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These nations were sinful, dark, idolatrous; yet the goodness of the Lord was over all.
As the Lord said in the sermon on the Mount: "He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and
the good" (Matt. 5: 45).
God is not only good, but He does good; and He expects His children to do likewise:
"Thou are good, and doest good; teach me Thy statutes" (Psa. 119: 68). It would appear
from this verse that the statutes of the Lord are "good", and that they will teach the
servant of the Lord to "do good" also.
Praise for the Lord's goodness, and a feeling that this goodness pervades all the
history of His people is expressed in Psa. 106: and 107::--
"Praise ye the Lord, O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy
endureth for ever" (Psa. 106: 1).
The Psalm surveys the history of Israel from their bondage in Egypt to the time of
their captivity, which the Psalmist speaks of prophetically. Throughout their career,
whether in favour or out of favour, the goodness of God remained unchanged and
unchangeable. In Psa. 107: this goodness punctuates the Psalm as by a chorus:--
"Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to
the children of men!" (Psa. 107: 8, 15, 21, 31).
The goodness of God can be "shown" and "tasted":--
"There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, lift Thou up the light of
Thy countenance upon us" (Psa. 4: 6).
"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him"
(Psa. 34: 8).
Again, the Scriptures speak of the blessings of goodness (Psa. 21: 3), the crowning of
the year with goodness (Psa. 65: 11), goodness that is laid up (Psa. 31: 19), goodness
that satisfies (Psa. 65: 4), and goodness that follows (Psa. 23: 6).
If the goodness of God is over all His works, we shall easily discern that the same
goodness is found in all His ways. What is grace, but goodness shown to the
undeserving? Or what is mercy, but goodness going out to misery? Is not love the
quintessence of all goodness? And are not judgment, punishment, lawgiving and other
operations of God as much a part of His goodness as the more obvious attributes? The
Psalmist utters a profound truth when he says:--
"And slew famous kings; for His mercy endureth for ever. Sihon, King of the
Amorites, for His mercy endureth for ever" (Psa. 136: 18, 19).
Is it not good to rid the earth of that which defiles and destroys physically? And shall
it not be good to rid the world of all that defiles and destroys morally and spiritually? In
a world of sin, the idea of "goodness" has sometimes acquired a sentimental character,
and has become something that is mawkish, weakly benevolent, or "goody-goody". Such