M E R C Y

Matt 23:23 (NIV)

23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-- mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-- justice, MERCY and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Ps 136:1-26 (KJV)

1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

7 To him that made great lights: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER:

8 The sun to rule by day: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER:

9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

10 To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER:

11 And brought out Israel from among them: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER:

12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER:

14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER:

15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

17 To him which smote great kings: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER:

18 And slew famous kings: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER:

19 Sihon king of the Amorites: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER:

20 And Og the king of Bashan: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER:

21 And gave their land for an heritage: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER:

22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER:

24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

LES MIS:

We saw the movie based Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables a couple of weeks ago and I was SHOCKED to see mercy ! When the main character, Jean Valjean, a convicted criminal was offered food and lodging at the bishop’s house, it was almost too much to believe, BUT when Jean Valjean hit the Bishop and stole the silverware, you just KNEW he would be toast when he was caught. OK . . . next scene . . . the police capture Jean Valjean, bring him to the Bishop with the bag of silverware and you are ready for this man to be condemned . . . the Bishop says, ”Oh, I’m so GLAD you came back . . . you forgot the candlesticks I gave you along with the silverware” Both the cops AND Jean Valjean are STUNNED, but they have to let him go. Jean Valjean asks the Bishop . . . why? . . . the Bishop says, ”With this I have redeemed your soul” and Jean Valjean is transformed into a merciful and a kind man for the duration of the story. M E R C Y transforms :)

See:

Rom 2:1-6 (NIV)

1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

2 Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.

3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?

4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that GOD'S KINDNESS LEADS YOU TOWARD REPENTANCE?

5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done."

GOD IS NOT QUICK TO CONDEMN:

SPURGEON said,” Tis sweetly said, "The Lord God walked in the garden in the cool of the day." Perhaps that fruit was plucked at early morn, mayhap it was plucked at noontide; but God was in NO HASTE to condemn; he waited till the sun was well nigh set, and in the cool of the day came, and as an old expositor has put it very beautifully, when he did come HE DID NOT COME ON WINGS OF WRATH, BUT HE "WALKED in the garden in the cool of the day." He was in no haste to slay. I think I see him, as he was represented then to Adam, in those glorious days when God walked with man. Methinks I see the wonderful similitude in which the Unseen did vail himself: I see it walking among the trees so slowly—ay, if it were right to give such a picture—beating its breast, and shedding tears that it should have to condemn man. At last I hear its doleful voice: "Adam, where art thou? Where hast thou cast thyself, poor Adam? Thou hast cast thyself from my favor; thou hast cast thyself into nakedness and into fear; for thou art hiding thyself Adam, where art thou?”

LET’S BE LIKE OUR FATHER GOD . . . CHECK OUT James 1:19-20 (KJV)

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

KING DAVID SHOWS THE MERCY OF GOD:

2 Sam 9:1-13 (NIV)

1 David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show KINDNESS for Jonathan's sake?"

2 Now there was a servant of Saul's household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" "Your servant," he replied.

3 The king asked, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?" Ziba answered the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet."

4 "Where is he?" the king asked. Ziba answered, "He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar."

5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, "Mephibosheth!" "Your servant, (he probably thought, ”I’m dead”)" . . . he replied.

7 "Don't be afraid," David said to him, "for I will surely show you KINDNESS for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will RESTORE TO YOU ALL THE LAND THAT BELONGED TO YOUR GRANDFATHER SAUL, AND YOU WILL ALWAYS EAT AT MY TABLE."

8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?"

9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.

10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master's grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

11 Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons.

12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba's household were servants of Mephibosheth.

13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table, and he was crippled in both feet.