Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. Mercy is the sovereign prerogative
of God, as He has made it clear in His words, saying, I will
be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy
on whom I will show mercy. Mercy is not bestowed upon men
based upon any activity which they may perform, else God's
favor would be no mercy at all, but rather the payment of a debt.
Paul clearly defined the basis upon which the Lord is pleased
to grant it. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom
he will, he hardeneth. Paul writes to Titus of the manifestation
of the results of this mercy, not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by
the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which
he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. We read
of the many aspects of his mercy which is bestowed upon the hopeless
and powerless of the earth. He does cause men to fear him,
and his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
The moving cause of the fear of God, which is in the sons
of God, is His mercy. He hath hope in His servant Israel
in remembrance of His mercy. His mercy is bestowed according
to the eternal covenant made with Him, who is the seed of
Abraham, as He promises to perform the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember His holy covenant. This mercy is visited upon the
sons of God in real time and is not a theoretical concept,
which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God,
which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Though there has never been a time when the sons of God have not
been the objects of His mercy, He is pleased to visit them in
that day of salvation and to fulfill His purpose in their
redemption and salvation according to that same mercy. This is that
which Peter declared on the day of Pentecost. For the promise
is unto you and to your children and to all that are far off,
even as many as the Lord our God shall call. The mercy of
God in the understanding of men is necessarily contrasted with
his justice and judgment. To me belongeth vengeance and
recompense. For we know him that hath said,
Vengeance belongeth unto me. I will recompense, saith the
Lord. And again the Lord shall judge his people. The religious
and self-righteous men of the earth take great delight as they
read that he will render to every man according to his work. They
suppose this means that they shall receive great blessing
from his hand for their good deeds, acts of devotion, and
obedience. In this they are much like the
rich young ruler, the Pharisee who prayed in the temple, and
those who point out their many works of righteousness in Matthew
7.22. Yet when a man is awakened to see himself a wicked sinner
with no righteousness of his own, he is struck with fear to
contemplate receiving from the Lord's hand according to his
work. He is then like the publican who prayed in the temple, saying,
God, be merciful to me, a sinner. He knows that he has no good
works to plead before the throne of God and knows himself to surely
perish if he is called to stand upon his own merits. Jesus, thou
son of David, have mercy on me. The Lord's mercy is demonstrated,
first of all, in the salvation of His people. Salvation belongeth
unto the Lord. Thy blessing is upon thy people.
The Lord's mercy is demonstrated in that righteousness which alone
is acceptable before Him. O Lord, righteousness belongeth
unto Thee. How else can a man come before God? And finally,
the Lord's mercy is demonstrated in the victory which he has wrought
in the behalf of his people, and given unto them. Be not afraid
nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle
is not yours, but God's. This is illustrated in David's
triumph over Goliath. This day will the Lord deliver
thee into mine hand, and I will smite thee, and take thine head
from thee, and will give the carcasses of the host of the
Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the
wild beasts of the earth. that all the earth may know that
there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know
that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear. For the battle
is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. Christ has
undertook our redemption, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances
that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out
of the way, nailing it to his cross. And having spoiled principalities
and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over
them in it. His glorious victory indeed,
may He be ever praised. Do you rejoice in His mercy?
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