Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. Each time I read it, I am amazed
at the Lord's reply to Moses as he requested to see the Lord's
glory. I can think of any number of responses which I would probably
deem quite appropriate for such a request. Perhaps he might have
shown Moses, as he did Isaiah, the grandeur of the angelic host
which he had created in an instant, and who ceased not day or night
to cry out, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and
is and is to come. Or perhaps he might have unfolded
to him the vastness of the universe which he spoke into being. Or
he could have given him a glimpse of the final judgment when all
creation shall tremble before him. He might even have revealed
to him the vast knowledge which is hidden in his treasure of
wisdom. Or he might have showed him the majesty and riches which
must surely surround his throne upon which he sits as the supreme
ruler and sovereign of all things. He might even have given him
a detailed summary of every event. as each is unfolded in the heavens
and the earth according to his predestined and inalterable purpose. He might have revealed many things
which would leave any son of man in breathless wonder before
him. Yet these are the words which he spoke, I will make all
my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name
of the Lord before thee. The Lord made it clearly evident
that His glory is seen in the display of His goodness, not
in His power, though it is without limit, not in His judgment, which
is immutable and before which all shall flee away, but rather
in the manifestation of His own goodness. It is this goodness
which the eye of sinful flesh cannot behold in its fullness,
nor have any appreciation for. Sometimes the potsherds of the
earth would seek to define God's goodness on their own terms,
as if God fits into their notion of what is good, and based upon
what they judged to be good, they say that He is good, as
if they had any platform upon which to make such an assessment.
Yet man's definition of goodness does not define God. Rather,
God defines goodness and clearly sets it forth before Moses' face,
though in veiled form, as he allowed Moses to see only his
hinder parts. The goodness of God is demonstrated
to men in the unfolding of His mercy. While His justice flows
out from His holiness, His mercy flows out from His goodness.
He defines the sovereign nature of His mercy as He went on to
tell Moses, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and
I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. The natural man of
the flesh finds such a definition of his goodness to be no goodness
at all. This is because the natural man of the flesh believes that
he is somehow worthy of being the recipient of God's goodness
and is owed his mercy simply because he believes he ought
to have it. Yet there can be no such thing as mercy if it
is somehow owed or if it can be earned in any fashion or bestowed
on the basis of man's merit or action. Mercy must be sovereignly
dispensed in order to be true mercy. Mercy is kindness displayed
for no apparent reason, other than the benevolence of the one
who bestows it. If this display of kindness could
be merited, it would not be mercy at all, but rather the payment
of a debt. Therefore, it is most proper
and necessary to consider the Lord's demonstration of His mercy
in the context of His sovereign prerogative to show mercy to
whom He wills, and conversely, as Paul clarifies, to harden
whom He will. The psalmist says mercy shall
be built up forever. This is a great comfort to those
who have been called by sovereign grace to trust in His mercy.
leaning not to their own understanding nor expecting to receive something
from his hand, which is in any wise merited by some activity
or obedience of their own. That rock upon which all of their
hope is built is the unfailing nature of the mercies of God,
which cannot fail even though they are convinced that justice
demands their destruction. This is a building which the
Lord pitched, and not man. This is a building whose foundation
rests in the goodness of God. This is a building whose walls
are salvation, and its gates are praise. This is a building
which the saints in all ages have pressed towards. This is
a building which shall endure forever. And when all the children
of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord
upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground
upon the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying,
For he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. And the city
had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it, for
the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light
thereof. Do you see the light of that
city? If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at forthepoor at windstream.net.