Bulletin Insert (4/27/21): Biblical Examples of Divine Mercy

 

“The Earth, O LORD, is Full of Thy Mercy…”

(Pastor Terry Reese; Valley GBC, Armagh, PA; 4/25/21)

 

Intro: Divine Mercy is God’s Love outwardly expressed to meet human need; it is condescending & gracious, extended unto unworthy inferiors—even enemies—in order to meet human need without considering the personal merits of the sufferer. It is empathetic, kind, patient, and forbearing.

 

Various Expressions of Divine Mercy in the Bible.

 

1. Adam and Eve (covered in their shame & misery; Gen. 3:21).

 

2. Seen in God’s constant care & sustenance of His fallen Creation (Ps.119:64;145:8-9,15-16; Matt. 5:44-45; Acts 14:16-17).

 

3. The Mercy Seat (Ex.25:17-22), where Israel’s sin was propitiated on Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement), temporally holding back the outbreak of the wrath of God. This imagery also points to the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, which does what animal sacrifices could not do (Heb. 10:4). Note the beautiful, living picture of the Mercy Seat in the Empty Tomb (John 20:12)!

 

4. Continued aid & longsuffering compassion extended unto the stiff-necked Nation of Israel (cf., Neh. 9; the Levites’ great prayer, recounting Israel’s sorry record of unfaithfulness vs. God’s many acts of mercy).

 

5. God’s longsuffering mercy unto unbelieving OT Gentile nations (note Jonah 4; God is merciful to the cruel pagan city of Nineveh—over his prophet’s objections!).

 

6. Christ’s acts of mercy & compassion towards sinners (Luke 9:51-56, 17:12-13; John 8:7; Matt. 9:11-13).

 

7. Ultimately witnessed in our election & redemption in Christ (Eph. 2:1-9). Christians were, prior to their quickening and regeneration, dead (v. 1) and enslaved unto Satan (v. 2), facing nothing but eternal wrath (v. 3). “But God, who is rich in mercy,” in His love (v. 4) & kindness (v. 7), made us spiritually alive (v. 5) and saved us by grace, through faith (vv. 8-9).