Last week we looked at the picture of the mercy seat, where we receive the mercy of atonement (covering, reconciliation) through Christ for our sins. By way of reminder, mercy is defined as “compassion, human or divine, especially active; kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them.” The Hebrew word “hesed” is also translated as “mercy or lovingkindness.” To summarize, we could say that being merciful (full of mercy) includes “any action to help someone in need.” It has a wide range of applications to the needy body, soul, and spirit of mankind.
Tender Mercies -There are 14 occurrences of the phrase “tender mercies (or tender mercy)”. This phrase is one word in the Hebrew: rakh’-am; from H7355; compassion (in the plural); by extension, the womb (as cherishing the fetus); by implication, a maiden:—bowels, compassion, damsel, tender love, (great, tender) mercy, pity, womb. The picture of a mother cherishing her unborn child is quite powerful, especially when this is contrasted with those who do not like to retain God in their knowledge (Romans 1:18-32). The list describing such people concludes with “unmerciful” (vv. 29-31). We see this in our day with the unmerciful who, instead of caring for the baby in their womb, choose to kill it. In stark contrast, God shows His tender mercy to each of us. The last verse in the following set is David’s cry for God to show mercy on him in his sin, according to the MULTITUDE of His tender mercies.
Psa 69:16 “Hear me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.”
Psa 145:9 “The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.”
Luke 1:78 “Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;” (the coming of Jesus Christ)
Psa 51:1 “Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.”
The Endurance of God’s mercies – There are 42 times where the phrase “His mercy endures forever” is exclaimed (many of these are in Psalm 136).
Psa 136:1 “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for [He is] good! For His mercy endures forever.”
We are also told that He keeps His mercy for a thousand generations and it is everlasting:
Deu 7:9 “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;”
Psa 100:5 “For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”
Singing of God’s mercies – Of the 359 occurrences of “mercy” in its various forms, 132 are found in the book of Psalms, our “book of hymns” in the Bible. Singing of God’s mercies should be one of our regular practices. Keep in mind, they are “new every morning!” (Lam. 3:22-23)
Psa 89:1 “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.”
Because the multitude of His manifold, very great, abundant, tender mercies endure forever and to all generations, we should sing of His mercies FOREVER! The following song by T. O. Chisholm expresses this truth:
The mercies of God! What a theme for my song
Oh I never could number them o’er
They’re more than the stars in the heavenly dome
Or the sands of the wave-beaten shoreChorus (Our response to His mercies)
For mercies so great, What return can I make
For mercies so constant and sure
I’ll love him, I’ll serve Him with all that I have
As long as my life shall endureThey greet me at morn when I waken from sleep
And they gladden my heart at the noon
They follow me on into shades of the night
when the day with its labor is doneHis angels of mercy encompass me round
Wheresoever my pathway may lead
Each turn of the road some new token reveals
Oh! for me life is blessed indeed
His goodness and mercy will follow me still
Even on to the end of the way
I have His sure promise and that cannot fail
That His mercy endureth for aye
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Keith Neds