The Ways and Works of God

There is a literary device in the Hebrew language called “an echo.” This is when one line “echoes” the same thought of the previous line with different words. This helps interpret the Old Testament. For example, Psalm 145:17 says, “The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.” In that verse, righteous and kind are different words, but have the same meaning. They correspond to his ways and his works, which are also different words, but with the same meaning.

When you learn the ways of God you will also be learning the works of God. To put it another way, God works according to His ways in your life. This particular verse teaches that God is righteous and kind in His ways and works.

The Hebrew word “righteous” is tsad-deek and is used as an adjective in this verse describing God. It means that God is always right in making people and things right with Him. And He is right in doing this. This verse states that God is like this in all of His ways. As you learn the ways of God you will begin to see that they all line up with this truth: God desires to make people and things right with Himself, according to His truth. And God is right in doing this. He made it right! God is so good.

The echo phrase in this verse says the same thing, but with different words. It states the truth that God is kind in all his works. The Hebrew word for “kind” is haseed, and is also an adjective. The verb form of this word is hesed, which is translated as “loving kindness.” This is the covenant love of God and corresponds to the New Testament word agape, God’s love. You may have heard of the group called Hasidic Jews. They derive their name from this Hebrew word. It also has the meaning of faithfulness and holiness.

The point is this: God is right in all of His ways in making you right with Himself, which is a reflection of His faithful covenant-making love expressed toward you in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is also the work that He is doing in your life right now; faithfully making you right with Himself because of His eternal love which He loves you with! And it pleases Him to be that way.

As you know God more and more by learning His ways more and more, you will experience more and more of His love and joy. This pleases God and this is what it means to worship the Father in spirit and truth.

Today, worship the Father by thanking Him for being righteous in the way that He is faithfully making you right with Himself through Jesus Christ.