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).

Daniel 3: The Accusation against the Jews (Midweek Prayer & Bible Study; 4/21/21)

 

o   A possible backdrop to Nebuchadnezzar’s plan to unify the Empire: a coup attempt (c., 595/594 BC), as recorded within the Babylonian Chronicles.

 

 

2. The Accusation of the Chaldeans (vv. 8-12).

v. 8: For this reason at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought charges against the Jews.

 

“…certain Chaldeans came forward…”

o   “Chaldeans,” though an ethnic term, is probably used in the sense of Dan. 2:2, as a special priestly caste.

o   Ironically, one of the groups saved by Daniel’s merciful intervention (2:24)!

 

“…and brought charges against the Jews.”

o   The charges were probably motivated by several factors:

1) personal & professional jealousy; 2) anti-Semitism & nationalistic xenophobia.

 

o   Jealousy: a powerful and frightful force and incentive in the affairs of men.

“Abel could not stand before the envy of Cain; nor Joseph before the envy of his brethren; nor Christ before the envy of the Jews, his bitter enemies; and, where it is, there is confusion and every evil work, James 3:14. An envious man is worse than an angry and wrathful man; his wrath and anger may be soon over, or there may be ways and means of appeasing him; but envy continues and abides, and works insensibly.”—John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible (Prov. 27:4)

o   Anti-Semitism: Note the direct reference to the ethnicity of the offenders: v. 12.

o   Doubtless, it was repugnant that a conquered alien race of unfamiliar customs should be elevated over the chief providence of Babylon!

 

o   The riddle of Antisemitism; despite their great personal industry and beneficial influence upon Mankind in a variety of fields (e.g., arts, sciences, commerce), the Hebrew people have always been the object of an irrational and unreasoning hatred by the nations of the world, resulting in much persecution.

 

o    For example: Pharoah in Egypt, Haman in Persia, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Emperor Hadrian of Rome, Medieval religious-based persecution from various Christian & Islamic sources, the pogroms of Czarist Russia, Nazi Germany, the modern Islamic Middle East, etc.

 

o   The ultimate source of such diabolical hatred: Satan, the Accuser of the Brethren (Rev. 12:10)!

 

o   Satan was mindful of the prophecy of Gen. 3:15: a Deliverer, born of the Human Race, would be the instrument of his destruction.

Gen. 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel."

Rom. 16:20: The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

 

o   Satan was also aware that via the Abrahamic & Davidic Covenants, the Highway of the Seed would pass through the descendants of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3), Isaac (Gen. 17:18-21), Jacob (Gen. 25:23), Judah (Gen. 49:10), Jesse (Isa. 11:10), and David (2 Sam. 7:8-17).

 

o   Hence, the furious Satanic hatred for the Covenant Nation that would produce both Messiah (the Living Word), as well as the written Word…

Rev. 12:4: And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

 

o   Mark Twain (1897), on the “mystery” of Jewish survival:

"If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one quarter of one percent of the human race.  It suggests a nebulous puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way.  Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of.  He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk.

 His contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine and abstruse learning are also very out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers.  He has made a marvelous fight in this world in all ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself and be excused for it.  The Egyptians, the Babylonians and the Persians rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greeks and Romans followed and made a vast noise, and they were gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, and have vanished.

The Jew saw them all, survived them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmaties, of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert but aggressive mind.  All things are mortal but the Jews; all other forces pass, but he remains.  What is the secret of his immortality?"

Sermon Notes: "Wonderful, Merciful Savior"

 

“Wonderful, Merciful Savior”

(Pastor Terry L. Reese; Valley GBC, Armagh, PA; 4/18/21)

 

Intro: “The Quality of Mercy…”

Shakespeare speaks of a quality that becomes a King far greater than such emblems of authority as his crown or his scepter—namely, a Divine quality:

 

The quality of mercy is not strained;

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:

'T is mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes

The throned monarch better than his crown:

His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,

The attribute to awe and majesty,

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;

But mercy is above this sceptred sway;

It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings,

It is an attribute to God himself;

And earthly power doth then show likest God's

When mercy seasons justice.

―William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene 1

 

I. A wonderful truth: God is Merciful!

A communicable attribute of God (i.e., one that we can share-in & express). It is demanded that we also be merciful unto others!

Luke 6:36: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

James 2:13a: “For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy”

 

II. Various Biblical Terminologies.

A. Old Testament Hebrew terms:

1. râcham: to love deeply; to have a disposition of mercy, tender affection, and compassion (Ps. 116:5).

 

2. chêsêd:  goodness, loving-kindness, pity (Ps. 18:25).

 

3. chânan: to bend or stoop in kindness, as to an inferior (Job 9:15).

 

B. New Testament Greek terms:

1. eleos: associated with the idea of feeling compassion, pity, and

sympathy for a sufferer—and thus, taking action upon his behalf.

 

2. oiktirmōn: having empathy & compassion for the ills of others.

 

III. Definitions of Mercy from various authorities.

Richards, Expository Dictionary of Bible Words:

“Even though different Hebrew words may be found where the English versions read ‘mercy,’ the underlining concept shines through. Mercy is condescending love, reaching out to meet a need without considering the merit of the person who receives the aid…” “In both Testaments, mercy is compassion expressed to meet human need. The focus in both is on God’s mercy to human beings. In the final analysis, God is the only one truly able to meet our needs. He is the one on whom we must depend.”

 

Buswell, A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion:

“…the goodness or love of God shown to those who are in misery or distress, irrespective of their deserts.”

 

Tim Challies description of Divine Mercy:

“God acting patient. It is God extending patience to those who deserve to be punished…” “Mercy is not something God owes to us—by definition mercy cannot be owed—but is something God extends in kindness and grace to those who do not deserve it.”

 

Jonathan Edwards:*

“God is pleased to show mercy to His enemies, according to His own sovereign pleasure. Though He is infinitely above all, and stands in no need of creatures; yet He is graciously pleased to take a merciful notice of poor worms in the dust.”

 

*Note: In light of Edwards’ above comments, observe in Eph. 2:1-7 the stark contrast between the Mercy shown unto the Elect (vv. 4-7) and the wrathful Justice poured out upon Reprobate.—TLR

 

A. The relationship between Love & Mercy.

God’s Mercy is an active expression of His Love (which is innate to His character). Because He loves, He shows mercy; Mercy is thus a relative attribute (i.e., what God is in relation to others).

 

B. The distinction between Love & Mercy.

While strongly associated, the two ideas are not synonymous.

 

Love is a broader & more general concept than Mercy. God’s Love, while always present, is not always expressed in the form of Mercy. Sometimes, in fact, Love is expressed in Judgment & Discipline (Prov.13:24, Heb. 12:4-11)!

 

Every act of God can be described in the ultimate sense, as an act of Love—but not every act of God is an act of Mercy.

 

C. The fine distinction between Grace & Mercy.

Both ideas involve God doing some good unto those who have not merited it. Thus, there is definitely an overlap between the two concepts… and yet, there is perhaps an important shade of distinction, as well…

 

Grace (God’s unmerited favor unto sinners) involves, among other things, concern for Man’s guilt…

 

Mercy involves Divine concern over Man’s misery…

 

Hence: Grace is extended towards the rebel, and Mercy towards the distressed.

 

Millard Erickson, Christian Theology:

“God’s mercy is His tenderhearted, loving compassion for His people. It is His tenderness of heart toward the needy. If grace contemplates humans as sinful, guilty and condemned, mercy sees them as miserable and needy.”

 

III. The Greatness of Divine Mercy.

A. David’s wise choice (1 Chon. 21:13).

1 Chron. 21

1: Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.

7-10: But God was displeased with this thing, and he struck Israel. And David said to God, "I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly." And the LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying, "Go and say to David, 'Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer you; choose one of them, that I may do it to you.'"

1 Chron. 21:11-15: So Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Take for yourself either three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the LORD, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.' Now, therefore, consider what answer I shall return to Him who sent me." ¹³David said to Gad, "I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man." So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel; 70,000 men of Israel fell. And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, "It is enough; now relax your hand."

 

1. “Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer you; choose one of them, that I may do it to you.”

When a guilty David is offered a choice of punishments, David chooses to be delivered into the Hand of God—whose mercy is great—rather than into the hand of man, who is often merciless:

 

"I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man."

 

2. David a man well acquainted with the “very great” mercies of God…

Ps. 57:10: For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, and Your truth unto the clouds.

[Of David, when he fled from Saul.]

 

Ps. 86:5:  For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. [A prayer of David, for mercy.]

 

Ps. 108:4: For Your mercy is great above the heavens, and Your truth reaches to the clouds. [of David]

Ps. 89:2-4: For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations.

[Ethan the Ezrahite, in ref. to the Davidic Covenant of 2 Sam. 7; a covenant ultimately realized in the Kingdom Age with the exaltation of the Throne of David.]

Psalm 103: Praise for the LORD's Mercies A Psalm  of David.

¹Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! ²Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: ³Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, ⁴Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, ⁵Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. ⁶The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. ⁷He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. ⁸The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. ⁹He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. ¹¹For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; ¹²As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. ¹³As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him. ¹⁴For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. ¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. ¹⁶For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. ¹⁷But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, ¹⁸To such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.

 

B. This phrase is repeated in Psalm 136 no less than twenty-six times—and still not too much!

 

Ps. 136:1: “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for His mercy endureth forever.”

Studies in Daniel 3:4-7: Enforced Religious Unity

 

v. 4a: “Then the herald loudly proclaimed…”

o   The Herald functions as a Mouthpiece—much like the Second Beast of Rev. 13: Rev.13:12: “It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast…”

 

v. 4b: "To you the command is given, O peoples…”

o   A commandment—not a suggestion!

o   A reflection of the Empire’s vast national & cultural diversity—pointing to the politically unifying purpose behind the image.

 

v. 5a: “…that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute…”

o   The first of two distinct means employed to inspire conformity: ALLUREMENT! The Way of Sin is made to appear appealing.  

 

o   Music is a powerful force and an effective means of stirring the heart.

 

o   The inspirational & suggestive power of music is effectively used to sell everything from soap to political agendas…

 

o   In the religious realm, music effectively stirs the soul, arousing passion & awe.

 

o   Music is a great gift of God (Ex. 15:20-21; Ps. 144:9; Eph. 5:19; Rev. 5:8, 15:2)!

Ps. 150:3-5: “Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!”

 

o   It can also be misused by the wicked, and by false religionists; note its early association with the Cainites (Gen. 4:21).

 

o   Music was of great delight and importance to the Neo-Babylonians...

Isa. 14:11: “Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the sound of your harps…”

Ps.137:1-3: By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

 

o   The exotic nature of Nebuchadnezzar’s orchestra: the last two instruments are indicated by Greek terminology.

 

o   This underscores the cross-cultural contact & exchanges that Babylon had with the Greek world, manifested in art, commerce, and various other realms.

 

o   Nebuchadnezzar was known to respect the Greek world, employing their mercenaries as soldiers, and also gracing his throne room with Ionic capitals on bright-yellow columns.

 

o   Liberal claims that the use of Greek terminology “proves” that the book is of later Seleucid Era/Maccabean origins are thus preposterous; and if so, why does the author use only a few Greek terms, rather than many?

 

v. 5b: “…you are to fall down and worship the golden image…”

o   An explicit call to idolatrous worship—the key word—mention 11 x’s in this narrative (vv. 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, 28).

o   Again, the purpose is to use the powerful means of religion to bolster & unify the state—which is ultimately epitomized in the exalted ruler.

 

o   Personality Cults remain central to totalitarian regimes (e.g., Hitler, Mao, etc.).

 

o   Nebuchadnezzar also recognizes that the powerful religious impulse within man must be appealed to, satisfied, and expressed in some form.

 

o   Idolatry is reflective of man’s natural impulse to satisfy his religious inclinations through some form of concrete, visual expression (cf., Ex. 32:4; 1 Kings 12:28).

Ex. 20:4: "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”

 

v. 6: “But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.”

o   The second means designed to inspire conformity: FEAR! God’s Way is made to appear hateful, and repellant. 

 

o   Note disturbing parallels to the later activity of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (r. 175-164 BC)—a forerunner to Antichrist—in enforcing religious idolatry in order to bring unity to his kingdom, as recorded in the history of 1 Maccabees:  

41-42: “And king Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom, that all should be one people, and that each should forsake his own laws. And all the nations agreed according to the word of the king…” 47: “…that they should build altars, and temples, and shrines for idols, and should sacrifice swine’s flesh and unclean beasts…” 50: “And whoever shall not do according to the word of the king, he shall die.” 54:“And on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the hundred and forty and fifth year, they built an abomination of desolation upon the altar, and in the cities of Judah on every side they built idol altars.”

 

o   Note similar unifying efforts involving the religious exaltation of a man: e.g.,  Emperor-worship under the Caesars (foreshadowing that of the Beast; Rev.13:12,15).

 

o   The edict of Emperor Decius (c. AD 250) required that individuals obtain a certificate (libellus) signed by a magistrate, proving that they had sacrificed unto the gods and unto the well-being of the Emperor.  

 

v. 7: “…all the peoples, nations… fell down and worshiped the golden image…”

o   Compulsion in worship is fraudulent, and worthless to God; true devotion belongs to the interior of man’s being—the realm of the soul.

John 4:23-24: “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

 

o   Under such conditions & inducements, few refused to bow down—but three men did! These three foreshadow the martyrs of the Great Tribulation.

Rev. 13:15: “And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.”

Rev. 20:4: “Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

Palm Sunday Bulletin Insert: "God-Forsaken" (Sunday, March 28th, AD 2021)

 

GOD-FORSAKEN

TEXT: Matt. 27:27-46; Ps. 22:1-3.

(Pastor Terry L. Reese; Valley GBC, Armagh, PA; Palm Sunday 3/28/21)

 

Intro. The 4^th of Seven Words from the Cross: a word of Anguish.

Matt. 27:46: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

 

A. The occasion of these words: a Great Darkness (Matt. 27:45).

1. The Chronology of Calvary (the Synoptics reckon time in the Jewish manner; John employs a Roman system.

a. “the (Roman) 6th hour” = 6 AM: Jesus condemned by Pilate (Jn19:14).

b. “the (Jewish) 3^rd hour” = 9 AM: The crucifixion begins (Mark 15:25).

c. “the (Jewish) sixth hour” = Noon: The Darkness begins (Matt. 27:45).

d. “the (Jewish) ninth hour” = 3:00 PM Jesus dies (Matt. 27:50).

 

Thus, Jesus’ trial ended about 6 AM. The crucifixion began about three hours later, lasting for about six hours.

 

2. For three hours (9 AM-Noon), He hung publicly on the Tree (Rom. 3:25) in daylight. All could see it was Jesus on the cross (not a fraud); His physical suffering are emphasized.

 

3. And then at Noon, a change… the Sun no longer shone!

A supernatural event; not a solar eclipse (Passover; full moon).

 

4. Darkness: emblematic of Divine Judgment & Doom (Ex10:21-23; Amos 5:18, 20, 8:9; Joel 2:1-2, 31; Matt. 24:29, 25:30; Rev 8:12, 16:10).

 

Judgment would eventually envelop the entire Hebrew nation (Zech.13:8; Jer. 30:7; Luke 23:28-31)—but ultimately, this Darkness speaks as to judgment falling upon Jesus for our sins.

 

B. Utter God-forsakenness (Matt. 27:46); Penal Substitution.

Jesus quotes Ps. 22:1; God’s holiness requires that the Savior be utterly forsaken, if men are to be saved (Ps. 22:3)

 

A break in fellowship with the Father—the most profound of all Love-relationships (Jn17:24)! Jesus’ spiritual anguish emphasized.

 

The Father pours out His full judicial wrath—the judicial equivalent of Hell—upon the substitutionary Sin-bearer (Isa. 53).

 

God-forsakenness: to be deprived of all good & perfect gifts that come from above, from the Father of lights (James 1:17).

Jesus was stripped of all good—of all graces—of all physical well-being & material benefits, comforts, emotional well-being & joy, psychological well-being, companionship, etc.

C. WHY did He endure this?

1. He was forsaken so that we never shall be!

Heb. 13:5: "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU"

 

2. He was separated from the love of God so that we never will be!

Rom 8:38-39: For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

3. He experienced condemnation so that we never shall be!

Rom 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.