Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. Lexicon / Concordance for Psalms 23:6
Background:
Many of David’s psalms are full of complaints, but this is full of comforts, and the expressions of delight in God’s great goodness and dependence upon him. It is a psalm which has been sung by good Christians, and will be while the world stands, with a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction. I. The psalmist here claims relation to God, as his shepherd (v. 1). II. He recounts his experience of the kind things God had done for him as his shepherd (v. 2, 3, 5). III. Hence he infers that he should want no good (v. 1), that he needed to fear no evil (v. 4), that God would never leave nor forsake him in a way of mercy; and therefore he resolves never to leave nor forsake God in a way of duty (v. 6). In this he had certainly an eye, not only to the blessings of God’s providence, which made his outward condition prosperous, but to the communications of God’s grace, received by a lively faith, and returned in a warm devotion, which filled his soul with joy unspeakable. And, as in the foregoing psalm he represented Christ dying for his sheep, so here he represents Christians receiving the benefit of all the care and tenderness of that great and good shepherd (Henry, 1996).
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. His hope rises, and his faith is strengthened, by being exercised. Observe, (1.) What he promises himself—goodness and mercy, all the streams of mercy flowing from the fountain, pardoning mercy, protecting mercy, sustaining mercy, supplying mercy. (2.) The manner of the conveyance of it: It shall follow me, as the water out of the rock followed the camp of Israel through the wilderness; it shall follow into all places and all conditions, shall be always ready. (3.) The continuance of it: It shall follow me all my life long, even to the last; for whom God loves he loves to the end. (4.) The constancy of it: All the days of my life, as duly as the day comes; it shall be new every morning (Lam. 3:22, 23) like the manna that was given to the Israelites daily. (5.) The certainty of it: Surely it shall. It is as sure as the promise of the God of truth can make it; and we know whom we have believed. (6.) Here is a prospect of the perfection of bliss in the future state. So some take the latter clause: "Goodness and mercy having followed me all the days of my life on this earth, when that is ended I shall remove to a better world, to dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, in our Father’s house above, where there are many mansions. With what I have I am pleased much; with what I hope for I am pleased more.’’ All this, and heaven too! Then we serve a good Master (Henry, 1996).
3. How resolutely he determines to cleave to God and to his duty. We read the last clause as David’s covenant with God: "I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever (as long as I live), and I will praise him while I have any being.’’ We must dwell in his house as servants, that desired to have their ears bored to the door-post, to serve him for ever. If God’s goodness to us be like the morning light, which shines more and more to the perfect day, let not ours to him be like the morning cloud and the early dew that passeth away. Those that would be satisfied with the fatness of God’s house must keep close to the duties of it (Henry, 1996).
Reflection:
Even though David had a flaw of sin that manifested itself in adultery and murder, he yet trusted in God and not in man. He knew that he was but flesh, and he had to trust in God for everything. David continually prayed to God and expressed his faith, trust and reliance upon God by seeking God in prayer; in the midst of difficult times as well as in the midst of good times. Let us remember that we can always go to God in prayer, no matter what. He will answer our prayer, as long as our prayer is in line with his word, and we are not asking for something that is contrary to his will; which is his word.
Blue Letter Bible Definitions:
Surely, goodness: 2896
a) good, pleasant, agreeable (to the sensess)
b) pleasant (to the highest nature)
c) good, excellent (of it's kind)
d) good, rich, valuable in estimation
e) good, appropriate, becoming
f) better (comparable)
g) glad, happy, prosperous (of man's sensuous nature)
h) good understanding (of man's intellectual nature)
i) good, kind, benign
j) good, right, (ethical)
And mercy: 2617
1) goodness, kindness, faithfulness
2) reproach, shame (above)
Shall follow: 7291
1) to be behind, follow after, pursue, run after
a) Qual (1) to pursue, chase, attend closely upon
3) to follow after, aim to secure
All the days: 3117
c) a lifetime
My life: 2416
1) living
And I will dwell: 3247
1) to dwell, remain, sit,
(1) to sit, sit down
(2) to be set
(3) to remain stay
(4) to dwell, to have one's abode
In the house: 1004
1) house
(1) house, dwelling habitation
Of the Lord: 3068
Jehovah
(1) The proper name for the one true God.l
Forever: 753
1) length
(a) physical lengtjh
(b) of time
References:
Henry, Matthew. "Commentary on Psalms 23." Blue Letter Bible. 1 Mar 1996. 2010. 19 Jul 2010. AuthorID=4&contentID=1146&commInfo=5&topic=Psalms&ar=Psa_23_6 >
Blue Letter Bible. "Book of Psalms 23 - (KJV - King James Version)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 19 Jul 2010. < http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Psa&c=23&t=KJV >
Higgins, S. (2010). Seek God And He Will Answer. Devotions for Thought. Higgins Publishing. Http://www.higginspublishing.com
Background:
Many of David’s psalms are full of complaints, but this is full of comforts, and the expressions of delight in God’s great goodness and dependence upon him. It is a psalm which has been sung by good Christians, and will be while the world stands, with a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction. I. The psalmist here claims relation to God, as his shepherd (v. 1). II. He recounts his experience of the kind things God had done for him as his shepherd (v. 2, 3, 5). III. Hence he infers that he should want no good (v. 1), that he needed to fear no evil (v. 4), that God would never leave nor forsake him in a way of mercy; and therefore he resolves never to leave nor forsake God in a way of duty (v. 6). In this he had certainly an eye, not only to the blessings of God’s providence, which made his outward condition prosperous, but to the communications of God’s grace, received by a lively faith, and returned in a warm devotion, which filled his soul with joy unspeakable. And, as in the foregoing psalm he represented Christ dying for his sheep, so here he represents Christians receiving the benefit of all the care and tenderness of that great and good shepherd (Henry, 1996).
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. His hope rises, and his faith is strengthened, by being exercised. Observe, (1.) What he promises himself—goodness and mercy, all the streams of mercy flowing from the fountain, pardoning mercy, protecting mercy, sustaining mercy, supplying mercy. (2.) The manner of the conveyance of it: It shall follow me, as the water out of the rock followed the camp of Israel through the wilderness; it shall follow into all places and all conditions, shall be always ready. (3.) The continuance of it: It shall follow me all my life long, even to the last; for whom God loves he loves to the end. (4.) The constancy of it: All the days of my life, as duly as the day comes; it shall be new every morning (Lam. 3:22, 23) like the manna that was given to the Israelites daily. (5.) The certainty of it: Surely it shall. It is as sure as the promise of the God of truth can make it; and we know whom we have believed. (6.) Here is a prospect of the perfection of bliss in the future state. So some take the latter clause: "Goodness and mercy having followed me all the days of my life on this earth, when that is ended I shall remove to a better world, to dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, in our Father’s house above, where there are many mansions. With what I have I am pleased much; with what I hope for I am pleased more.’’ All this, and heaven too! Then we serve a good Master (Henry, 1996).
3. How resolutely he determines to cleave to God and to his duty. We read the last clause as David’s covenant with God: "I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever (as long as I live), and I will praise him while I have any being.’’ We must dwell in his house as servants, that desired to have their ears bored to the door-post, to serve him for ever. If God’s goodness to us be like the morning light, which shines more and more to the perfect day, let not ours to him be like the morning cloud and the early dew that passeth away. Those that would be satisfied with the fatness of God’s house must keep close to the duties of it (Henry, 1996).
Reflection:
Even though David had a flaw of sin that manifested itself in adultery and murder, he yet trusted in God and not in man. He knew that he was but flesh, and he had to trust in God for everything. David continually prayed to God and expressed his faith, trust and reliance upon God by seeking God in prayer; in the midst of difficult times as well as in the midst of good times. Let us remember that we can always go to God in prayer, no matter what. He will answer our prayer, as long as our prayer is in line with his word, and we are not asking for something that is contrary to his will; which is his word.
Blue Letter Bible Definitions:
Surely, goodness: 2896
a) good, pleasant, agreeable (to the sensess)
b) pleasant (to the highest nature)
c) good, excellent (of it's kind)
d) good, rich, valuable in estimation
e) good, appropriate, becoming
f) better (comparable)
g) glad, happy, prosperous (of man's sensuous nature)
h) good understanding (of man's intellectual nature)
i) good, kind, benign
j) good, right, (ethical)
And mercy: 2617
1) goodness, kindness, faithfulness
2) reproach, shame (above)
Shall follow: 7291
1) to be behind, follow after, pursue, run after
a) Qual (1) to pursue, chase, attend closely upon
3) to follow after, aim to secure
All the days: 3117
c) a lifetime
My life: 2416
1) living
And I will dwell: 3247
1) to dwell, remain, sit,
(1) to sit, sit down
(2) to be set
(3) to remain stay
(4) to dwell, to have one's abode
In the house: 1004
1) house
(1) house, dwelling habitation
Of the Lord: 3068
Jehovah
(1) The proper name for the one true God.l
Forever: 753
1) length
(a) physical lengtjh
(b) of time
References:
Henry, Matthew. "Commentary on Psalms 23." Blue Letter Bible. 1 Mar 1996. 2010. 19 Jul 2010. AuthorID=4&contentID=1146&commInfo=5&topic=Psalms&ar=Psa_23_6 >
Blue Letter Bible. "Book of Psalms 23 - (KJV - King James Version)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 19 Jul 2010. < http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Psa&c=23&t=KJV >
Higgins, S. (2010). Seek God And He Will Answer. Devotions for Thought. Higgins Publishing. Http://www.higginspublishing.com
