Finding Goodness in God's Sovereign Plan and Purpose
The goodness of God is a fundamental aspect of His character, demonstrated in His interactions with creation and humanity [1, 7]. This divine attribute is described as great, rich, abundant, satisfying, enduring, and universal [7]. It is not merely a quality but an active expression of His nature, encompassing benevolence, mercy, pity, compassion, and long-suffering patience towards His creatures [1].
God's goodness is particularly evident in His sovereign plan and purpose. The concept of predestination, for instance, refers to God's eternal and unchangeable decree concerning all events, especially the salvation of His people [4]. While this doctrine can present difficulties, it is understood as belonging to the "secret things" of God, with His revealed word serving as a guide [4]. The psalmist, contemplating the wickedness in the world, found comfort in the goodness of God, recognizing that "However it be, yet thou art good" [9, 10]. This goodness is openly displayed to His people [11].
The works of the Lord, including creation and providence, are considered great and demonstrate His power and wisdom [14]. Even when the reasons behind God's providences are difficult to discern, as Solomon observed, there is an underlying good intention [12]. This goodness is manifested in various ways: in doing good, supplying temporal needs, providing for the poor, and forgiving sins [7]. It is also seen as leading to repentance [7].
For believers, finding goodness in God's sovereign plan involves seeking His Kingdom and righteousness, with the assurance that other necessities will be provided [3]. It also entails striving to understand what is pleasing to the Lord [2]. The "good word of God," referring to the Scriptures or the Gospel, is a revelation of good things that are true, pleasant, and profitable [13]. The loving-kindness of God, which is great, excellent, and everlasting, is experienced through Christ and is better than life itself [6]. This loving-kindness draws people to God, preserves them, and provides comfort [6]. Ultimately, the preciousness of Christ to God and to saints is attributed to His goodness, beauty, excellence, and grace [5]. Josephus notes that understanding the Divine nature and contemplating God's operations should inspire imitation of the best pattern possible for human nature [8].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Goodness of God — A perfection of his character which he exercises towards his creatures according to their various circumstances and relations (Ps. 145:8, 9; 103:8; 1 John 4:8). Viewed generally, it is benevolence; as exercised with respect to the miseries of his creatures it is mercy, pity, compassion, and in the case of impenitent sinners, long-suffering patience; as exercised in communicating favour on the unworthy it is grace. "Goodness and justice are the several aspects of one unchangeable, infinitely wise, and sovereign moral perfection. God is not sometimes ”
- Ephesians “Ephesians 5:10 (LEB) — trying to learn what is well-pleasing to the Lord.”
- Matthew “But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. -- Matthew 6:33”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Predestination — This word is properly used only with reference to God's plan or purpose of salvation. The Greek word rendered "predestinate" is found only in these six passages, Acts 4:28; Rom. 8:29, 30; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:5, 11; and in all of them it has the same meaning. They teach that the eternal, sovereign, immutable, and unconditional decree or "determinate purpose" of God governs all events. This doctrine of predestination or election is beset with many difficulties. It belongs to the "secret things" of God. But if we take the revealed word of God as our guid”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Preciousness of Christ — To God -- Mt 3:17; 1Pe 2:4. To Saints -- Song 5:10; Php 3:8; 1Pe 2:7. On account of his Goodness and beauty. -- Zec 9:17. Excellence and grace. -- Ps 45:2. Name. -- Song 1:3; Heb 1:4. Atonement. -- 1Pe 1:19; Heb 12:24. Words. -- Joh 6:68. Promises. -- 2Pe 1:4. Care and tenderness. -- Isa 40:11. As the corner-stone of the Church -- Isa 28:16; 1Pe 2:6. As the source of all grace -- Joh 1:14; Col 1:19. Unsearchable -- Eph 3:8. Illustrated -- Song 2:3; 5:10-16; Mt 13:44-46.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Loving-Kindness of God, The — Is through Christ -- Eph 2:7; Tit 3:4-6. Described as Great. -- Ne 9:17. Excellent. -- Ps 36:7. Good. -- Ps 69:16. Marvellous. -- Ps 17:7; 31:21. Multitudinous. -- Isa 63:7. Everlasting. -- Isa 54:8. Merciful. -- Ps 117:2. Better than life. -- Ps 63:3. Consideration of the dealings of God gives a knowledge of -- Ps 107:43. Saints Betrothed in. -- Ho 2:19. Drawn by. -- Jer 31:3. Preserved by. -- Ps 40:11. Quickened after. -- Ps 119:88. Comforted by. -- Ps 119:76. Look for mercy through. -- Ps 51:1. Receive mercy through. -- Isa 54:8. Are ”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Goodness of God, The — Is part of his character -- Ps 25:8; Na 1:7; Mt 19:17. Declared to be Great. -- Ne 9:35; Zec 9:17. Rich. -- Ps 104:24; Ro 2:4. Abundant. -- Ex 34:6; Ps 33:5. Satisfying. -- Ps 65:4; Jer 31:12,14. Enduring. -- Ps 23:6; 52:1. Universal. -- Ps 145:9; Mt 5:45. Manifested To his Church. -- Ps 31:19; La 3:25. In doing good. -- Ps 119:68; 145:9. In supplying temporal wants. -- Ac 14:17. In providing for the poor. -- Ps 68:10. In forgiving sins. -- 2Ch 30:18; Ps 86:5. Leads to repentance. -- Ro 2:4. Recognise, in his dealings. -- Ezr 8:18; Ne 2:18. Pra”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 11, section 4: life well, and give laws to others, in the first place should consider the Divine nature; and, upon the contemplation of God's operations, should thereby imitate the best of all patterns, so far as it is possible for human nature to do, and to endeavor to follow after it: neither could the legislator himself have a right mind without such a contemplation; nor would any thing he should write tend to the promotion of virtue in his readers; I mean, unless they be taught first of all, that God is the Father and Lord of all things, a”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 36:5: David, having looked round with grief upon the wickedness of the wicked, here looks up with comfort upon the goodness of God, a subject as delightful as the former was distasteful and very proper to be set in the balance against it. Observe, I. His meditations upon the grace of God. He sees the world polluted, himself endangered, and God dishonoured, by the transgressions of the wicked; but, of a sudden, he turns his eye, and heart, and speech, to God "However it be, yet thou art good." He here acknowledges, 1. The transcendent perfections of the divine nature. Am”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 73:1: This psalm begins somewhat abruptly: Yet God is good to Israel (so the margin reads it); he had been thinking of the prosperity of the wicked; while he was thus musing the fire burned, and at last he spoke by way of check to himself for what he had been thinking of. "However it be, yet God is good." Though wicked people receive many of the gifts of his providential bounty, yet we must own that he is, in a peculiar manner, good to Israel; they have favours from him which others have not. The psalmist designs an account of a temptation he was strongly assaulted with”
- Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 31:19: God displays openly His purposed goodness to His people.”
- Ecclesiastes (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ecclesiastes 9:1: For all this I considered in mine heart,.... What goes before, in the latter end of the preceding chapter, concerning the various providences of God, the difficulty of finding out the reasons of them, and the fruitlessness of attempting it; and also what follows, the work of Providence: Solomon gave his mind unto, attended it with great application, and strictly considered and examined it, in order to find it out, but could not; and if he could not, no other man could. And he had a good intention in all; his views were, even to declare all this; for the end of ”
- Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 6:4: And have tasted the good word of God,.... Not the Lord Jesus Christ, the essential Word of God, who seems to be intended before by the heavenly gift; but rather, either the Scriptures of truth in general, which are the word of God, endited by him, and contain his mind and will; which he makes use of for conviction, conversion, instruction, and comfort; and which are preserved by him: and these are a good word; they come from him who is good; they are a revelation of good things; they make known things true, pleasant, and profitable: or else the Gospel in particular, o”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 111:2: The works of the Lord are great,.... His works of creation are great, being made out of nothing, are the effects of great power, and the produce of great wisdom, and which greatly display the glory of their Maker; the works of providence are great, which are daily wrought, especially such as concern the church and people of God, for whom he does great things, whereof they have reason to be glad and praise his name; the miracles of Christ he wrought here on earth were surprisingly great, some of them such as had not keen known from the creation of the world; and yet g”