Merciful

There is one aspect of mercy that perhaps we do not always consider. Mercy in God's hands, and subsequently in ours, is not just an emotion of pity and compassion, or a gift of undeserved favor. It is also a creative power. In this week's Sabbath reading, which is titled Ki Teitze, meaning "When you go out", from Deuteronomy Chapters 20-25, one of the themes that keeps appearing throughout is the attitude and acts of mercy. It is no coincidence that this reading portion is assigned during the Hebrew month of Elul (see previous post titled "Transition"), also called the Month of Mercy and Forgiveness, when the Thirteen Attributes of Divine Mercy (Ex. 34:6-7) are prayed. From the Sabbath reading in Deuteronomy 24, the LORD commanded various merciful acts to be practiced by the children of Israel, keeping in mind the following: "But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this thing." (Deut. 24:18, 22). By stating this in this context, God connected the mighty and miraculous deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Egypt to an act based upon His mercy. We, then, "when we go out" are to treat others with this same mercy, opening the door for God's miraculous creative power of deliverance. In the various examples given by God in the Sabbath reading, regardless of other considerations that might be in play, mercy was to be the first consideration. In another part of scripture where we read what is called the Thirteen Attributes of Divine Mercy, as God passed before Moses declaring His name, He spoke of His mercifulness twice saying, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful (rahum- merciful, compassion, pity, love, tender affection) and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy (keeping: nasar- preserve, keeper, watchmen, monuments, guard with fidelity, protect, maintain/mercy: hesed - mercy kindness, favor, show thyself merciful, bow the neck in courtesy; also includes reproach, wicked thing, put to shame) for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin..." (Ex. 34:6-7). As we can see from the Hebrew words used in the above verses, not only does God show mercy, but He "keeps" it. He guards and protects it. He sets up monuments to serve as reminders of it. He appoints watchmen to keep a watch for it. We can also see from the Hebrew meaning for mercy, hesed, that in keeping mercy for some, the LORD must judge the wickedness of others. The LORD, in revealing His name to Moses above, also included, "by no means clearing the guilty..." (Ex. 34:7). God's mercy is present to those He is delivering, but to those who wickedly refuse and obstruct that deliverance, the ultimate rulership of His mercy requires that they be put to shame. Egypt found this out when they insistently resisted God's merciful deliverance of His people out of bondage. Egypt was not destroyed in judgment, but its opposition to the merciful will of God wss powerfully and painfully overcome by His judgments. In this Sabbath's haftarah reading from Proverbs 30, Solomon asked the question, "...Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if you know?" (v. 4). Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, became the bodily form of God's mercy for us: "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus..." (Eph. 2:4-6). Mary also proclaimed that the birth of her child, the Savior, comes out of God's mercy (Lk. 1:54-55). God's mercy towards Israel, and all men who were dying in sin, became a powerful creative work of salvation, overcoming all of the power of the world, sin, and death (Jn. 16:33). His mercy is not extended because we earn or deserve it. It is extended by God because we desperately need it, and that mercy is the only thing that can help us. We very much need this mercy of God today as we are faced with tumultuous events and dangers. Many times those who needed a miracle from Jesus approached Him crying out to Him as a Giver of mercy (Mt. 9:27, 15:22, 17:15, 20:30-31), and from His mercy the creative works of healing and deliverance did indeed pour forth. From this week's Sabbath reading comes an example of a powerful creative work that began in God's mercy. It is from the haftarah reading in Isaiah 54. The LORD's mercy is stirred on behalf of Israel, whom God describes as an unmarried woman with no children: "...a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit" (v. 6). From her place of desolation and childlessness, God said to Israel: "For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. He is called the God of the whole earth." (v. 5). The LORD continued, "...with great mercies I will gather you...with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you..." (v. 7-8). The LORD told Israel that she must enlarge her tent because the number of her children, though she was barren, would be very great, "and your descendants will inherit the nations..." (Isa. 54:1-3). This promise of the LORD comes after His prophecy in Isa. 53, the chapter describing the Servant who suffered and was killed for the sins of others. That Servant "shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities." (Isa. 53:11). How could Israel have imagined from the LORD's promise of mercy in Isaiah 54, that millions, even billions, of people over the centuries from all the nations of the world would become her spiritual children. While Israel might have imagined that this prophetic promise in Isaiah 54 was referring to future natural children, the mercy of God would produce an even greater miracle. Israel could never have imagined the powerful creative work that was done on behalf of her childless state. Most of those prophesied children, having found the knowledge and faith in El-elohe Israel, the God of Israel, came to that knowledge of Him through the sacrifice of His Son, the Messiah, Jesus. When we think of the mercy of God, do we understand the earthmoving creative power that it engenders? As the LORD commanded the children of Israel to remember His mercy in Deuteronomy 24, and to do likewise to those who needed it, Jesus also gave the same commandment. After His parable about the mercy that the Good Samaritan had shown to the wounded stranger, Jesus said to His listeners, "Go and do likewise." (Lk. 10:30-37). Mercy is not just about being "nice", or trying to "earn" spiritual credits with God. Mercy is about a foundational element in God's name, and the power of it that changes seemingly hopeless situations. May our thoughts, words, prayers, and actions towards others always incorporate the miraculous mercy of God. If you would like to learn more about the mercy of God, you can start with a prayer: "Heavenly Father, mercy is Your name. You sent Your Son, Jesus, to be mercy for me. While I was dead in my trespasses, I remember that Your mercy made me alive, and raised me up in Christ Jesus. Jesus sent another Comforter (Parakletos) to me, the Holy Spirit, Who joins God and His mercy to me. By this same Holy Spirit, help me to extend the mercy of God to others in need, that the God of Israel might move every circumstance in the power of His deliverance. I ask You this in Jesus' name. Amen."