The Deployment of God's Goodness

The foundations have been lain, with messages on the Doctrine of God’s Goodness, a Discussion of God’s Goodness, and a Demonstration of God’s Goodness. In the Puritan fashion, Charnock devotes a sizable portion of his discourse to doctrine. The first three sermons of this conference, though certainly forged with many applicational thoughts, were primarily doctrinal in nature.

After 89 pages of doctrinal explanation and wrestling with the attribute of God’s goodness, Charnock ends with what he calls “the use of it.” That is, how do we utilize this sweet attribute of God? What practicality does God’s goodness have for our lives? Like the child entering the workshop of his father, asking of each tool, “What does this do?” We, God’s children, at each point of this conference ask ourselves, “What does that mean?”

We see three uses, as Charnock teaches us, of God’s goodness. Perhaps you find yourself, like the psalmist Asaph questioning God’s goodness. In Psalm 73, Asaph provides us with a glimpse into every child of God’s heart at one point or another. And in this intimate glimpse into his heart, Asaph gives us the deployment of God’s goodness. In involves instruction, comfort, and exhortations.

I. WE GAIN INSTRUCTION FROM GOD’S GOODNESS- 73:1, 13-16, 17-22

II. WE DRAW COMFORT FROM GOD’S GOODNESS- 73:1, 23-26

III. WE RECEIVE EXHORTATIONS FROM GOD’S GOODNESS- 73:27-28

I. WE GAIN INSTRUCTION FROM GOD’S GOODNESS- 73:1, 13-16, 17-22

We draw out Asaph’s thoughts as instructions from God’s goodness. That is, we learn valuable and practical information regarding God’s goodness that then translates into our daily lives.

A. Asaph displayed contempt for God’s Goodness- 13-16

As Asaph looks on the seeming progress of the wicked, he is demonstrating a contempt. He does this in several ways.

First, he forgets God’s goodness. Though he begins this psalm with the statement that God indeed is good to Israel, it comes after his ruminations. Charnock describes the situation like this, “We send God’s mercies, where we would have God send our sins, into the land of forgetfulness.” (366-367)

Second, Asaph complains. He murmurs. The wicked are apparently getting away with everything under the sun, and these thoughts bring Asaph to a point where he begins to question his own faith (13-16). And, as Charnock reminds us, “All murmuring is an accusation of divine goodness.” (369)

Third, Asaph disbelieved God, particularly His goodness. We learn from Asaph’s heart of our own proneness toward unbelief. Whereas Asaph was discouraged by the progress of the wicked, we often find ourselves doubtful of God’s goodness in the midst of pain and illness. We must be aware of this. In stinging fashion, Charnock declares, “it [disbelief] speaks a suspicion of God as a deceitful master, one of a pretended, not a real, goodness; that makes promises to mock men, and invitations to delude them; that he is an implacable tyrant, rather than a good Father; a rigid, not a kind being, delightful only to mark our faults, and overlook our services.” (369) Or, to put it like Asaph, “All in vain have I kept my heart clean...”

B. Asaph demonstrated God’s justice—unknowingly- 17-20

The wicked in Psalm 73 take God’s withholding of immediate judgment as a sign that God will not judge. Men have long committed this terrible and foolish deed. We learn of this from Ecclesiastes 8:11

Ecclesiastes 8:11 ESV

Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.

They do not know, as Paul informs us, that God’s goodness is meant to lead them to repentance. Asaph, in the pouring out of his heart, demonstrates God’s justice. Writes Charnock, “The doctrine of divine goodness justifies every stone laid in the foundation of hell, and every spark in that burning furnace, since it is for the abuse of infinite goodness that it was kindled.” (376)

C. Asaph rediscovered the amiableness of God- 25

Asaph asks, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.” Amiableness, or amiable, is loveliness. When a girl is amiable she attracts the attention of young suitors. Likewise, God’s goodness is one of the attributes that makes Him amiable.

Perhaps you have forgotten the beauty of God’s goodness. I hope and pray that the preaching of His Word has rekindled a deep love for the God of goodness. Charnock reminds us of the well of all goodness, writing, “If we love a little spark of goodness in this or that creature, if a drop be so delicious to us, shall not the immense sun of goodness, the ever-flowing fountain of all, be much more delightful?” (382)

The sunrise, the laughter of a child, the taste of steak, the comfort of a loved one, all these and more are good. But they point to a goodness that is unimaginable; they point to God Himself. After being wrecked by doubt and disbelief, Asaph rediscovered God’s amiableness.

We receive incredible instruction for our lives today. We often hold contempt for God’s goodness. And as God’s goodness is used to justify His punishment of the wicked, we doubt God. We remain like that until we go into the sanctuary of God and rediscover the amiableness of God. This is all instructive. But Charnock takes more for the use of God’s goodness, and perhaps this will be sweeter to you.

II. WE DRAW COMFORT FROM GOD’S GOODNESS- 73:1, 23-26

Truly God is good to Israel could be paraphrased to truly God is good to Bobby (or your name). This alone, my brothers and sisters, is enough comfort for eternity. But how? Charnock graphically depicts the situation, “His goodness makes him stoop to be the tutor to those worms that lie prostrate before him; and though they are sinners full of filth, he drives them not from his school, nor denies them his medicines, if they apply themselves to him as a physician.”

We draw comfort from the God of all goodness. Truly God is good to us. God is specifically good in His comfort. Asaph, and Charnock, both draw out these two implications.

A. We draw comfort from the goodness of a prayer-hearing God- 23-24

Brothers and sisters, this is one of the most remarkable truths of Scripture. That God, the infinitely holy and transcendent God, the God of terror and wrath, the God that knows all, sees all, and providentially guides all, hears our prayers. What a delightful and unimaginable and oft forgotten truth!

Notice the words Asaph uses: I am continually with you, you hold my right hand, you guide me with your counsel. God, David would write in Psalm 34:15,

Psalm 34:15 ESV

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

Charnock states, “Man is weary of being often solicited, because he hath a finite, not a bottomless goodness. He gives sometimes to be rid of his suppliant, not to encourage him to a second approach.” Parents know when this truth intimately when they tire of their children’s request. But God, as Charnock would resume his thoughts, “But every experience God gives us of his bounty is a motive to solicit him afresh, and a kind obligation he hath laid upon himself to renew it.” (388)

God loves to hear our prayers, and He loves to answer our prayers, and He wants more prayer! We are like cold fish who would rather swim alone in the ocean of the world than to draw our hearts and mouths to the Divine Goodness. The posture of God toward His people is come. Isaiah 55:1-3, Matthew 11:28, John 6:37, Isaiah 45:22, Rev. 22:17, Rom. 10:13, 1 Timothy 4:10, and many, many other references attest to God’s delight at sharing His goodness! What a comfort this is!

Hebrews 4:14-16 demonstrates this wonderfully.

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We have confidence to enter because of the work of Christ, yes, but also because we have a Triune God who delights to hear our prayers! All of the amazing truths about God are inherently connected to His hearing and answering our prayers.

B. We draw comfort from the goodness of God during affliction- 26-27

Now, for those who were here last year, our subject was God’s providence. That is, God rules and reigns over all, accomplishing His will, which none can prevent or deter. This is a comforting truth in and of itself. But Charnock connects God’s goodness with His providence, which provides a wonderful comfort to the believer, especially in times of affliction.

Asaph’s heart and flesh fail, but God is with him. Charnock writes, “They are the hands of infinite power indeed, but there is not any motion of it upon his people but is ordered by a goodness as infinite as his power, which will not suffer any affliction to be too sharp or too long.” (389)

In other words, when afflictions do arise, and arise they will, they are afflictions from the hands of an incomprehensibly good God. All things, Paul reminds us, work out for good.

Go back and listen and work through the other three sermons. They will provide you with a wealth of comfort. There is instruction, there is comfort, but there are also exhortations.

III. WE RECEIVE EXHORTATIONS FROM GOD’S GOODNESS- 73:27-28

The benefits of God’s goodness are abundant. But now the question before us is, “So what?” What do we do? We have learned (instruction) and have received comfort from God’s goodness. But what do we do with it?

A. Let every good thing in this life bring you to the Good—God- 25

A look at the prosperity of the wicked, their enjoyments of the goods of this life, reminded Asaph of a critical truth. God is the greatest, and to term Him that seems to impugn His goodness since it is infinite. Charnock says this,

“If the sparkling glory of the visible heavens delight us, and the beauty and bounty of the earth please and refresh us, what should be the language of our souls upon those views and tastes, but that of the psalmist, “Whom have I in heaven by thee and there is none upon earth that I can desire beside thee!”

Every bite of steak, every smell of a rose, every drop of rain, every coo of a baby, every joy at victory, every pat on the back, every sunrise and sunset, every thing you find beautiful and delightful, should cause you to realize how inestimable God’s goodness is!

B. Meditate frequently on the God of Goodness- 28

“But for me it is good to be near God,” writes Asaph. It is something that he failed to remember, but with frequent meditation Asaph corrected this. And Charnock makes a statement that we would all do well to consider. “It is strange that we should miss the thoughts of it, that we should look upon this earth, and everything in it, and yet overlook that which it is most full of, viz., divine goodness (Psalm 34:5).” (393)

He goes on to write, “Let us think with ourselves how often he hath multiplied his blessings, when we did deserve his wrath; how he hath sent one unexpected benefit upon the heel of another, to bring us with a swift pace the tidings of good will to us!” (393)

This meditation provides many benefits. First, Charnock mentions it keeps us from worshipping God in an ingenuous way. That is, it keeps us true to worship. We pray to God genuinely because we know He both hears and answers from His goodness.

Meditation has a way of keeping us humble as well. Charnock writes, “When we set divine goodness in one column, and our transgressions in another, and compare together their several items, it would fill us with a deep consciousness of our own guilt, and divest us of any worth of our own in our approaching to him.” (394)

Meditation on God’s goodness enables us to more faithful service. Truly God is good to Israel, Asaph says. And this, once remembered and meditated upon, increased his faithfulness. “When we consider the benefits of a friend proceed out of kindness to us, and not out of self-ends and vain applause, it works more upon us, and makes us more careful of the honor of such a person.” (395) Further, Charnock places this faithfulness within the context of Satan’s temptations when he writes, “It would strike Satan’s temptations dead at a blow. It would pull off the false mask and vizor from what he presents to us, to draw us from the service of our benefactor. We could not, with a sense of this, think him kinder to us than God hath and will be, which is the great motive of men, to join hands with him and turn their backs upon God.” (395)

Finally, as we meditate upon the goodness of God, we become more patient “under our miseries.” Asaph comes to learn this when he entered the sanctuary. Because we know that God is good, and we know that God reigns, we remind ourselves that God is good, even in the midst of pain. Writes Charnock, “The time of our sufferings here, were it the whole course of our life, bears not the proportion of a moment to that endless eternity, wherein he hath designed to manifest his goodness to us.”(396)

C. Imitate constantly the God of Goodness- 28

The last exhortation that we will consider this morning is to imitate God’s goodness. Asaph, after remembering that God is truly good, seeks to imitate Him. He wants to tell all of God’s Works.

Christ, in His time on earth, entreats us to do the same. Matthew 5:44-45

Matthew 5:44–45 ESV

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

In this, Charnock sees two ways in which we can imitate God’s goodness.

1. Imitate God’s Goodness in Helping Others

“Let us not think any so far below us as to be unworthy of our care, since God thinks none, that are infinitely distant from him, too mean for his. His infinite glory mounts him above the creature, but his infinite goodness stoops him to the meanest works of his hands.” (398)

If we are to be holy like He is holy, if we are to love like He loves, then it makes biblical sense that we are to be good to others as He is good. And think not of this as losing something special to you, but of imitating the most good act in history. Charnock reminds us of the absurdity when we fail to extend goodness to others, “Did not his goodness strip his Son of the glory of heaven for a time to enrich us? and shall we shrug when we are to part with a little to pleasure him?” (399)

Be like our Master in Heaven! Be good to the just and the unjust, and you will be perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

2. Imitate God’s Goodness in Helping the Hateful

We also imitate God’s goodness in helpful the hateful, the lost, the blasphemous. Charnock states, “How kind is God to those that blaspheme him, and gives them the same sun and the same showers that he doth to the best men in the world! Is it not more our glory to imitate God in doing good to those that hate us, than to imitate the men of the world in requiting evil, by a return of a sevenfold mischief?” (399)

Or, to put it in Paul’s language, “Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom. 12:21)

God is good. Of this there is no doubt. Take these instructions, comforts, and exhortations and use them. Incorporate them into your life. Overcome evil with God, or to put it another way, overcome evil with God.