Eternal Goodness in God's Guidance and Providence
God's eternal goodness is a fundamental aspect of His character, defined as a perfection He exercises toward His creatures in various circumstances [1]. This goodness is not merely an attribute but an active principle evident in His providential care for all creation [1, 2].
The concept of divine goodness encompasses several facets. It is benevolence in a general sense, but when directed toward the miseries of His creatures, it manifests as mercy, pity, and compassion. For those who remain impenitent, it is expressed as long-suffering patience. When God bestows favor upon the undeserving, His goodness is called grace [1]. The Psalms frequently extol God's goodness and mercy, declaring that "the Lord is good, and his mercy is never-ending; his faith is unchanging through all generations" (Psalm 100:5 BBE) [4]. Similarly, Psalm 23:6 (BSB) states, "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life" [3]. John Gill interprets this "goodness and mercy" as either God's free grace, love, and favor, or the temporal blessings that flow from them, which are bestowed on His people without their anxious seeking [8].
God's providence, which literally means foresight, describes His active preservation and governance of all things through secondary causes [2]. This divine oversight extends to the natural world, the animal kingdom, and the affairs of humanity, including the free actions of individuals [2]. The counsel of the Lord, which includes His purposes and decrees, stands forever, relating to all aspects of providence and grace, such as the election of individuals to eternal life, their redemption, and their effectual calling [10]. John Gill notes that Christ is righteous in all the ways of providence, even those that appear intricate or unsearchable, assuring that they will ultimately be revealed as just and true [9].
The loving-kindness of God, often described as great, excellent, marvelous, and everlasting, is a significant expression of His goodness [5]. This loving-kindness is understood to be mediated through Christ [5]. Believers are encouraged to wait upon God as the God of providence, seeking His guidance, protection, and the fulfillment of His promises [7]. The consideration of God's dealings provides knowledge of His loving-kindness [5]. The ultimate reward for the redeemed is eternal life, which is a manifestation of God's goodness and is contrasted with eternal punishment [6]. This eternal life is the "newness of life" that believers receive from Christ [6]. The enduring nature of God's goodness and mercy is a consistent theme, with His faithfulness remaining constant through all generations [4].
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 ”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Providence — Literally means foresight, but is generally used to denote God's preserving and governing all things by means of second causes (Ps. 18:35; 63:8; Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). God's providence extends to the natural world (Ps. 104:14; 135:5-7; Acts 14:17), the brute creation (Ps. 104:21-29; Matt. 6:26; 10:29), and the affairs of men (1 Chr. 16:31; Ps. 47:7; Prov. 21:1; Job 12:23; Dan. 2:21; 4:25), and of individuals (1 Sam. 2:6; Ps. 18:30; Luke 1:53; James 4:13-15). It extends also to the free actions of men (Ex. 12:36; 1 Sam. 24:9-15; Ps. 33:14, 15; ”
- Psalms “Psalms 23:6 (BSB) — Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
- Psalms “Psalms 100:5 (BBE) — For the Lord is good, and his mercy is never-ending; his faith is unchanging through all generations.”
- 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 ”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Eternal life — This expression occurs in the Old Testament only in Dan. 12:2 (R.V., "everlasting life"). It occurs frequently in the New Testament (Matt. 7:14; 18:8, 9; Luke 10:28; comp. 18:18). It comprises the whole future of the redeemed (Luke 16:9), and is opposed to "eternal punishment" (Matt. 19:29; 25:46). It is the final reward and glory into which the children of God enter (1 Tim. 6:12, 19; Rom. 6:22; Gal. 6:8; 1 Tim. 1:16; Rom. 5:21); their Sabbath of rest (Heb. 4:9; comp. 12:22). The newness of life which the believer derives from Christ (Rom. 6:4) is the ”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Waiting Upon God — As the God of providence -- Jer 14:22. As the God of salvation -- Ps 25:5. As the Giver of all temporal blessings -- Ps 104:27,28; Ps 145:15,16. For Mercy. -- Ps 123:2. Pardon. -- Ps 39:7,8. The consolation of Israel. -- Lu 2:25. Salvation. -- Ge 49:18; Ps 62:1,2. Guidance and teaching. -- Ps 25:5. Protection. -- Ps 33:20; 59:9,10. The fulfillment of His word. -- Hab 2:3. The fulfillment of His promises. -- Ac 1:4. Hope of righteous by faith. -- Ga 5:5. Coming of Christ. -- 1Co 1:7; 1Th 1:10. Is good -- Ps 52:9. God calls us to -- Zep 3:8. Exhortat”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 23:6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me,.... Either the free grace, love, favour, and mercy of God in Christ, which endures continually, and is always the same from everlasting to everlasting; or the effects of it; and these either temporal good things, which flow from the goodness and mercy of God, and not the merits of men; and which are in great mercy and loving kindness bestowed on his people, and which follow them: they do not anxiously seek after them; but seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness, these are added to them, they trusting in the Lord, and”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 145:17: The Lord is righteous in all his ways,.... Christ is righteous in all the ways of providence, in which he is jointly concerned with his Father: there are some of the ways of providence, which are now intricate and perplexed, are unsearchable and past finding out, and cannot be easily reconciled to the justice and faithfulness of God, respecting the prosperity of the wicked and the afflictions of the righteous; but these will before long be made manifest, and they will appear to be just and true. And so in all his ways of grace, in all his decrees; in the choice of s”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 33:11: The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever,.... By which are meant, not the doctrines of the Gospel, nor the ordinances of it; though these will stand firm, and remain to the end of the world; but the purposes and decrees of God, which are wisely formed in himself, are eternal and unfrustrable, and relate to all things in providence and grace. The Lord does all things according to the counsel of his will in the government of the world, and in the salvation of men: the choice of persons to everlasting life is according to it; and so are their redemption, effectual call”