mercy

Mercy

Jonah’s reaction to the transformation of the people of Nineveh shows a disregard for the purpose of his visit. Jonah knew that God wanted the Ninevites to repent and turn from their wicked ways, and yet, when they did, “it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry” (Jonah 4:1). Jonah was not interested in seeing a change, he wanted revenge.

In spite of his successful mission, Jonah was distraught. It is clear from his prayer that Jonah wanted a different outcome. Jonah prayed, “Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live” (Jonah 4:3). What Jonah meant was that he thought the outcome was unfair. God was only supposed to care about the Israelites because they were his chosen people.

At the core of Jonah’s complaint, was a belief that the Israelites should be treated different than everyone else. Jonah did not want God to forgive the people of Nineveh. As Jonah was demonstrating, the Israelites had become proud and were taking advantage of their relationship with the LORD. God wanted Jonah to realize that his mercy was not exclusive, anyone could repent and be saved.

Jonah was convinced that the Ninevites repentance was not genuine. It says in Jonah 4:5, “Jonah went out of the city, and there made himself a booth, and sat under it in the shade till he might see what would become of the city.” Jonah expected that on day 41, the day after the people were to be overthrown, everything would go back to normal. Jonah thought as soon as the people had escaped God’s judgment, they would return to their evil ways.

The booth Jonah made for himself was a temporary shelter or hut constructed by weaving together tree branches or the leaves of a plant (5521). Jonah’s attempt to make himself comfortable while he waited made it seem as if the destruction of Nineveh was a spectator sport that Jonah was meant to enjoy. In spite of his calloused attitude, God indulged Jonah by causing a plant to grow over him that provided additional shade. Unfortunately, the plant was eaten by a worm the next day.

In a final attempt to bring Jonah to his senses, God demonstrated his sovereign control over Jonah’s circumstances by sending a hot east wind to drive him away, but Jonah would not relent. Jonah was determined to prove God wrong and could not accept that the people of Nineveh were worthy of God’s compassion. What Jonah didn’t understand was that God’s mercy was not a part of his covenant with Israel. Rather, it was a part of God’s covenant with Noah that applied to the whole world (Genesis 9:15-17).

Mercy

Psalm 83 may have been written at the time when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. If so, it is likely an extension of the prayer recorded in 2 Chronicles 6 – 12 in which Jehoshaphat asks for the LORD’s help when a great multitude came against Jeshoshaphat to battle (2 Chronicles 20:1). The author of Psalm 83 states that God’s enemies “have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones” (Psalms 83:3).

The psalmist speaks as if God is unaware of what is going on, but really  his prayer is an acknowledgement  of the situation rather than a declaration of the facts. Jehoshaphat had received a visit from Jehu the son of Hanani the seer after he returned from fighting in Ramoth-gilead with king Ahab. Jehu said to king Jehoshaphat, “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD” (2 Chronicles 19:2).

Jehoshaphat may have assumed the attack against Judah was his punishment for helping Ahab and that he would be defeated because God’s wrath was upon him. Instead of accepting defeat, “Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah” (2 Chronicles 20:3). Jehoshaphat showed reverence to the LORD and put himself in a position of receiving God’s mercy rather than judgment.

Jehoshaphat’s justification for receiving God’s mercy was “that men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, Art the most High over all the earth” (Psalm 83:18). If God’s people were destroyed, God’s reputation would be damaged. Even though Jehoshaphat deserved to be punished for fighting in Ramoth-gilead with Ahab, he wasn’t because his enemies were God’s enemies also.

God’s message of deliverance was delivered by a Levite of the sons of Asaph. He told Jehoshaphat, “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of the great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s (2 Chronicles 20:15). Jehoshaphat was miraculously delivered. After all of his enemies were dead, “when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stript off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much” (2 Chronicles 20:25).

Mercy

God’s mercy can be described as an intentional effort to do something that will benefit us. Most of the time, mercy is displayed when it is least expected. God is the only person adequately equipped to perform acts of mercy because in order for something to be merciful it must change a person’s life. The best example of this is Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross. Jesus had the power to overcome death, the ability to grant eternal life, and a willingness to be crucified. No other man could do what he did.

In some ways, mercy can be understood as the ultimate act of love and yet, it is not really a single act, but the culmination of many acts over a period of time. I think of mercy as being like a marriage proposal that comes after a long courtship that included many acts of kindness in order to win my heart.

The phrase “for his mercy endureth for ever” is repeated 26 times in Psalm 136. Each time it is a response to a statement about God. It might be strange to think that God wants us to love him and has gone to great lengths to win our love, but that is exactly what Jesus’ death on the cross demonstrates. It was not a weak, wimpy expression of love, but a divine proposal to spend eternity with the master of the universe.