26. With the merciful. In the previous verse David has been setting forth the reason for God’s rewards to him. Now he lays down a general principle, again showing that the Lord had displayed no particular favoritism to him, that indeed God will extend the same mercies and favors to all who will show themselves merciful and upright. God’s rewards are conditioned by man’s attitude toward Him and his conduct toward his fellow men. However, the experience of Job illustrates that there may be apparent exceptions to this general principle. Because of the involvements of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, affliction is at times permitted to come upon the righteous in spite of their righteousness.
