV 5. His Praise Endures Forever Psalm 111 begins with praise and ends with praise. That is not accidental. The psalmist understands something modern people frequently forget: human beings become shaped by whatever continually occupies their attention. A life dominated by outrage, envy, fear, and complaint slowly takes on the character of those things. A life regularly occupied with the greatness of God becomes steadier, calmer, humbler, and wiser. This does not mean believers ignore suffering or pretend difficulties are imaginary. The Psalms themselves are full of grief, confusion, and cries for help. But throughout the Psalms there remains a stubborn return to worship. Again and again the writers come back to this truth: God is worthy of praise. And wise people learn to return there too. Psalm 111:10 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+111%3A10&version=NKJV Psalm 145:1–2 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+145%3A1-2&version=NKJV Reflection Questions 1. How does Scripture’s definition of wisdom differ from the world’s definition? 2. Why do you think Psalm 111 begins with praise before speaking about wisdom? 3. What habits currently shape your attention most strongly — praise, worry, distraction, complaint, gratitude, or something else? 4. In what practical ways can you begin cultivating regular praise in your daily life? 5. How does remembering God’s past faithfulness strengthen present trust? Prayer Points 1. Ask God to give you a heart that truly fears and reverences Him. 2. Thank the Lord for His faithfulness, compassion, and enduring righteousness. 3. Ask for help developing a regular habit of praise instead of complaint. 4. Pray for wisdom that expresses itself through obedience and faithful living. 5. Praise God for His works, His covenant faithfulness, and His redemption. For further study (NKJV): Psalm 34:1 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+34%3A1&version=NKJV Psalm 19:7 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+19%3A7&version=NKJV Psalm 145:18–21 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+145%3A18-21&version=NKJV #HolyWitBibleStudy #GordonMcGinnis #WWWisdomAndWorship #Psalm111