Tender Mercies

Q: What does the Bible say about God's mercy?

The Bible describes God's mercy as enduring forever and tied to His covenant with His people. God's mercy is a central theme in Scripture, highlighted in passages such as Psalm 136, where it states that His mercy endures forever. This enduring mercy is not arbitrary; it is linked to God's promises and His covenant with His people. As seen in Exodus 34:6-7, God is described as merciful and gracious, forgiving iniquity and transgression—yet He does not clear the guilty. This shows the balance in His character of justice and mercy, emphasizing that His mercies are part of a divine plan aimed at His chosen ones. Thus, God's mercy is essential not only for physical salvation but, more importantly, for the spiritual salvation of His people.

Q: How do we know salvation is through God's mercy?

Salvation is rooted in God's mercy, as it is a gift that we do not earn but receive through His grace. The foundation of salvation according to Scripture is God's mercy, as highlighted in Ephesians 2:8-9, where it states, 'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.' This underscores that salvation is not by our works but entirely due to God's merciful act of grace. Additionally, Psalm 119:41 emphasizes that mercy and salvation come according to God's Word, which points us to His promises and the covenant relationship with His people. Therefore, knowing that our salvation is attained through God’s mercy reassures us that it is secure and based on His sovereign grace rather than our fluctuating deeds.

Q: Why is God's mercy important for Christians?

God's mercy is crucial for Christians as it reflects His love and the basis of our salvation. For Christians, understanding and receiving God's mercy is fundamental as it directly impacts our relationship with Him. The Bible speaks of mercy as the characteristic that defines God's dealings with humanity. His mercy informs us that our salvation is a result of His grace and love rather than our merit (1 Peter 1:3). It reassures us of God's unwavering commitment to His covenant people, securing our place in His family and eternity. Furthermore, as believers, recognizing the extent of God's mercy transforms how we treat others, as we are called to extend the same mercy and grace to those around us, reflecting the love of Christ. Thus, God's mercy not only comforts us but also compels us to live in light of that mercy.

Okay, once again in Psalm 119, verse 41. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even thy salvation according to thy word. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproaches me, for I trust in thy word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in thy judgments. So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever, and I will walk at liberty, for I seek thy precepts. I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved, and I will meditate in thy statutes.

Here, the first couple of verses, the first verse, actually, verse 41, that we're gonna spend some time with today, sets the thoughts, I think, reinforces what we've seen up to this point in Psalm 119, and sets the thoughts for these eight verses, where it says, let thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even thy salvation, according to thy word. And a couple of things to start with.

He speaks about God's mercies, and we're going to look at that somewhat. But the mercies come unto me, it says, even thy salvation. Depending on who you look at and what thoughts about this particular thinking or salvation here, there are those that speak about David's situation and his salvation in a physical manner and things. Well, obviously, they were on his mind at times. We have some other psalms directly from David by the Lord that He's really pleading for that physical deliverance. And I think that that is part and parcel of it, but I think this speaking here is greater than that.

I think this is speaking, we'll see, as a spiritual, true salvation of God according to His Word. And that there's the two things here, and there are two foundation things that believers look to. The Lord for salvation is by His mercy that He does anything for anyone, by His mercies that that he does that, and according to thy word. It's not just give me your salvation and however it comes about, but according to your word.

And I think that speaks to not only what his thinking was here, and then the preceding ones where he talks about, incline my heart to these things, put that in my heart to do these things, not just an understanding in a physical or mental way, but that he puts that within his people. And I think it's speaking of that here too.

And as we go on in this, as we'll look at in other times in the rest of this section of eight verses, these other things that will come to pass and he speaks about, all hinge upon his mercy to his people and his salvation brought to his people by the Spirit. These things aren't just, aren't David saying he's going to do some things apart from God's determining these things and God's causing him to, as another verse that we've looked at before that says, It is of Him that we will and do of His good pleasure. It's not, we determine and we would, that's what our desires are, but it's up to Him that He causes those desires and to will and to do. So all these other, as we go down through here and He speaks about keeping His law and speaking of the testimonies and delighting in those things, this is hinged upon the salvation brought to His people. These things can't, can't truly be without a change in his people as he speaks about the mercies.

And we're going to look at, like I say, some areas that speak about God's mercy. And I think in in this setting here and just in what the Scriptures say, that salvation from the Lord is the greatest of His mercies to us. And the mercies as far as those things that He does give to us by His grace and by His mercy on the one hand, not giving what we deserve to have by nature, but what he has determined as his people in the covenant that will come about to his people. And his mercies are a great part and parcel of our salvation.

And just a minute here, let me look at... There's a psalm, we've mentioned this before, and that is Psalm 136, and just the first two verses of Psalm 136 said, O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever. O give thanks unto the God of gods, for His mercy endureth forever. And His mercy that endures—and it speaks down through here about the things He has done and those things that He did for Israel, the nation, and there was mercy shown to many people, and there's mercy shown to many people, but not in the way of salvation. There's a lot of mercy that God's long-suffering in His mercy allows people just to, you know, to go about their business, not only His mercy and covenant with His people in particular that puts a new heart in His people, but also His mercy that He just feeds and waters. And the verse says that the the rain falls upon the just and the unjust, God's mercy in that way. But I think he's speaking here, and in this psalm that goes down through here, about 27 times it speaks about God's mercy endureth forever.

And I think the import to God's people is that He's an unchangeable God, as we see in Malachi there, where it says, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. And it's His mercy, and as we saw in 1 John, and we might even be there a little bit today, we'll see, but God's love that He had a people, set aside in that covenant that enabled or determined that there would be mercy in that way for those people, for his people that he had in the eternal everlasting covenant.

Let's consider the way in which the secretary of this psalm, David, is taken to be. It's not David's thoughts. He was a secretary. And I think it's easy to read the psalms, and if you read other people's thoughts on it, David came about this. This was David's thinking on those things.

Well, his personality, and I think there were different writers that God has used, their personality comes through But it's of God's determining and God's dictating what will be written down. The Psalms we have aren't David's thoughts on his own. These were those things that he would have him write down for us, for himself and for us of all time.

And he seeks the salvation of God. from God, and by inspiration brings up those two things that we just mentioned, those two reasons for approaching God, two of the foundations which salvation God built on, the mercy and His Word. People can't just claim—God's people don't just claim mercy just claim mercy, it's according to his word that those things can be claimed. And I didn't note who it was, but one of the commentators on this speaks about those things here that David is speaking about, let thy mercies come unto me according to thy word, thy salvation, according to thy word. is bringing back and putting before God the promises and those things in the covenant, and laying those before God that because of that covenant and those promises that we have very early on in Scripture on through, that because of those promises and what God has determined to do for people, that this can be can be brought before God. And it's not that he needs reminded of it, but it's bringing back through his word, those things that he has said, that he has said to his people.

And verse 42, we're not moving on from the thoughts yet about mercy, but in verse 42, it says, so shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproaches me, for I trust in thy word." And again, laying claim to those things that we have in the word, not feelings or thoughts of our own, but those thoughts that come to us from the scripture, from the word itself.

While we're in the psalm, a couple of spots I'd like to look to is Psalm 106. Psalm 106. This one starts out. It says, Psalm 106, verse 1, Praise ye the Lord, O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good. For his mercy endureth forever. That's starting out just almost word for word, like Psalm 136 says. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can show forth all his praise? Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.

Remember me, O Lord, with the favor that Thou bearest unto Thy people. O visit me with Thy salvation, that I may see the good of Thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Thy nation, that I may glory with Thine inheritance. And here speaking about, again, His mercy and His salvation to His people, and it says here, Remember me, verse 4, O Lord, with favor that thou bearest unto thy people. O visit me with thy salvation.

And again, he goes on and speaks about that we are sinful and that his salvation is needful to his people. It's something that we just have to have, and not just in a historical mean. And again, here, he goes on and does go down through the history of what God has done in Israel, as we've got that story many times, that shows a couple of things. He had a people in that, and he showed his mercy to those people as a nation, and he gave them physical salvation sometimes, But there were how many died in the wilderness because of unbelief.

It wasn't the lack of what God did or did not do for them that was the difference. It was the Spirit putting the new heart within them and not just the physical things that they saw and done. And even with all those many things, and I think they go through the history there, and we saw that in the book of Acts with a couple of the messages that we see there by Stephen and Peter that recount the history there, and just recounts what God has done and what what they were like as a nation, as a people, without His mercy and bringing salvation to the people. They were a stiff-necked people that had no regard for God.

And without His mercy and His grace, because of that mercy and those things that He does for His people, we can we can request and look for it and that the salvation that must come from above and come from Him. And we pray for deliverance in physical things, but those things are not the everlasting, or those things pass and come and go. But that's not what he's referring to here. He's looking for salvation from above, as we've seen in several sections there.

And then in Psalm 69, Psalm 69, Again, remembering or showing the mercy of God as it relates to His people. In Psalm 69, quite a psalm to hear speaking about what we are by nature, what we are and by crying to God to deliver us from what we are by nature.

But in verse 16, Verse 16 of Psalm 69 says, Hear me, O Lord, for thy lovingkindness is good. Turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, and hide not thy face from thy servant, for I am in trouble. Hear me speedily. And verse 18, draw nigh unto my soul and redeem it, deliver me because of mine enemies. And note, speaks both to his physical situation and their spiritual needs that he has and that we have. But here it says, turn me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies."

And so it's by those things that on both hands, the tender mercies refer to that, that we have not received, that we're due by our sin nature, those things we have not received, but by His mercies, He has blessed His people, and His blessing of people, and He is the one that does the work, that does the turning.

That in, like I said in the last section, and that we saw in Psalm 119, that it says, incline my heart, turn us to those things. And then, Two spots in Psalm 119 that it'll be a while until we get to, but Psalm 119, verse 32 says, and we were past this one a few times ago, verse 32 of Psalm 119 says, I will run the way of thy commandments when thou enlargest my heart. And I think by this referring to that he puts a new heart in us, that his heart is in us, not our heart, that that's circumcision that's not the one of the flesh, but of the heart that he's referring to. And then two more verses in Psalm 119, and we'll save the rest of this Psalm for another time. Psalm 119, And this is a great section when we get to it, of course.

But verses 76 and 77, Psalm 119 said, let I pray thee thy merciful kindness be for my comfort according to thy word unto thy servant. Let thy tender mercies come unto me that I may live for thy law is my delight. And there it speaks about his tender mercies and merciful kindness, which He does indeed, has shown and does show to His people because of what the Lord has done in our behalf. They speak more than those mercies on our physical lives, but rather His mercies of all those that rise out of His eternal love of a people, those of the everlasting covenant, the sure mercies of David, we mentioned those, that those lead to the true salvation in our Lord, the spiritual blessings, those that are in Christ because of Him, and the grace and mercies given to us in Christ in eternity past, before the world was. that these be shed upon us, the sheep, the true church of God, that the mercies would be come into our hearts and our minds as only the Spirit is able."

And I think that speaks to the—as we've looked from the beginning of this psalm, that these things are not just facts and things to remember and to memorize or to see in just the natural way. We try to be clear as we read it, clear as to what it appears to say and the direction that it appears to be. But the Lord has to open the eyes and the heart to those things. We can teach it academically, but that's as far as we can get into it without the Lord doing His work. And He indeed does do His work.

That salvation is spiritual and eternal, that is appointed all His people. and secured by the covenant of God, promised in Christ and through his working, that which is needed for our salvation. And as he, as David says here, thy salvation by thy tender mercies come unto us according to thy word. all those things that salvation refers to, all those things that Christ has done and does do for his people, that is part and parcel of that, and not just, get me out of a tight spot today. There are those times that we indeed plead for those type of that type of deliverance and salvation from situations, but that's, like I say, that's not the more serious of the type of salvation it's spoken about. It's speaking about His working that is needed in us.

A couple of places in Isaiah, in Isaiah chapter 49, As we mentioned, and as we said many times before, Isaiah, as well as all the books that we've that we have been through and rediscovered over time, that the gospel, according to Isaiah, is one of the blessed places. But in Isaiah 49 and verse This is speaking about what the Lord has done with his people, but in verse 5, Isaiah 49, verse 5, it says, And now saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.

And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth." It says in verse 7, Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and His Holy One, to Him whom man despises, to Him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers kings shall see and arise. Princes also shall worship because of the Lord that is faithful and the Holy One of Israel, and He shall choose thee.

This speaking, a couple of things in this here, who the Lord himself is and that he is the one that gathers the preserved, it says, of Israel and a light unto the Gentiles, speaking up to the Lord himself and speaking ahead. And we see that many times in the Old Testament of referring to the Gentiles, a light to the Gentiles.

And we've seen, as we've been in the book of Acts and other places, people of Israel then and now think that that is salvation because of the nation, and he says, that's not so. I have a preserved, I have a special people, I have a people that are of that, and Paul said his desire that all Israel would be saved, but That's not what God had in store in His church, but that that was His thought towards that. And the spiritual salvation through the work that Christ has, and we're not going to go and read from there, but Isaiah 53, shows both the physical aspect of what the Lord did for His people and that the spiritual, the spiritual need, the taking care of the problem that we had no way to take care of, and that he was indeed that one that could do that, that one that was foretold that could deal with the problem of people. And very plainly there in Isaiah 53, but it's not just speaking of the physical that he went through and the agony of that, which he indeed did in that physical way, but the spiritual healing, the separation, from God that He endured on our behalf and paid for that. Our salvation only of God's mercy, not our merit, of course.

And look to, let's turn to the book of Jude, the book of Jude for just a couple of thoughts here. The first couple of verses and then one more in the book of Jude, it says, Jude verse 1, the servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James to them that are sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called, mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied.

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." And it goes on, talks about those that come in and dilute or just plain deny that faith that was of old to his people.

But here, mercy to you and peace and love be multiplied. His mercy is always part and parcel of that and according to his word. And then towards the end of the book of Job, verse 21, verses 20 and 21. It says, But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And again, connecting God's mercy to our salvation. And there are other aspects, of course, but His mercy to His people is tender mercies.

And it says, the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, looking to that unto eternal life. We mentioned Malachi 3, verse 6, where it says, he changes not. He says, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. It's his faithfulness and his mercy to us that we have the standing that we have in him. And then turn over to the book of Exodus. Turn over to the book of Exodus 34. X is 34. It starts out here. Remember, it went up on the mount.

The Lord gave him the tables of the law. He came down, and they were somehow mysteriously out of the fire that golden calf appeared, and they, Moses, in his, I think, righteous indignation, cast those down, and had to go back up and get another set of them. And the Lord had him hew more tables of stone like the first, and then in verses, that's the setting here, and so he did that, went up on Mount Sinai, took those tables with him. Lord descended in a cloud, it said with him. And then in verses five, six and seven, it says, and the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth. keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children's children unto the third and fourth generations." And it says, he made haste and bowed his head.

But here where it says, Merciful, the Lord, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin that will no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity, it says on there.

And here, these two verses here speak again, go hand in hand with Isaiah chapter 53 here. He's not saying here that everything is fine, and you've got a blanket covering it. This is for those in the covenant. God does not forgive iniquity and transgression and sin. And it says, well, by no means clear the guilty.

The Lord was the one that was in our stead, as we've seen and we've talked about many times, and is the ground and root of where we stand in Him is that eternal covenant, and that He keeps that according to the covenant, and that forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin is not keeping those tables of stone, as there are those that still try to put that in there as kind of what it's talking about. But this is all of God's doing, His mercy, and it says, merciful, gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

That he is for his people, that he is. And according to his word, that we have the record of that and how that we can claim those things is because of that position he has placed his people. the psalmist seeks the greatest of mercies and graces, that of the salvation from the Lord, and that according, as we said, according to the Word. That's what he says.

And Ephesians chapter 5, turn to the book of Ephesians chapter 5, if you would. Ephesians 5th chapter. verse 25 and following a couple of verses here, Ephesians 5, it says, "'Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." And up here where it says, "...might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." And this is not as one of the commentators, I think, Clifton, I think was his name, that commented on this and said, not the form of words, that is baptism, speaking about washing the water of the word, but the gospel, the good news, peace with God, by pardon, atonement, and justification by Christ. It's what that verse is speaking about. Again, according to his word, and in His Word, capital W, Him being the Word and given by Him.

Just another thought, in 1 Peter, in 1 Peter, we're gonna have to save some for later, I think, but 1 Peter chapter one, And this is speaking by God's mercy, His grace to us, brings His salvation, and that according to His Word. And 1 Peter, starting with the first verse and reading down a bit, it says, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to the strangers scattered throughout Pontia, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Grace unto you, and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to His abundant mercy, hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved for you in heaven. who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that to trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, Though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honor, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen ye love, in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, yet rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."

And here speaking, I think as David was moved to write to us that we have, and as he undoubtedly felt in his heart about these things, that God being faithful by his mercy, that his salvation comes to his people, And it's according to the Word that we have and that we can hold. And that Word, like I say, in two ways, the Scripture that we have and hold in our hands, and the Savior Himself, as it speaks here, the true word, and as John speaks about him as the word, 1 John talks about him, that word of life, that one that they handled, speaking of the Lord himself. And our hope and our standing is in him, in those things. And I feel assuredly that David was referring to the Lord Himself when He was speaking to that, not just the physical, again, the physical deliverance from problems that we all have, but that great problem that we have that only He can deal with and that He, by His promise, does deal with and has dealt with in His people. So for this time, we're going to Leave it at this point and we'll pick this up at a future time in Psalm 119. Thank you once again. Stay tuned for next time.

Tender Mercies

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's mercy?

How do we know salvation is through God's mercy?

Why is God's mercy important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

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Tender Mercies

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's mercy?

How do we know salvation is through God's mercy?

Why is God's mercy important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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