Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:6)
In Hebrew, the words “goodness” and “mercy” are טוב tov and חסד chesed respectively. The first of these words, tov, denotes things that function as they were intended; in other words, things that are in their proper place performing as they were designed. And so, David was hopeful that the things which pursued him in life would be proper, orderly and indicative of life as God intended it to be and not the chaos that defines the lives of far too many people. Let’s face it, so much of life is having to worry about sickness, financial woes, mistreatment at the hands of others, and just the general disfunction present in this world. To live a life abundant in order, prosperity and, let’s not forget chesed — a word that means kindness, consideration as well as mercy — is one that we should all aspire to attain.
While these blessings can be manifested in tangible ways, I’m sure that David had more in mind than just the material benefits goodness and mercy can bring. By that I mean, to be the recipient of God’s goodness and mercy far outweighs anything man can do for us. Furthermore, I’m confident David understood that the person who hoped to receive God’s goodness and mercy needed to sow goodness and mercy into the lives of others.
Look at this way: that which David wanted to pursue him was the reward given to those who pursued these Godly attributes in their day to day life. Those who walk in obedience to God should expect God’s blessing to overtake them: as it is written, “These blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 28:2).
The ultimate reward for those who have made a commitment to serve the Living God is to be allowed “to dwell” (also rendered “rest”) in His Presence. The Hebrew phrase translated “forever” literally means “length of days.” So on one hand, David was hopeful that for the remainder of his life, he would be allowed to rest in God’s Presence. However, he might also be expressing his expectation that he, along with all who are faithful to the LORD, will dwell in God’s Presence in the Kingdom of Heaven.
What we presently enjoy in regards to the blessings of the LORD cannot be compared to what we will experience in the Kingdom. As Paul said, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Still, even as we long for that day, may it be that our present existence is characterized by God’s abundant goodness and mercy upon our lives and of our loved ones.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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