Psalms 23:6 - Homiletics

Goodness and mercy.

"Surely goodness," etc. These two words, "goodness and mercy, are to be taken together rather than over-curiously distinguished. Yet they are not mere synonyms. Goodness is the stream, mercy the fountain; goodness the open hand of God's bounty, mercy his loving heart. "Mercy" is not to be taken in the restricted sense in which we often use it, as contrasted with justice—goodness to the unworthy, pardon to the guilty. It is (in the Hebrew) the same word often beautifully Englished as "loving-kindness * ' (e.g. Psalms 107:43 ). "Goodness" reminds us that our nature is a bundle of wants; "mercy," that our deepest, highest need can be satisfied, not by all God's gifts, but only by himself. Faith here employs the great law of experience, and. from the past infers the future. Consider

I. THE WEALTH OF HOPE .

1 . "All the days of my life"—days to come, as in (lays past. The course of thought in this psalm reminds us of a path which, after crossing peaceful plains and narrow gorges, climbs the mountain, and from its top beholds the wide, glorious prospect bathed in sunshine. This is the privilege of faith; only faith can see goodness and mercy in all God's past dealings, and foresee them in all to come; for that varied fitness which is one great feature of God's loving-kindness, implies a great mixture of rough with smooth, dark and bright. The "restoring of the soul" implies wandering, and means chastening as well as forgiveness. The "rod and staff" are needed in the dark valley; the table is spread in the desert and amongst foes. A child can see that a cricket-ball is a globe; but it needed much philosophy to convince men that this great world, which to ordinary vision is fiat, is a globe too. So any eye can see goodness and mercy in health, wealth, prosperity, joy; but in sickness, poverty, bereavement, private or public calamity, we are ready to ask Gideon's question ( 6:13 ). It needs strong faith to be sure that "all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth" ( Psalms 25:10 ). To have David's bold hope, we need David's experience, submission, unreserved trust.

2 . "And I will dwell … for ever." This cannot mean the earthly tabernacle. David could not dwell there; even a priest or Levite could not dwell there "for ever." He means the heavenly temple ( Psalms 11:4 ). How bright or dim his faith was we know not. But for us the way into the holiest is made plain ( Hebrews 9:8 , Hebrews 9:24 ; Hebrews 10:19 , Hebrews 10:20 ).

II. Here is A GLORIOUS EMPHASIS OF CERTAINTY . "Surely;" " all the days;" "I will dwell," or "I shall dwell;" not simply "I choose and desire," but "I expect assuredly to dwell in my Father's house for ever." Beyond the rough, weary, winding path lies rest; beyond the conflict, peace. The mysteries and seeming contradictions of God's dealings, compared with his promises, cannot last long. Faith sees them vanish in the light of eternity. Whence this calm, exulting security? How can one whose life is "a vapour" ( James 4:14 ), standing on a point which crumbles beneath his feet, ignorant what the next hour may bring, thus boldly challenge the hidden future of earthly life, the boundless future beyond? The answer comes from the Divine Shepherd, the faithful Witness—"Because I live, ye shall live also" ( John 14:1-3 , John 14:19 ; John 12:26 ; 2 Corinthians 5:1 ; Romans 8:35-39 ).