f)
Mercy:
goodness shown to those in misery, irrespective of their deserts. [We have noted that the first two attributes
of God in His name (Ex. 34:6-7) are grace and mercy. These attributes strongly emphasize God’s
“motivation” toward sinful man: love regardless of the sin of the sinner
(grace)and love having seen the difficult situation of the sinner (mercy). We also have noted that chesed
(lovingkindness) often is translated “mercy.”
The translators have a reason in the context we assume. But there is a specific word for “mercy” as
well as “compassion.” The NT also has
such terms. In the OT the deliverance
from Egypt is the prime illustration of mercy, as in today’s passage. In the NT, as always, mercy is illustrated in
the cross of Christ.]
Psalm 78:38-39 But
He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them.
Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath;
for He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes away and does
not come again. This is remarkable. In Jesus’ day the Jews had little room for
mercy. That is why Jesus’ “breaking” the
Sabbath traditions was so combative. Men
struggle to think of God apart from rules and regulations. To be merciful seems to deny some truth. Yet, in the Incarnation and by the
sacrificial work of Christ, God’s mercy exists perfectly alongside His truth
and faithfulness.
Psalm 57:10 For
Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds. Here we see the joining of mercy and truth.
Psalm 86:5 For
You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those
who call upon You. David, poor and needy (v1), is referencing the manifold
name of God. There is no one who does
not depend on God’s mercy.
Ephesians 2:4-5 But
God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5
even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by
grace you have been saved). The good
thing, given the universal need for mercy, is that God is rich in mercy. Notice, as we have said, “mercy” is one of
the outworkings of God’s “love.” We are
called to be merciful (e.g. Mt. 5:7).
But if our mercy does not spring from love for the person in need our
mercy will be seen as our position of pride over that person, whether we mean
it or not.
2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God
of all comfort. This is from today’s
passage where Paul is seeking to declare his love for the Corinthian
believers. Mercy is the reason we show
comfort to others. Comfort must also be
accepted by those who need it.
Titus 3:5: Not by
works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved
us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Hoy Spirit. As with grace, so with mercy: God’s
motivation in salvation does not come from our works. We are nothing but poor and needy!
Hab. 3:2b: In wrath remember mercy. This is our God!
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