mercy

Truth and mercy

Two components of a relationship with God are truth and mercy. Every relationship with the LORD has these characteristics, so if you know him, you should expect to see truth and mercy. They are evidence that a relationship actually exists. It says in Psalm 117 and 118 that the truth of the LORD and his mercy endureth for ever. That means they are eternal or timeless. God’s truth and mercy are always available.

God’s truth is associated with his work. It says in Psalm 111:7 that “the works of his hands are verity and judgment.” The same word translated verity in this verse is translated as truth in Psalm 117:2 where it says, “the truth of the LORD endureth for ever.” The Hebrew word ’emeth means stability (571). God is trustworthy. He is like a firm foundation that enables a house to stand for many years. Everything he does as a result of our relationship with him will withstand the test of time.

God’s mercy is associated with his love or lovingness toward those whom he has a relationship with. The Hebrew word for God’s mercy, chesed is often translated as loving-kindness. “Chesed implies personal involvement and commitment in a relationship beyond the rule of law…Biblical usage frequently speaks of someone ‘doing,’ ‘showing,’or ‘keeping’ chesed” (2617).

In Psalm 118:22-23 it says, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” The word translated doing in this passage is ’êth (ayth). It is properly translated as nearness. Eth is generally thought of as being with or by someone. Jesus quoted psalm 118:22-23 in his parable of the husbandmen (Matthew 21:42) except in the version of the story recorded in Mark 12:1-11, instead of saying this is the LORD’s doing, it indicates that Jesus said, “This was the LORD’s doing” (Mark 12:11).

The parable of the husbandmen is about the owner of a vineyard who tries to collect fruit from his husbandmen, but instead is left empty handed. Jesus’ reference to the stone that was rejected implied that he knew the chief priests and Pharisees were planning to kill him (Mark 12:12). In Psalm 118:17-18, it says, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.”

The love that God demonstrates is not sentimental, but intended to produce fruit or good results in the form of a visible expression of power (2590). God’s mercy or loving-kindness towards his son Jesus was demonstrated when he raised him from the dead, three days after the chief priests and Pharisees had him put to death. The truth of his resurrection is still be declared 2000 years later.

Down but not out

Psalm 28 shows us that David is aware of Absalom’s actions and intent to disturb David’s peaceful relations with his neighbors. David said to the LORD, “Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbor, but mischief is in their hearts. Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors” (Psalm 28:3-4).

The word David used to describe Absalom’s behavior, mischief or ra‘ (rah) in Hebrew is derived from the word ra‘a‘ (raw – ah´) which means to spoil (7489).

The word ra’ combines together in one the wicked deed and its consequences. It generally indicates the rough exterior of wrongdoing as a breach of harmony, and as breaking up what is good and desirable in man and in society. While the prominent characteristic of the godly is lovingkindness (2617), one of the most marked features of the ungodly man is that his course is an injury both to himself and to everyone around him. (7451)

David uses the concept of sowing and reaping to convey his belief that Absalom’s attempt to usurp David’s power would not end well for him. David prayed, “Give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert” (Psalm 28:4). The word translated desert, g’muwl means treatment (1576) and is derived from the word gâmal (gaw – mal´) which refers to a weaned child and the ripening of grapes (1580). David is implying that Absalom should be treated as an adult and the fruit of his actions should show forth the result of his intentions. Absalom’s effort to steal the hearts of the people was based on deception and the lie that David no longer cared about them.

David was hurt by the fact that his own son would turn against him, but he was not naïve enough to believe that Absalom deserved leniency because he was still a young man. David said, “Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them” (Psalm 55:15).

It was probably difficult for David to justify Absalom’s actions because David had shown Absalom mercy when he invited him back into the city of Jerusalem after Absalom had killed Amnon. One of the things David knew from personal experience was that mercy should produce repentance and a change in behavior. David said, “Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God” (Psalm 55:9). There was no evidence that Absalom was any different after returning from Geshur. If anything, he had become hardened by David’s kindness and Absalom no longer respected David’s authority.

David’s final words in Psalm 55 indicate that his retreat from Jerusalem was not a sign of defeat, but a means of getting out of God’s way so that the LORD could deal with Absalom’s disobedience. David said, “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. But thou, O God, shall bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee” (Psalm 55:22-23).

God’s grace

“And the LORD sent Nathan unto David” (2 Samuel 12:1). As a prophet, it was Nathan’s job to speak on behalf of the LORD. Typically, the prophets received messages of judgement that they had to deliver to God’s people. In David’s case, Nathan was given a parable to share with David in order to get David to judge himself. God wanted David to see the seriousness of his sin without becoming defensive about it.

Nathan told David the story of a rich man who took a poor man’s lamb in order to feed a traveler that came to visit him. (2 Samuel 12:1-4). After hearing the story it says in 2 Samuel 12:5-7, “David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die…And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.”

According to Mosaic Law, the penalty for adultery and murder was death, so David was deserving of the death penalty, but that is not the punishment he got. After David heard what his punishment was going to be (see 2 Samuel 12:10-12), “David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD” (2 Samuel 12:13). David knew he deserved death and realized that God was being merciful to him. His confession of being a sinner was an acknowledgement that God was right in judging him. “And Nathan said unto David, the LORD hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die” (2 Samuel 12:13).

It says in 1 John 1:8-9, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Although David confessed his sin, he could not be forgiven because Jesus had not yet paid the penalty for it. The term put away or ‘abar (aw – bar´) in Hebrew, “is sometimes used of ‘passing over’ a law, order, or commandment as if it were not binding” (5674). In this instance, God made an exception for David and did not act according to his own law.

What God did for David could be considered a miracle. When God does something miraculous, he goes against the laws of nature; what would normally happen does not. Up until this point in his life, it can be assumed that David had not broken any of God’s commandments. In spite of his perfect track record, David’s sin would have cost him his life if God had not intervened.

God, in his wisdom, chose to make an example of David’s life. The message the LORD brought to David through Nathan was harsh and yet David saw God as merciful and wanted his relationship with him to be restored. In the end, David lost the child that was conceived through his act of adultery. After he was told of his child’s death, David said:

While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

Immediately after the child’s death, we see that David’s favor with the LORD is restored. Two events mark another turning point in David’s life. First, his son, and successor to his throne, Solomon is born by Bath-sheba and second, the children of Ammon are destroyed completely.

And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him…And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. And he took their king’s crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with precious stones: and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance. (2 Samuel 12:24, 29-30)

True happiness

I am a results oriented type of person. I like it when I accomplish things and can say that it gives me a lot of happiness when things work out the way I want them to. I think this is what God intended when he decided to bless Abraham and his descendants. One aspect of being blessed is prosperity, but I think happiness has more to do with results than it does the kind of results we get. In fact, “the state that the blessed one enjoys does not always appear to be ‘happy'” (835).

David said about the LORD, “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand” (Psalm 84:10) and he identified three ways that someone could be blessed. “Blessed are they that dwell in thy house…Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee…Blessed is the man that trusteth in thee” (Psalm 84:4,5,12). David’s view of being blessed involved connection with the LORD and in essence was about having a relationship with the God.

Connection with God produces results. One of the results of being connected to God is righteousness. David said, “Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps” (Psalm 85:13). The word translated righteousness is tsedeq (tseh´ – dek). Tsedeq is a relational word that has to do with being faithful to each other’s expectations (6664). From this perspective, you could say that righteousness is about never being disappointed.

Another result of being connected to God is peace. David said, “I will hear what God the LORD shall speak: For he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints” (Psalm 85:8). The word translated peace, shâlôm (shaw – lome´) is derived from the word shâlam (shaw – lam´) which means to finish or complete (7999). When I finish something, the feeling I get is peace. There is usually  a sense of satisfaction, just because the job is done, but there is also a relief if I know it is complete and I will hot have to do the task ever again.

David said in Psalm 85, “Mercy and truth are met together: Righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Psalm 85:10). The idea of righteousness and peace kissing each other is that joining the two together produces a good result or a better result than if they were not joined together. If I complete an assignment and am not disappointed, I will be better off than if I completed it, but am disappointed with the result. It doesn’t give me much satisfaction to complete something if I don’t like what I end up with.

Mercy and truth are like peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Each half of the pair can exist independently and bring pleasure, but when you combine them, it is like magic. The result is phenomenal; nothing can be compared to it. Mercy and truth make it possible for me to live my life with no regrets. The affect of mercy and truth coming in contact with each other (God) in my life is that I no longer want to do things that will make me unhappy.

For example, if I were to complete a bank robbery and escape with a million dollars and never get caught, I would have to live the rest of my life with the guilt of committing a crime and lying to protect myself. Even though I would be rich, I could not live the same way I would if I had earned the money. Mercy and truth make me do the right thing not only so that I will be satisfied with the result, but everyone around me will be satisfied also. The word mercy or checed in Hebrew “refers primarily to mutual and reciprocal rights and obligations between the parties of a relationship” (2617).

The basis of truth is trustworthiness. Another way of looking at truth is believing or trusting in something or someone (539). The more trustworthy I am, the more people will want to be around me and be a part of my life. Although I would like to think that it only matters if I am happy, the truth is that if everyone around me is unhappy, my happiness will be more difficult to maintain. Sometimes the best way to achieve happiness is to make sure everyone else is happy. Although  I cannot make anyone happy, I know I can make them unhappy by doing things that are mean or spiteful. Mercy and truth make me realize that happiness is found in relationship, and therefore the more relationships I have, the more I can be truly happy.