“But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.'”
“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.” (Psalm 33:18-22)
“God of mercy, humbled I bow down... I called, You answered and You came to my rescue and I want to be where You are” sings.
Many of the psalms speak of the mercies of God. As one commentary notes, mercy is the aspect of God's love that causes Him to help the miserable [those in need]. It notes:
And in Psalm 34:15,22 he says, “The eyes of the Lord on on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry... And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.”
“Show me Your heart, show me Your ways, Show me Your glory” sings
In the Old Testament temple, above the mercy seat was the place where God's presence rested in the Holy of Holies. The mercy set is the “golden lid or covering on the Ark of the Covenant”[2], that is between the two cherubim. Commentary notes that it is the place of atonement. And says, “The root meaning of hilasterion is that of appeasing and placating an offended god. Applied to the sacrifice of Christ in that regard, the word suggests that Christ’s death was propitiatory, averting the wrath of God from the sinner.”[3]
Hebrews 9:1, 3-5, 10:1 says, “Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary.... Behind the second curtain stood a tent called the Holy of Holies, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, which contained a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail... For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities...”
Hebrews 10:12-17 goes on to mention the true form of these realities: “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 'This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,' then he adds, 'I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more.' Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”
Paul says in Ephesians 2:4-6, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
When the word 'mercy' is used in the Old and New Testaments, there is more than one meaning. Just as there are more than one meaning when the word 'love' is used, there are also several for mercy.
Three of the meanings are listed in Psalm 145:8-9. It says, "The LORD is gracious [chanan], and full of compassion [racham]; slow to anger, and of great mercy [checed]. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies [racham] are over all his works."
The Lord is Gracious
Psalm 123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy [chanan] upon us.
The Hebrew word chanan means to be gracious, considerate or show favor. It is used in Gen. 33:5: “The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.” Generally, this word implies the extending of “favor,” often when it is neither expected nor deserved. Chanan may express “generosity,” a gift from the heart (Ps. 37:21). "[4]
God says to Moses in Exodus 33:19, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious [chanan] to whom I will be gracious [chanan], and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (Exod. 33:19)
David cries out in Psalm 6:2, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.”
Chanan is similar to charis in the New Testament. Charis is goodwill and favor towards “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight...” It is also the gift of grace. The “merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.” [5]
Romans 5:15 says, “ But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”
And Galatians 5:4 says, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”
The Lord is Full of Compassion
David cries out in Psalm 51, “Have Mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies [racham], blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1). God's mercy means that we are not treated as our sins deserve. Instead, our sins are freely forgiven by the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross.
The word 'mercy' used in Psalm 51, is the Hebrew word racham. It means to have compassion or show pity. God declares to Moses in Exodus 33:19, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."[6]
Commentary notes, “Isaiah prophesies messianic restoration: '… With great mercies will I gather thee.… But with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer” (Isa. 54:7-8). This is the heart of salvation by the suffering Servant-Messiah.' [7]
Racham is very similar to oikteiro in the New Testament. Oikteiro means having feelings of compassion, pity, mercy. It is from the “bowels in which compassion resides, a heart of compassion” and it is the “emotions, longings, manifestations of pity.” [8]
Paul says in Romans 9:15, “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion [oikteiro] on whom I will have compassion [oikteiro].
And Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies [oikteiro] of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
The Lord's LovingKindness
David prays in Psalm 25:6-7, “Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies [racham] and Your loving-kindnesses [checed], for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy [checed] remember me, for Your goodness' sake, O Lord.”
The Hebrew word checed means mercy in the sense of lovingkindness or steadfast love. In general, it has the meaning of strength, steadfastness, and love combined. Checed is a matter of obligation between God and Israel and also a matter of God's generosity. [9]
Commentary notes, “The weaker party seeks the protection and blessing of the patron and protector, but he may not lay absolute claim to it. The stronger party remains committed to his promise, but retains his freedom, especially with regard to the manner in which he will implement those promises. Checed implies personal involvement and commitment in a relationship beyond the rule of law.'"[10]
This commentary goes on to mention that the bible usage frequently speaks of someone “doing,” “showing,” or “keeping” checed.... God’s 'mercies,' 'kindnesses,' or 'faithfulnesses' are His specific, concrete acts of redemption in fulfillment of His promise. An example appears in Isa. 55:3: “… And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”[11]
The meaning of checed is similar to eleos in the New Testament. Eleos “denotes an outward demonstration of pity, a sympathy that expresses itself in helping a person in need... The ultimate expression of God’s mercy is His voluntary offering of His only Son for our sins, even when we were still His enemies (Eph. 2:4, 5). Since Jesus, our Intercessor at the right hand of God (7:25), has experienced every kind of temptation we endure (4:15), we can approach Him with boldness, knowing that we will find sympathy and mercy. We who have experienced God’s mercy and forgiveness should, in turn, show mercy to others (James 2:13).” [12]
Titus 3:5-6 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy [eleos] he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour...”
And Romans 15:8-9 says, “Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written, “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name.”
Blessed are the Merciful
Not only is God merciful, but He asks us, as we are shown mercy so would we show mercy to others. To be merciful is a Christlike characteristic. Jesus says in Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. And James 1:27, 2:13 says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world... For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
Graciousness
Psalm 37:21, 25-26 says, "The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous is generous and gives.... I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.”
This kind of mercy referenced here is graciousness - generosity that is an undeserved favor, a gift from the heart. We are to extend undeserved favor from the heart to those who need it. God in His graciousness, extends to us undeserved favor to us. As we receive His graciousness, we are to give it away to others.
In Gen 33:11, Jacob urged Esau to take a generous gift from him. When Esau politely declined, Jacob told him, "Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." Jacob desired to give away what he had so generously received -grace.
When someone sins against us, we are to respond to their need in love rather than retaliation. Paul writes in Romans 12:17-21, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. Therefore 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in doing so you will heap coals of fire on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Instead of gossiping, backbiting, judging, or criticizing when someone sins against us, we forgive, overlook their offense, and extend grace to them.
I had a dream not too long ago that there was a large tree and it was on fire. It's purpose was to burn and destroy. However, it could not move from where it was planted so it had no power over others unless they came over to the tree on their own accord. If they did, then it would burn and destroy them. So what it would do is taunt those who were in a weak moment of pain or grief to come over to it seeking vengeance. If the tree could get them vengeful in their moment of weakness, they would be consumed by the fire of the tree and destroy themselves.
The dream was a little odd, but it spoke to me about the destruction of retaliation. It may seem to relieve the pain for a few moments, but it has very harmful and destructive repercussions. One article notes, “Whether you realize it or not, when you gossip [I would also add criticize, backbite or judge] you are involved in an encounter with the realm of evil spirits ---- an encounter with the longest and the vilest tongue in the universe ---- that of Satan the serpent!” [13]
Instead, Paul says in Colossians 3:6, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
One commentary writes about this:
Compassion
Not only are we to be gracious in the way we speak to and treat those who cause us harm, but we are to be compassionate towards them. We are to genuinely care deeply about their situation and desire to help rather than harm them. We are to be moved by genuine love and care towards others.
Paul says in Philippians 2:1-4, “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord , of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interests of others.”
One commentary notes about this, “the elect of God, holy and beloved, ought to put on bowels of mercies to one another; express the most hearty, inward, tender, and compassionate concern for each other's welfare, temporal and spiritual.” [15]
Colossians 3:12 says, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do.
In having compassion and showing mercy towards someone, there is no room for holding grudges. We cannot have a compassionate heart towards someone, caring about their welfare, and at the same time have unforgiveness in our heart towards that person for a perceived wrong.
Jesus tells a parable about a servant who owed a tremendous debt that he could not pay. As he was about to be sold as a slave and lose everything, his master “was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him his debt.” Then when the servant found someone who owed him a small debt, he demanded payment and threw the person in prison until he could pay up. His master, when he heard of this said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all the debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you? And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due him.” Jesus then says, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” (Matthew 18:24-35)
Lovingkindness
Jesus, when questioned about hanging out with sinners and tax collectors said in Matthew 9:12-13, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.'”
Sinners did not need to get it all right to hang out with Jesus. Sinners did not appear to feel full of fear, condemnation or shame around Him. They felt loved, understood and accepted. They were comfortable being themselves, even in all their sin and failures.
Jesus still today loves to hang out with sinners. When Jesus corrects sin, it is with gentleness and with a desire to help us grow, not to judge, condemn us or criticize us. He loves us right where we are at in all our stuff.
“Tell every girl, boy, woman and man, that God's been good, Ya, good to me. I've been forgiven and it feels so free!”
In the same way, He would have us treat each other. In Matthew 18:21-22 when Peter asks Jesus if he should forgive his brother who sins against him up to seven times, Jesus tells him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Beyond forgiving, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, showing them mercy in their times of need. In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tells a parable about a priest, Levite, and Samaritan who came across a man who was robbed and wounded, laying half dead. The priest and Levite walked by the man on the other side of the road. However, the Samaritan had compassion on him. He bandaged his wound, pouring on oil and wine; set him on his own animal, brought him to the inn and took care of him. When he left the next day, he then paid the innkeeper to take care of him until he was well. Then he asked, “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves? And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
So what can I learn from this?
God wants us to be free to love others. We can only do this if we are not holding them in prison for their sin. This is an area that I have struggled with. I particularly struggle with those I consider my leaders. I can have unrealistic expectations of them, expecting them to be perfect. I think this is where I often fall into idolizing my leaders, sometimes thinking they can do no wrong. Then when they are not perfect and they sin against me, I sometimes hold resentment about it rather than extending compassion and grace. I try hard to overlook it, but deep down I have not really forgiven them. Instead I hold a grudge about it that then comes out unexpectedly when I least expect it. I also often then fail to esteem the person the same.
I think part of this has to do with the fact that I struggle with receiving grace and forgiveness for my own sins. Recently I was shown grace and forgiveness when I least deserved it. By both God and others. Very unexpectedly, I acted terrible. It was the result of holding onto a minor offense and burying it rather than forgiving. When I realized it, I felt horrible. I felt like a terrible person and couldn't believe the way I acted, let alone that I had been upset at all.
God then gave me a dream that night reassuring me that all would turn out okay and I did not need to fear disaster. The next day, I recieved tons of grace like it had never happened. It was incredibly overwhelming for me. But even after receiving grace, later in the week I began to feel terrible about it again. And God, out of His mercy, gave me a word to hold on to that all really was fine and I did not need to fear harm over it.
My pastor explained in his sermon last week about the relationship between outside pressures, behaviors and identity. I realize what I have often done is tie my identity (who I am) to how I perform rather than to God's love for me and who I am in Him. Because of this, when I fail to perform well, I feel terrible about myself and think that God is incredibly disappointed in me. I feel like a total failure and then close my heart to Him. I think that it is too hard to live a holy life and become discouraged and begin to shut down.
As I wrote about mercy, I thought what God was speaking to me through what I was writing was all about my sin. How I failed to give forgiveness and grace to others when I have been forgiven so much. I am the wicked servant in the parable that is forgiven much debt and locks someone else up for a minor infraction. And while this has been true in some situations with leaders, what God really seems to be speaking to me through this is that His mercy is available for me too.
"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing..."
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy (would you believe God is so merciful that "slow to anger, rich in mercy" sang in the background while I read this in my bible). He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities, For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy towards those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:8-14)
"The goodness of the Lord goes on and on, His mercies are never ending" sings
Thomas Kempis writes, "He who loves God with all his heart does not fear death or punishment or judgment or hell, because perfect love assures access to God."
He doesn't hold a grudge and I don't need to fear that He is really seething in anger about it. He loves me despite my sins and failures. My sin is totally forgiven and forgotten. I don't need to pay consequences because He already paid the full price for my sin. In the midst of my sin, He "crowns me with lovingkindness and tender mercies." And as I fully receive this, it will give me freedom to be able to forgive and extend this same grace to others.
“What am I that I might be called Your child?” sings.
Lord, Your mercy is unending. It is overwhelming to me. There is such freedom in being forgiven. I don't have to worry about getting it all right. I just know I am loved and accepted, even at my worst. Would you make us people who “go and do likewise.”
1,2. Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Nelson's new illustrated Bible dictionary. Rev. ed. of: Nelson's illustrated Bible dictionary.; Includes index. Nashville: T. Nelson.
3. Hayford, J. W., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Hayford's Bible handbook. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
4. Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (1:100-101). Nashville: T. Nelson.
5. Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G5485). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.
6-7. Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (1:43). Nashville: T. Nelson.
8. Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G3628). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.
9-11. Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (1:142-143). Nashville: T. Nelson.
12. Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary (Heb 4:15). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.
13. Gossssip: Doing the Devil's Work For Him. Located at: http://www.towards-success.com/dejnarde_files/bible_study_gossip.htm. Last Accessed 1/11/11
14.Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible. Located at: http://gill.biblecommenter.com/colossians/4.htm. Last Accessed: 1/11/11
15. Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible. Located at: http://gill.biblecommenter.com/philippians/2.htm. Last Accessed: 1/11/11
16. Kempis, Thomas a. The Imitation of Christ. "Judgment and The Punishment of Sin." Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York. 2003.
“God of mercy, humbled I bow down... I called, You answered and You came to my rescue and I want to be where You are” sings.
Many of the psalms speak of the mercies of God. As one commentary notes, mercy is the aspect of God's love that causes Him to help the miserable [those in need]. It notes:
“those those who are miserable may be so either because of breaking God’s law or because of circumstances beyond their control. God shows compassion toward those who have broken His law (Dan. 9:9; 1 Tim. 1:13, 16), although such mercy is selective, demonstrating that it is not deserved (Rom. 9:14–18).David says about himself in Psalm 34:6, “This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.”
God’s mercy on the miserable extends beyond punishment that is withheld (Eph. 2:4–6). Withheld punishment keeps us from hell, but it does not get us into heaven. God’s mercy is greater than this. God also shows mercy by actively helping those who are miserable due to circumstances beyond their control. We see this aspect of mercy especially in the life of our Lord Jesus. He healed blind men (Matt. 9:27–31; 20:29–34) and lepers (Luke 17:11–19). These acts of healing grew out of his attitude of compassion and mercy. [1]
And in Psalm 34:15,22 he says, “The eyes of the Lord on on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry... And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.”
“Show me Your heart, show me Your ways, Show me Your glory” sings
In the Old Testament temple, above the mercy seat was the place where God's presence rested in the Holy of Holies. The mercy set is the “golden lid or covering on the Ark of the Covenant”[2], that is between the two cherubim. Commentary notes that it is the place of atonement. And says, “The root meaning of hilasterion is that of appeasing and placating an offended god. Applied to the sacrifice of Christ in that regard, the word suggests that Christ’s death was propitiatory, averting the wrath of God from the sinner.”[3]
Hebrews 9:1, 3-5, 10:1 says, “Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary.... Behind the second curtain stood a tent called the Holy of Holies, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, which contained a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail... For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities...”
Hebrews 10:12-17 goes on to mention the true form of these realities: “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 'This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,' then he adds, 'I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more.' Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”
Paul says in Ephesians 2:4-6, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
When the word 'mercy' is used in the Old and New Testaments, there is more than one meaning. Just as there are more than one meaning when the word 'love' is used, there are also several for mercy.
Three of the meanings are listed in Psalm 145:8-9. It says, "The LORD is gracious [chanan], and full of compassion [racham]; slow to anger, and of great mercy [checed]. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies [racham] are over all his works."
The Lord is Gracious
Psalm 123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy [chanan] upon us.
The Hebrew word chanan means to be gracious, considerate or show favor. It is used in Gen. 33:5: “The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.” Generally, this word implies the extending of “favor,” often when it is neither expected nor deserved. Chanan may express “generosity,” a gift from the heart (Ps. 37:21). "[4]
God says to Moses in Exodus 33:19, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious [chanan] to whom I will be gracious [chanan], and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (Exod. 33:19)
David cries out in Psalm 6:2, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.”
Chanan is similar to charis in the New Testament. Charis is goodwill and favor towards “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight...” It is also the gift of grace. The “merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.” [5]
Romans 5:15 says, “ But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”
And Galatians 5:4 says, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”
The Lord is Full of Compassion
David cries out in Psalm 51, “Have Mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies [racham], blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1). God's mercy means that we are not treated as our sins deserve. Instead, our sins are freely forgiven by the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross.
The word 'mercy' used in Psalm 51, is the Hebrew word racham. It means to have compassion or show pity. God declares to Moses in Exodus 33:19, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."[6]
Commentary notes, “Isaiah prophesies messianic restoration: '… With great mercies will I gather thee.… But with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer” (Isa. 54:7-8). This is the heart of salvation by the suffering Servant-Messiah.' [7]
Racham is very similar to oikteiro in the New Testament. Oikteiro means having feelings of compassion, pity, mercy. It is from the “bowels in which compassion resides, a heart of compassion” and it is the “emotions, longings, manifestations of pity.” [8]
Paul says in Romans 9:15, “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion [oikteiro] on whom I will have compassion [oikteiro].
And Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies [oikteiro] of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
The Lord's LovingKindness
David prays in Psalm 25:6-7, “Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies [racham] and Your loving-kindnesses [checed], for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy [checed] remember me, for Your goodness' sake, O Lord.”
The Hebrew word checed means mercy in the sense of lovingkindness or steadfast love. In general, it has the meaning of strength, steadfastness, and love combined. Checed is a matter of obligation between God and Israel and also a matter of God's generosity. [9]
Commentary notes, “The weaker party seeks the protection and blessing of the patron and protector, but he may not lay absolute claim to it. The stronger party remains committed to his promise, but retains his freedom, especially with regard to the manner in which he will implement those promises. Checed implies personal involvement and commitment in a relationship beyond the rule of law.'"[10]
This commentary goes on to mention that the bible usage frequently speaks of someone “doing,” “showing,” or “keeping” checed.... God’s 'mercies,' 'kindnesses,' or 'faithfulnesses' are His specific, concrete acts of redemption in fulfillment of His promise. An example appears in Isa. 55:3: “… And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”[11]
The meaning of checed is similar to eleos in the New Testament. Eleos “denotes an outward demonstration of pity, a sympathy that expresses itself in helping a person in need... The ultimate expression of God’s mercy is His voluntary offering of His only Son for our sins, even when we were still His enemies (Eph. 2:4, 5). Since Jesus, our Intercessor at the right hand of God (7:25), has experienced every kind of temptation we endure (4:15), we can approach Him with boldness, knowing that we will find sympathy and mercy. We who have experienced God’s mercy and forgiveness should, in turn, show mercy to others (James 2:13).” [12]
Titus 3:5-6 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy [eleos] he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour...”
And Romans 15:8-9 says, “Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written, “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name.”
Blessed are the Merciful
Not only is God merciful, but He asks us, as we are shown mercy so would we show mercy to others. To be merciful is a Christlike characteristic. Jesus says in Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. And James 1:27, 2:13 says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world... For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
Graciousness
Psalm 37:21, 25-26 says, "The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous is generous and gives.... I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.”
This kind of mercy referenced here is graciousness - generosity that is an undeserved favor, a gift from the heart. We are to extend undeserved favor from the heart to those who need it. God in His graciousness, extends to us undeserved favor to us. As we receive His graciousness, we are to give it away to others.
In Gen 33:11, Jacob urged Esau to take a generous gift from him. When Esau politely declined, Jacob told him, "Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." Jacob desired to give away what he had so generously received -grace.
When someone sins against us, we are to respond to their need in love rather than retaliation. Paul writes in Romans 12:17-21, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. Therefore 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in doing so you will heap coals of fire on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Instead of gossiping, backbiting, judging, or criticizing when someone sins against us, we forgive, overlook their offense, and extend grace to them.
I had a dream not too long ago that there was a large tree and it was on fire. It's purpose was to burn and destroy. However, it could not move from where it was planted so it had no power over others unless they came over to the tree on their own accord. If they did, then it would burn and destroy them. So what it would do is taunt those who were in a weak moment of pain or grief to come over to it seeking vengeance. If the tree could get them vengeful in their moment of weakness, they would be consumed by the fire of the tree and destroy themselves.
The dream was a little odd, but it spoke to me about the destruction of retaliation. It may seem to relieve the pain for a few moments, but it has very harmful and destructive repercussions. One article notes, “Whether you realize it or not, when you gossip [I would also add criticize, backbite or judge] you are involved in an encounter with the realm of evil spirits ---- an encounter with the longest and the vilest tongue in the universe ---- that of Satan the serpent!” [13]
Instead, Paul says in Colossians 3:6, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
One commentary writes about this:
“When saints meet together they should converse with each other about the work of grace upon their souls, how it was begun, and how it has been carried on, and in what case it now is; they should talk of the great things and wonders of grace, which God has done for them, which would be both comfortable and edifying to them, and make for the glory of the grace of God; and also, they should confer together about the doctrines of grace, and so instruct, establish, and build up one another in them; and at least their conversation should always turn on things graceful and acceptable, such as may minister grace unto the hearer, and be useful and edifying; wherefore all obscene words, unchaste expressions, filthiness, foolish talking, and jesting, ought not to be used.In Romans 13:10 Paul says, "Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Or this may regard the manner of the speech, and language of the saints; it should be in the exercise of grace; it should be in truth, faithfulness, and sincerity, without lying, dissimulation, and flattery; it should be in consistence with the grace of love, therefore evil should not be spoken one of another; nor should there be whisperings, backbitings, or anything said that is injurious to the character, credit, and reputation of another; for this is contrary to love, and so not with grace: and whatever is said should be spoken in the fear of God;” [14]
Compassion
Not only are we to be gracious in the way we speak to and treat those who cause us harm, but we are to be compassionate towards them. We are to genuinely care deeply about their situation and desire to help rather than harm them. We are to be moved by genuine love and care towards others.
Paul says in Philippians 2:1-4, “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord , of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interests of others.”
One commentary notes about this, “the elect of God, holy and beloved, ought to put on bowels of mercies to one another; express the most hearty, inward, tender, and compassionate concern for each other's welfare, temporal and spiritual.” [15]
Colossians 3:12 says, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do.
In having compassion and showing mercy towards someone, there is no room for holding grudges. We cannot have a compassionate heart towards someone, caring about their welfare, and at the same time have unforgiveness in our heart towards that person for a perceived wrong.
Jesus tells a parable about a servant who owed a tremendous debt that he could not pay. As he was about to be sold as a slave and lose everything, his master “was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him his debt.” Then when the servant found someone who owed him a small debt, he demanded payment and threw the person in prison until he could pay up. His master, when he heard of this said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all the debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you? And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due him.” Jesus then says, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” (Matthew 18:24-35)
Lovingkindness
Jesus, when questioned about hanging out with sinners and tax collectors said in Matthew 9:12-13, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.'”
Sinners did not need to get it all right to hang out with Jesus. Sinners did not appear to feel full of fear, condemnation or shame around Him. They felt loved, understood and accepted. They were comfortable being themselves, even in all their sin and failures.
Jesus still today loves to hang out with sinners. When Jesus corrects sin, it is with gentleness and with a desire to help us grow, not to judge, condemn us or criticize us. He loves us right where we are at in all our stuff.
“Tell every girl, boy, woman and man, that God's been good, Ya, good to me. I've been forgiven and it feels so free!”
In the same way, He would have us treat each other. In Matthew 18:21-22 when Peter asks Jesus if he should forgive his brother who sins against him up to seven times, Jesus tells him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Beyond forgiving, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, showing them mercy in their times of need. In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tells a parable about a priest, Levite, and Samaritan who came across a man who was robbed and wounded, laying half dead. The priest and Levite walked by the man on the other side of the road. However, the Samaritan had compassion on him. He bandaged his wound, pouring on oil and wine; set him on his own animal, brought him to the inn and took care of him. When he left the next day, he then paid the innkeeper to take care of him until he was well. Then he asked, “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves? And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
So what can I learn from this?
God wants us to be free to love others. We can only do this if we are not holding them in prison for their sin. This is an area that I have struggled with. I particularly struggle with those I consider my leaders. I can have unrealistic expectations of them, expecting them to be perfect. I think this is where I often fall into idolizing my leaders, sometimes thinking they can do no wrong. Then when they are not perfect and they sin against me, I sometimes hold resentment about it rather than extending compassion and grace. I try hard to overlook it, but deep down I have not really forgiven them. Instead I hold a grudge about it that then comes out unexpectedly when I least expect it. I also often then fail to esteem the person the same.
I think part of this has to do with the fact that I struggle with receiving grace and forgiveness for my own sins. Recently I was shown grace and forgiveness when I least deserved it. By both God and others. Very unexpectedly, I acted terrible. It was the result of holding onto a minor offense and burying it rather than forgiving. When I realized it, I felt horrible. I felt like a terrible person and couldn't believe the way I acted, let alone that I had been upset at all.
God then gave me a dream that night reassuring me that all would turn out okay and I did not need to fear disaster. The next day, I recieved tons of grace like it had never happened. It was incredibly overwhelming for me. But even after receiving grace, later in the week I began to feel terrible about it again. And God, out of His mercy, gave me a word to hold on to that all really was fine and I did not need to fear harm over it.
My pastor explained in his sermon last week about the relationship between outside pressures, behaviors and identity. I realize what I have often done is tie my identity (who I am) to how I perform rather than to God's love for me and who I am in Him. Because of this, when I fail to perform well, I feel terrible about myself and think that God is incredibly disappointed in me. I feel like a total failure and then close my heart to Him. I think that it is too hard to live a holy life and become discouraged and begin to shut down.
As I wrote about mercy, I thought what God was speaking to me through what I was writing was all about my sin. How I failed to give forgiveness and grace to others when I have been forgiven so much. I am the wicked servant in the parable that is forgiven much debt and locks someone else up for a minor infraction. And while this has been true in some situations with leaders, what God really seems to be speaking to me through this is that His mercy is available for me too.
"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing..."
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy (would you believe God is so merciful that "slow to anger, rich in mercy" sang in the background while I read this in my bible). He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities, For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy towards those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:8-14)
"The goodness of the Lord goes on and on, His mercies are never ending" sings
Thomas Kempis writes, "He who loves God with all his heart does not fear death or punishment or judgment or hell, because perfect love assures access to God."
He doesn't hold a grudge and I don't need to fear that He is really seething in anger about it. He loves me despite my sins and failures. My sin is totally forgiven and forgotten. I don't need to pay consequences because He already paid the full price for my sin. In the midst of my sin, He "crowns me with lovingkindness and tender mercies." And as I fully receive this, it will give me freedom to be able to forgive and extend this same grace to others.
“What am I that I might be called Your child?” sings.
Lord, Your mercy is unending. It is overwhelming to me. There is such freedom in being forgiven. I don't have to worry about getting it all right. I just know I am loved and accepted, even at my worst. Would you make us people who “go and do likewise.”
1,2. Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Nelson's new illustrated Bible dictionary. Rev. ed. of: Nelson's illustrated Bible dictionary.; Includes index. Nashville: T. Nelson.
3. Hayford, J. W., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Hayford's Bible handbook. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
4. Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (1:100-101). Nashville: T. Nelson.
5. Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G5485). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.
6-7. Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (1:43). Nashville: T. Nelson.
8. Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G3628). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.
9-11. Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (1:142-143). Nashville: T. Nelson.
12. Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary (Heb 4:15). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.
13. Gossssip: Doing the Devil's Work For Him. Located at: http://www.towards-success.com/dejnarde_files/bible_study_gossip.htm. Last Accessed 1/11/11
14.Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible. Located at: http://gill.biblecommenter.com/colossians/4.htm. Last Accessed: 1/11/11
15. Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible. Located at: http://gill.biblecommenter.com/philippians/2.htm. Last Accessed: 1/11/11
16. Kempis, Thomas a. The Imitation of Christ. "Judgment and The Punishment of Sin." Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York. 2003.
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