“We feast on the abundant food You provide; You let us drink from the river of Your goodness.” (Psalms 36:8)
It's believed that David wrote this psalm in a time of affliction either during Saul’s persecution or Absolom’s rebellion because the psalm begins with the cruelty he suffered at the hands of his enemies. Besides the Philistines, David’s enemies were King Saul and Absolom, his son.
Although the psalm begins with his grievances against them, he quickly begins to extol the Lord’s Goodness. God’s provision is daily, abundant and unlimited. His Goodness is like a river flowing down to those that love Him and never ending. David knew about God’s Goodness. He learned about God’s Goodness at a young age when he was a shepherd caring for his father’s sheep. In Psalms 23 David writes, “I know that Your goodness and love will be with me all my life; and Your house will be my home as long as I live.” (Psalms 23:6)
David sang about God’s Goodness when the Ark returned to its home in Jerusalem and placed in the Tabernacle. “Give thanks to the LORD, because He is good; His love is eternal.” (1Chronicles 16:34) The Ark had been taken by the Philistines, who returned the Ark to the Israelites after 7 months but didn’t make it to the Tabernacle in Jerusalem. It was in Gibeon for 70 years before David went to get it and finally brought it to the Tabernacle on his second attempt.
We tend to use the word “good” frivolously for just about anything that isn’t bad. But the Bible definition of good is to be in harmony with God, which means in kinship, cooperation and in accord with God. The rich young ruler asked Jesus how he could be saved, he addressed Jesus as Good Teacher. Jesus tells him, “"Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "No one is good except God alone.” (Mark 10:18) I always thought that Jesus was rebuking him, but in reality, Jesus is asking him if he thinks Jesus, is God.
James goes further than anyone in the Bible attesting that all good things come from God. “Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights, who does not change or cause darkness by turning.” (James 1:17) This goes conversely. All bad things do not come from God. Think of all the bad things that we’ve seen and experienced. Many of those times we ignorantly thought they came from God as a punishment for something wrong we did. But God does not punish like that anymore since the sacrifice of Jesus paid for every bad thing in our lives and in our bodies. There is no need to punish for what Jesus suffered for. Many of the bad things that now come to us are consequences for making wrong choices and for not consulting God on His decision before we make ours. He has an unlimited perspective, since He knows the future.
When we read about God’s Goodness mostly it refers to His mercy. “For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalms 100:5 KJV) His mercy is everlasting. It is from generation to generation. “O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever.” (1Chronicles 16:34 KJV)
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