This is week 9 of our Psalm 119 series, we’re looking at verses 65 through 72. Since this psalm is an acrostic from the Hebrew alphabet, this portion of the Psalm represents the ninth letter in the Hebrew alphabet, known as Teth.
In Psalm 119:65-72, the psalmist describes himself as a penitent sinner who gratefully accepts the Lord’s discipline and a passage that affirms the goodness of God, the graciousness of his dealings, and the preciousness of his Word.
It’s interesting to note that in each group of verses in Psalm 119, the psalmist typically uses different words that start with the Hebrew letter for that section. Remember, this psalm is an acrostic.
But this passage is different, each verse that starts with the Hebrew letter, Teth begins with the same word – the word “GOOD” (or “tov”, in Hebrew).
As John Piper points out in his article, How God Teaches the Deep Things of His Word, “This makes us sit up and take notice. Something really good is being emphasized. What is the good he wants us to see?”
Piper has made it clear: “If God and his word are your highest values, your greatest desires, then whatever helps you know them and experience them deeply will be good — not easy, and maybe not even morally right (like slander from your adversaries), but good in the sense that God ordains it to give you what is absolutely best — the illumining effect of God’s infinitely valuable word.”
Oh, how true that is my friend! In my Bible next to verse 71, the verse that says “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.”, I have written, “IT WAS!” with an explanation point!
I have personally lived this passage of Psalms, dear fellow under-shepherd. And, unfortunately, it was the immoral insolent slander from my adversaries that began a five-year journey in my own life of learning just how close one can become with the Father in such an inequitable circumstance. It was difficult to keep God’s commandments during that time and I’m sure I did not do it perfectly. In fact, I’m sure there were days when I did more not keeping His commandments than keeping them.
I leave you this week, with this: “Tov” in this portion of Psalm 119: 65-72, has been translated good, pleasant, beneficial, precious, delightful, and right.
It is imperative that as the Father’s under-shepherds, we live with this in mind: As Wiersbe tells us, “God does what is good because God IS good and because what He does is ‘according to His Word’, and His Word is good. Neither His character nor His Word will ever change, so God is good all the time!”
Fellow under-shepherd, let’s live like we know this truth! Let’s shepherd those entrusted to our care with the PROVISION, PROTECTION, AND PRESENCE that demonstrates we serve a God who is good and who is good all the time!
Thank you for joining me this week. May you live deeply into your calling as shepherd in the lives of the sheep you influence.