THOU SHALT DO THAT WHICH IS RIGHT AND GOOD IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD

The Lord had placed Himself under an oath, ‘the Lord sware unto thy fathers’, to bring the children of Israel into a good land and to remove their enemies from before them, vv. 18, 19. To have His blessing and to enjoy the inheritance it was important they did what was ‘right’, that is, upright and righteous, and that which was ‘good’, that is, beneficial and pleasing in His sight, v. 18, and, of course, keep His commandments, v. 17.

These verses should remind us that, as with the children of Israel, our ways are constantly before the eyes of God, Prov. 5. 21; 15. 3. If it is to be ‘well’ with us, if we are to enjoy the spiritual inheritance given to us, and if we want to see God’s hand at work giving us victory over our enemies, then we must do what is pleasing in His sight. Doing what is good is integral to the daily walk and witness of God’s people, and part of His foreordained plan for them, Eph. 2. 10. We are exhorted to ‘ever follow that which is good’, to ‘hold fast that which is good’, 1 Thess. 5. 15,21, to ‘do good unto all’, Gal. 6. 10, and walk ‘to please God’, 1 Thess. 4. 1. Believers can please God: by walking ‘worthy of the Lord’, Col. 1. 10; in the way they serve the Lord, 1 Thess. 2. 4; when they care for their elderly parents, 1 Tim. 5. 4; and by having practical fellowship with those who are in need, Heb. 13. 16. Of the Lord Jesus it is said that He always did that which was pleasing to the Father, John 8. 29, and that should be the ambition of every believer, 2 Cor. 5. 9.

David is commended for doing what was right but with this one exception ‘in the matter of Uriah the Hittite’, 1 Kgs. 15. 5. Is that how it is with us? Doing what is right but with one excep­tion, something that today we ought to settle before God? Of king Joash it is recorded that he did right but only during the days of Jehoiada the priest. When the priest died and his godly influence was gone, the behaviour of Joash changed, 2 Chron. 24. 2. Has there been a parallel to that in our life, over the months and years a gradual decline in our conduct before God? May we remember today that God’s eye is upon us and, conscious of that, seek to do what is right and good in His sight.