God is Merciful

While there are people who undeservedly have a bad rap, God is the worst maligned of anyone.  He is infinitely good, righteous and glorious in all His ways, yet people find fault with Him.  Even God's own people don't always listen to Him or trust Him.  There is a persistent view that persists in churched people that the "God of the Old Testament" has a split personality with God revealed in the New Testament.  Nothing could be further from the truth, for the eternal God does not change.  Malachi 3:6 "For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob."  Hebrews 13:8 affirms the deity of our Messiah with this fitting description:  "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

The mercy, grace and love of God is seen throughout all scripture because He does not change.  Recently during a study in Genesis I was struck by God's mercy towards Lot and his family in Genesis 19:15-16:  "When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city." ¹⁶ And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city."  God was under no obligation to save Lot, but He was inclined to do so due to His great mercy.  While Lot lingered, the angelic visitors reached out and took Lot by the hand and led he and his family to safety before Sodom and the cities of the plain were destroyed.

God's mercy is seen even in the destructive judgment God brought upon hardened, unrepentant sinners.  The global flood in Noah's day, the ruin of Sodom and the plagues of Egypt are cautionary events the wise will consider:  God will surely judge those who do wickedly and there is no escape from God who knows all.  At the same time God has provided a means of escape for those who will believe and trust Him.  He provided the Law of Moses as a tutor to take His people by the hand, objectively reveal their sin and need for forgiveness, and thus lead them to Jesus Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  The resurrection of Jesus from the dead shows He is able to give eternal life as promised, for the wages of sin that bring death were atoned for by His shed blood.

The depressed psalmist mused in Psalm 77:7-9:  "Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favourable no more? ⁸ Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore? ⁹ Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah."  The answer Asaph to all these questions was simply, "No!"  When Asaph focused on his forlorn feelings, his troubles and all that was wrong, it skewed his view of God.  Troubles stirred up the dregs of envy, greed and unbelief in his own heart and exposed his folly.  His infirmity did not mean God had problems.  It was when he began to consider the wonderful works of God and to speak of them his perspective totally changed.  He remembered how good and awesome God always is, regardless of his changing emotions and feelings.

Psalm 77:13-15 extols the immutable God:  "Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; who is so great a God as our God? ¹⁴ You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples. ¹⁵ You have with Your arm redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah."  Both sections end with "selah" which means to reflect and consider:  what reflections do you tend to have concerning God?  Are you focused on the judgment of the wicked or the mercy shown to His redeemed?  The words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts say more about us than God who is good and does not change.  Let us declare His praise now and forever as His people redeemed by the Gospel.