The Goodness of the Lord - Psalm 27:13 Meaning

by Mr. Whitney V. Myers

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Ein Gedi Stream (Israel) - Psalm 27:13 - Can Stock Photo - Used under license

"I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living."  (Psalm 27:13)

Because God's nature is good, and God is good to us, we do not need to despair or lose heart.  Even in the face of adversity and the challenges of life, God's goodness gives us hope.

This lesson discusses what David meant in Psalm 27:13 when he said that he would see "the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."
  

"I would have despaired unless I had believed"

     David begins the verse with the conditional phrase, "I would have despaired unless" (Psalm 27:13 NASB1995), or "I would have lost heart unless" (Psalm 27:13 NKJV).  The most important point of the phrase is that David believed.  And because he believed that he would see the goodness of the Lord, he did not despair or lose heart because of the adversities he was experiencing in his life (Psalm 27:2-3, 12). 

Here, the Hebrew word for "believed" is aman (pronounced ah-MAHN).  Aman means to trust and to have faith (Ref. 1).  In the Hebrew culture, believing was essential to God's covenant relationship with his people.  God was a reliable covenant partner.  The people in response to him were to believe in him and faithfully live in accordance with his commandments (Ref. 1).

In the context of Psalm 27:13, because we believe in God, we will see God's goodness.  We will not despair or lose heart when troubles come.

"That I would see the goodness of the Lord"

     For David, believing in [trusting in] God was the key for seeing God's goodness.  Here, the Hebrew word for "seeing" means to perceive, experience, and understand (Ref. 2).  Because David believed in God, David experienced and understood God's goodness.  Our faith in God will enable us to perceive, experience, and understand God's goodness in our lives.

God's goodness explained

     God's goodness includes God's nature (who God is) and God's benevolence (what God does).

Goodness is first a description of God's essential character (Ref. 3, Ref. 4).  God is good in the moral sense.  There is no evil or sin in him (Psalm 92:15, James 1:13).

God's goodness also means that God is benevolent to people, that is, he blesses people. 

a.  First, God's goodness extends to all people.

• "He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."  (Matthew 5:45)
• "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  (John 3:16)
  Be careful in your ministry not to exclude people that God has included in his ministry.
  
  

b.  Second, God's goodness extends to his people - people who revere him and love him.

• "How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you.  In the presence of everyone you have acted
  for those who take refuge in you." (Psalm 31:19 CSB)
• "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."  (Romans 8:28 ​NLT)
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"In the land of the living"

     God's blessings and goodness are for the here and now and for throughout all our lifetime on earth.  David was confident that he would see the goodness of the Lord "in the land of the living," as contrasted to the place of the dead.  Because we believe in God, we will see God's goodness "in the land of the living" -- during our lifetime on earth.  God's goodness to us blesses us and gives us hope us through the adversities and challenges of life.   

     Prayer.  Dear God, thank you for all of your goodness that you have given to us.  Thank you for blessing us and strengthening us each day so we can bless others who are going through adversity.  In Jesus' name, Amen.  

Related Lesson
"The Meaning of God's Favor" - Psalm 30:5

References
1.  https://biblehub.com/hebrew/539.htm
2.  https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7200.htm
3.  https://learn.ligonier.org/devotionals/goodness-of-god
4.  https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2898.htm