Would you rather be judged based upon
your "keeping of the law," the whole law, or would you rather have
mercy? I have noticed that we, even as parents, insist on obedience, but
that all of our children misbehave, at times. Discipline is good, according
to the Scriptures, but sin does separate us from the presence and approval
of God. Good parents understand forgiveness, they get to practice it a
lot.
But have you noticed how harshly man
deals with the sins of man. We are very quick to find people guilty
of breaking the law and to demand retribution. If God were as hard
on us as we are on each other, no one would be saved. God’s love
for His children exceeds any "human love" we could envision. His mercy
endures forever. Do not ask God for "justice," regarding judgment
for your sins.
Let's look closely at a picture of
God's mercy.
Psalms 103:1-22
1 Bless the LORD,
O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2 Bless the LORD,
O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgives all
your iniquities, who heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your
life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender
mercies,
5 Who satisfies
your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the
eagle's.
6 The LORD executes
righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known
His ways to Moses, his acts to the children of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful
and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
9 He will not always
strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt
with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens
are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear
Him;
12 As far as the
east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from
us.
13 As a father pities
his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him.
14 For He knows
our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his
days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind
passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy
of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
and His righteousness to children's children,
18 To such as keep
His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.
19 The LORD has
established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the LORD,
you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the
voice of His word.
21 Bless the LORD,
all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
22 Bless the LORD,
all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!
(NKJ)
Now, let us look at God's judgment
on those who do not seek His mercy, either during life or at the end.
Psalms 10:2-15
2 The wicked in
his pride persecutes the poor; let them be caught in the plots which
they have devised.
3 For the wicked
boasts of his heart's desire; he blesses the greedy and renounces the
LORD.
4 The wicked in
his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.
5 His ways are always
prospering; your judgments are far above, out of his sight; as for all
his enemies, he sneers at them.
6 He has said in
his heart, "I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity."
7 His mouth is full
of cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue is trouble and
iniquity.
8 He sits in the
lurking places of the villages; in the secret places he murders the
innocent; his eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.
9 He lies in wait
secretly, as a lion in his den; he lies in wait to catch the poor; he
catches the poor when he draws him into his net.
10 So he crouches,
he lies low, that the helpless may fall by his strength.
11 He has said in
his heart, "God has forgotten; he hides His face; he will never see."
12 Arise, O LORD!
O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble.
13 Why do the wicked
renounce God? He has said in his heart, "You will not require an account."
14 But You have
seen, for You observe trouble and grief, to repay it by Your hand. The
helpless commits himself to You; you are the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm
of the wicked and the evil man; seek out his wickedness until You find
none. (NKJ)
Then the Lord distinguishes between
those who are willing and obedient and those who are as the harlot,
who refuse and rebel.
Isaiah 1:18-24
18 "Come now, and
let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they
shall be as wool.
19 If you are willing
and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
20 But if you refuse
and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword"; for the mouth of the
LORD has spoken.
21 How the faithful
city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; righteousness lodged
in it, but now murderers.
22 Your silver has
become dross, your wine mixed with water.
23 Your princes
are rebellious, and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes, and
follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the
cause of the widow come before them.
24 Therefore the
Lord says, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, "Ah, I will
rid Myself of My adversaries, and take vengeance on My enemies. (NKJ)
Throughout the scriptures, The righteousness
and justice of God are documented. God exercises authority in total
fairness. Listen to the words of Moses.
Deuteronomy
32:1-4
1 "Give ear, O heavens,
and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
2 Let my teaching drop
as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, as raindrops on the tender
herb, and as showers on the grass.
3 For I proclaim the
name of the LORD: ascribe greatness to our God.
4 He is the Rock, His
work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without
injustice; righteous and upright is He. (NKJ)
Consider what Solomon asked of God
when he was anointed as King.
1 Kings 3:9-14
9 "… give to Your servant
an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between
good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"
10 The speech pleased
the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 Then God said to
him: "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life
for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the
life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern
justice,
12 "behold, I have
done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding
heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall
any like you arise after you.
13 "And I have also
given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there
shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.
14 "So if you
walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father
David walked, then I will lengthen your days." (NKJ)
Solomon was greatly blessed. But, his
wisdom and administration of justice was not always accompanied by obedience.
Notice that in verse 14, a condition was attached to God’s gift. Then
the record indicates that Solomon, though a great leader, failed to
walk in the ways of the Lord. Listen.
1 Kings 11:1-10
1 But King Solomon
loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women
of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites--
2 from the nations
of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not
intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away
your hearts after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love.
3 And he had seven
hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives
turned away his heart.
4 For it was so, when
Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and
his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his
father David.
5 For Solomon went
after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination
of the Ammonites.
6 Solomon did evil
in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as did
his father David.
7 Then Solomon built
a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is
east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.
8 And he did likewise
for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their
gods.
9 So the LORD became
angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of
Israel, who had appeared to him twice,
10 and had commanded
him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but
he did not keep what the LORD had commanded. (NKJ)
Even Solomon, who was greatly blessed
with wisdom and powers of discernment and who, by the Hand of God gave
us the first Temple and the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the
Song of Solomon, even he did not ask for justice from God. What he
required was mercy.
2 Chronicles
6:17-21
17 "And now, O LORD
God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your
servant David.
18 "But will God
indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of
heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!
19 "Yet regard the
prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, and listen
to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You:
20 "that Your eyes
may be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where
You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which
Your servant prays toward this place.
21 "And may You
hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when
they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven Your dwelling place,
and when You hear, forgive. (NKJ)
If God were only a God of justice,
forgive me Father for referring to you from a human perspective, none
of us would survive. It is His mercy that we require and it is His mercy
that prevails. Job said it very well.
Job 9:15
15 For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg
mercy of my Judge. (NKJ)
Even in the beginning, as God spoke
through Moses, the mercy seat sat on top of the Testimony, the Ten Commandments.
Mercy prevails over judgment by the Law. Thank God that is true.
Exodus 25:21
21 "You shall put the
mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony
that I will give you. (NKJ)
Listen to the confession of King David
and his expectation of mercy.
Psalms 25:7-15
7 Do not remember
the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Your mercy
remember me, for Your goodness' sake, O LORD.
8 Good and upright
is the LORD; therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
9 The humble He
guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way.
10 All the paths
of the LORD are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His
testimonies.
11 For Your name's
sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
12 Who is the man
that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.
13 He himself shall
dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth.
14 The secret of
the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.
15 My eyes are ever
toward the LORD, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net. (NKJ)
Like King David, we too have transgressed
and we too have been promised God's mercy as we beg His forgiveness
and believe that He can "pluck our feet out of the net." What restrains
us from confession and cleansing? Hopefully nothing.
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