The Excellent Ones

[280 words] “As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight” (Psalm 16:3, ESV). In the passage above, David revealed his love for his kinsmen. They were God’s people, which made them majestic and noble. That’s high praise for people who weren’t perfect. David’s fellow-Israelites made their share of mistakes. They had their flaws. They committed their sins. Yet, inspired of the Holy Spirit, David called them “excellent” – warts, blemishes, and all. Does David’s complimentary language imply approval of sin? Hardly. Every adult who has ever received proper commendation, even commendation directly from God, has received it in spite of his or her sins (except Jesus, of course, who was sinless). David’s assessment of God’s people was a general statement intended to highlight their exalted status as God’s chosen ones. God still has an exalted opinion of his people today,…