Knowing that you are being followed can be a scary thing to a lot of people. If you’re walking down the street, particularly at night, and you look over your shoulder, you don’t want to see some people following behind you. Thoughts immediately jump to thinking they are criminals, out to harm you. However, what if they were following with good intentions, possibly to keep you safe? Our Scripture verse today speaks of believers being followed. Let’s look at who or what is following us.
Today we’re looking at the final verse of probably the most well-known Psalm, that being Psalm 23. This short psalm is possibly one of the most well-known parts of the Bible, as well. There is so much that we can learn from the psalm, so let’s just look at the final verse, verse 6, today.
As mentioned earlier, frequently if we are followed, it could be criminals, someone out to do us harm. But occasionally it might be someone who is there to protect us. If one is rich or famous, there might be bodyguards there to protect. The president not only has Secret Service agents following him, but his wife and younger children do, too. They try to stay back and be unobtrusive, but they are there to protect. As we read in Psalm 23, believers have two protectors following close behind them. These are goodness and mercy.
The word “follow” here, in Hebrew the word “radap”, means to pursue, to chase, to hunt, or to run after. It is not following after at a leisurely pace, but like a hunting dog, rapidly running after. Picture walking down the street, and a little distance ahead is a gentleman walking at a brisk pace. You see that he unknowingly drops his wallet. Being the good person that you are, you pick it up and start to run after him. You don’t just stroll along, as the man will soon be gone. No, you run. You chase after him in order to catch up and give him his wallet. As the word in verse 6 says, you radap. In like manner, goodness and mercy are relentlessly hunting us down all the days of our life. They are never stopping, never ceasing in their pursuit of us.
What are these two that are following after the believer? They are goodness and mercy. Goodness is defined as moral excellence, virtue, and excellence of quality. It is not just appearing to be good, it is the essence of a person’s character. We can never be good on our own. It is only through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives which can make us good. Goodness is one of the chief characteristics of God. Yahweh is a good God. Many of the pagan and heathen gods are often pictured as being malicious, wreaking havoc in the lives of their worshipers on a whim. Some are described as even being evil. That is not what the only true God, Yahweh, is like. He is good, and He loves us. His goodness is following us all throughout our life.
The other thing that follows after us is mercy. Mercy is withholding or holding back the just punishment that we deserve. We are all sinners, deserving of God’s just wrath, but He, in His mercy, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take that punishment for us. God has mercy on all those who call upon Jesus for salvation, and that mercy follows us throughout our life.
God, the perfect Shepherd and Host, promises to guide and protect us through life, and to bring us into His house forever. We are sinners in need of mercy. We are fragile, in need of goodness.
God’s goodness gives us green pastures and still waters. His mercy retrieves us when we foolishly leave the paths of righteousness. Jesus is the Shepherd, leading His flock throughout life. Goodness and Mercy are like two sheepdogs, guarding the rear of His flock. These are followers that we can trust and rejoice in.
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