Psalm 71:16

Psalm 71:16

His righteous deeds

There are two things here that the Psalmist is going to proclaim. Before we look at them, let’s just think about that word proclaim. The Bible uses this word to describe a herald and his public announcements, He is someone who has a special message to deliver to the world. So, this verse is not talking about a private event, David intends to go up to the Holy Place and speak out, like a town crier. He is going to address the congregation and there are two things in particular that he wants them to hear. Firstly, he will proclaim the Sovereign Lord’s mighty acts. Secondly, he will proclaim the Sovereign Lord’s righteous deeds. 

The term “mighty acts” can be read as “marvellous acts”. In other words, these were the times, occasions, and events when God intervened and miraculously helped His people. David has a good memory; He can begin with Abraham and the patriarchs and speak for a long time about all the Lord has done for Israel and for him. However, he is eager to remind his audience that no act of God is random, it has to be an expression of His righteousness. The Lord God cannot perform any deed unless it is motivated by righteousness, performed righteously and it must have a righteous outcome. It’s good to remember that when we make our request and offer our prayers, there must be many occasions when we ask the Lord to perform miracles or deeds where His righteousness may be compromised. For instance, we might ask for a miracle or two that would give us or our church a bit of a reputation, “That would be very gratefully received Lord.” His answer must surely be, “No, my righteousness must be upheld, not your reputation.” 

Wouldn’t it be great to have a church meeting or two, where all we did was proclaim the Sovereign Lord’s marvellous acts and His righteous deeds? What a faith-booster that might be.

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