Thank God for ... His Mercy
Thank God for His Mercy | Thank God part 1
As Moses was readying the Israelites to begin their wilderness journey, the Lord met with him to provide the instructions that would help them persevere to the next generation. First, the Lord tells Moses to cut out two more tablets so they will have the Law on them. You may recall Moses broke the first set in a fit of rage. Then, the Lord tells Moses to make himself ready, because on the next day, Moses is going to hike up the mountain again, and the Lord will pass by. Moses is going to receive a special visitation by God.
This visitation will leave Moses transformed. At the end of chapter 34, Moses’ face is bright and glorious—so bright, in fact, the people tell Moses to cover his face. Moses has to lead the people from behind a veil, because they can’t handle looking at his face. Moses would continue to keep the veil over his face, because each time he would meet with the Lord in the Tent of Meeting, he would come out with a bright face the people could not look directly at.
When we consistently meet with the Lord, people will take notice.
Today, what the Church needs now more than ever is a renewed vision of God. It’s difficult for the people to see the transformation that happens when we spend time with the Lord because we haven’t spent enough time with the Lord. So, with that in mind, in the next few weeks we are going to get a glimpse of God. In Exodus 34, as the Lord passes by Moses, He proclaims 5 attributes that summarize who He is. We are going to give thanks to God in this season of Thanksgiving looking at each of these words.
Read with me Exodus 34:6:
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,”
Exodus 34:6
Give Thanks For God’s Mercy
The Lord states He is “merciful”—rahum. This word is used again and again to describe God’s mercy, because it is a word that also can be translated “compassionate.” The Lord shows compassion to His people. He abounds in mercy, because of His great love for us.
In the Old Testament, this word pops up each time a prophet or psalm writer refers to this very time in Exodus. Recall the Lord leads the Israelites out of Egypt, and they approach the Promised Land right away. Moses and the population of Israel are right at the border, but the people are afraid. They refuse to go to the land God promised them, because they see giants. They lose faith. Then, even worse, they rebel against God and Moses. The Lord has every right to destroy them, and almost does until Moses appeals to God’s mercy, and then the Lord makes provisions for them to travel through the wilderness.
We tend to think of the wilderness journey as punishment, but really it was an act of mercy. Where they should have been destroyed, they are allowed to continue—just not as they should have.
The Lord is merciful to guide us through the wilderness wandering caused by our sin.
If we find ourselves in a situation of despair or confusion, it just may be that at some point in the past we messed up. Now, when we find ourselves in that situation, we have two options: 1) wail, moan, play the victim, and grow bitter with time or 2) recognize we can’t change the past, but we serve a merciful God who can help us transform our future.
Read with me how the psalmist describes Israel’s situation in Psalm 78:
They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer. But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant.
Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.
Psalm 78:35-38
It is because of God’s mercy He does not deal with us as He rightly could, but instead gives us redemption. Notice the psalmist says He atoned for their iniquity. The Lord provided the means for Israel’s atonement. Time and again Israel proved themselves unfaithful to God, but time and again God proved Himself faithful to Israel.
This mercy is embodied in Christ who came to demonstrate God’s mercy for all the world. Though we deserved death because of our sin and rebellion, the Lord sent His Son to “atone for our iniquity” as the psalmist writes.
The Lord is merciful to save us from our sinful state.
The Lord does not leave us in misery. He opens a way out of sin and into His light and righteousness.
God’s mercy is embodied in Jesus Christ
Turn with me to Ephesians 2 and let’s read how Paul describes this great mercy God shows us. We’re looking at a larger chunk, and I don’t want you to miss the main points, so let’s just read a bit at a time.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Ephesians 2:1-3
Before we receive mercy, notice how Paul describes our state.
We are “dead in our trespasses and sins.” We are condemned, and the worst part is we don’t even know it. Look at the two clauses that follow: “following the course of this world”—meaning we are following the same direction, the same path, that the rest of the world is on—and “following the prince of the power of the air”—meaning we are following the devil who influences this world.
Many times Christians lament fallen people doing fallen people things, but that’s because we forget the lost person has no clue they are lost. They are just as corrupted as this world, and under the same influence. And, should we succumb to the temptation of self-righteous pride, notice how Paul continues, “among whom we all once lived.”
The Lord’s mercy extends to all who will receive it, because we are all in need of it.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-7
Where’s does God’s mercy come from? His great love for us! “Even when we were dead,” even when we didn’t deserve nor could we ever earn it, the Lord God made us alive with Christ! It is only because of grace we are saved. And even more so, we are not just saved from our dead state, but God also raises us up with Him and seats us with Him in those heavenly places. Now, this is a theologically heavy statement, so let’s get the gist of it.
When we are saved from death, we are given eternal life, and we are saved from this corrupted earth. Now, I know some are thinking, “But we’re still here?!?” Look again at verse 7. “In the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches” points to the time after this corrupted age. We are saved from death today, and we are reserved in heaven for eternity. And in those coming ages—that time after the Lord’s Return—we will see far greater things than we can imagine today.
The Lord’s mercy extends into eternity, because we are made for eternity.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10
Paul repeats our salvation, God’s mercy given to us, is only because of grace—“it is the gift of God.” We cannot earn it, so there’s no point in someone trying to boast about how ‘godly’ they are. The godliest people know they don’t deserve God’s mercy so they would never do such a blasphemous thing. We are saved because God wants to save us. We have mercy from the Lord because the Lord wants to extend mercy.
Now, what are the implications of such grace?
First, we can remember God loves us because God loves us. We did nothing to deserve such love, but because of God’s mercy, we can receive such grace.
Second, look again at verse 10. Because God created us, because God shows mercy to us, and because God transforms us in Christ Jesus, all credit goes to Him. And He does such a work in us, because He has a plan “prepared beforehand” for us to do His good works.
The Lord’s mercy extends to others through our walk with Him.
Because God’s mercy is so great for us, and we have benefited eternally because of His grace, we can extend that mercy to others. We can forgive, because we have been forgiven. We can give, because He has given us so much. We can be patient because He is patient with us.
Moses went through a physical transformation because we was physically in the presence of the Lord. When we meet with God, our souls and spirit goes through a transformation, as well. And that transformation is evident to the world around us.
If we wonder why the world around us has such a hard time seeing the Lord’s handiwork, remember two things:
They are under the same corruption and lies that we once were.
They can’t see Jesus in us if we have not spent sufficient time with Jesus.
Moses’ face shone brightest after he had been with the Lord. We shine brightest when we’ve spent time with the Lord. If we want to shine, we have to have some one on one time with Jesus.
Today, if you have never spent time with God, then I invite you to call on His Name. The Lord is ready to show you mercy as well. When we think of how good God is to us, we will inevitably be reminded of how corrupt we are. But the Lord’s mercy extends to anyone who will call His Name. Whomsoever calls on the Name of Jesus will be saved. The Lord will show you mercy, because He wants to.