Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right’ (Psalm 106:3)
It’s an old illustration, but a good one.
A traveller is driving through the country lanes, when he spots a large barn with five archery targets painted along its side. Each one has an arrow in the dead centre of the target.
The driver is so impressed that he stops the car, and seeks out the farmer. ‘I just want to compliment you on your amazing shooting,’ he enthuses.
But the farmer is not impressed.
‘It’s not my shooting,’ he scowls, ‘it’s the village idiot – He shoots arrows at the barn wall, and then paints the targets around them!’
And we are the same. We may think we do alright by our own standards (when we paint the targets), but judged by God’s perfect standard we all fall short.
So how is this morning’s blessing any good to us?
‘Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right’
Here the psalmist expresses the ideal of covenant faithfulness, which God’s people should live out always. The only problem is that Israel have failed to live up to it again and again.
Psalm 106 is a catalogue of God’s faithfulness, and His people’s faithlessness.
‘Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare His praise?’ (v2) (No-one)!
By contrast the psalmist confesses, ‘We have sinned, even as our ancestors did, we have done wrong and acted wickedly’ (v6)
Over and over again God’s people forget what He has done for them, His mighty acts of salvation (v7,13,21). Over and over they give way to foolish idolatry (v19,20,28,36,38), to disobedience (v14,16,25,29,33,34,43) and unbelief (v24).
Yet for all their rebellion, when they call out to Him in distress He hears their cry, and remembers His covenant ‘out of His great love’ (v44,45). The only hope is in God’s amazing grace.
‘Blessed are those… who always do right.’ But the history of Israel shows that fallen humanity are unable to keep the law and God’s perfect standards of righteousness. ‘All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans3:23)
The psalmist looks to God to save His people (v6), but the full deliverance he longs for comes only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus came to set us free from sin’s power, and enable us to live for God. He is the only one who could fulfil Psalm 106:3. And we are saved through faith in Him, and His perfect righteousness. Although He had no sin, He bore the penalty of our sins on the cross, for all who look to Him (Gal 3:13-14;2 Corinthians 5:21)
And in Jesus, the blessing of Psalm 106:3 is given to His people, as they are justified by faith and transformed by grace to live in ways pleasing to Him. So let’s abound in good works, in kindness and generosity to those around us, bearing grateful witness to His goodness to us.
For now we still struggle with our old nature, but the day will come when we will act justly and do what is right always and forevermore. Till then we look to the Spirit’s power to help us live for God in the present, confessing our sins when we fail.
So let’s be thankful as God’s people. In Jesus we see God’s faithfulness and perfect righteousness supremely demonstrated. Despite our failures, He has fully delivered us, and by His grace we enter into this blessing. May we always live to please Him!
‘Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever’ (v1)
‘Let all the people say Amen! Praise the Lord.’ (v48)
With grateful thanks to R. P. Belcher who helped me to understand this verse, in his excellent book, ‘The Messiah and the Psalms.’ Also helpful was the puritan commentator John Gill.)