Psalm 94:12 – “Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law…”
In this scripture, the psalmist tells the bad rulers that God sees what they are doing and then describes life when rulers are good. The Psalmist attempted a useless mission – to help the senseless and fools with instruction and understanding. He specifically spoke to the bad rulers, who believed God did not see or understand their wickedness. He tells them that they are fools to think that God does not see what they are doing. He sees, hears, and will justly punish them. The logic is simple and solid. The God of all wisdom and knowledge will hold men and women to account for their life. This great God must be appropriately feared, respected, and obeyed. This was important for the senseless and fools to hear and maybe even understand because they weren’t listening to God. Later Paul spoke of God’s triumph over the exaltation of defiant human wisdom and knowledge and also of the futility of man’s intellect against God.
Then the psalmist talks about good people who have “good in their hearts”. These people think good things and the LORD rules them as their king. God saves His people. God teaches them and corrects them so that they don’t end up in Sheol. God instructs and teaches them from His Word. God’s wisdom is so great that He even knows the thoughts of men and women since He created them. God promises good things for these people. Those who receive the teaching from God’s Word will have rest in their unavoidable days of hardship. This rest is theirs until the pit is dug for the wicked, until God sets all things right in His judgment.
The blessedness of the righteous:
1. God chastises him.
2. God teaches him.
3. God gives him a time of rest.
4. God never forsakes him.
5. God judges him righteously.
6. God helps him against evil doers.
7. God upholds him when he is in danger of falling.
8. God inwardly comforts his soul.
“All the chastening in the world, without divine teaching, will never make a man blessed; that man that finds correction attended with instruction, and lashing with lessoning, is a happy man.” (Brooks, cited in Spurgeon)
This beautiful and powerful assurance, given first to Israel under the Old Covenant extends to the child of God under a better covenant. The Lord will never cast off His people. He will never forsake His inheritance. Even if Satan comes and whispers “The Lord has cast you off”, do not believe it because it can never be. The devil has his cast-offs, but God has no cast-offs. God even takes Satan’s castaways and makes them trophies of His mighty grace.
