MERCY AND GRACE 4

It is written in Jeremiah 9:23- 24:
“This is what the Lord says: “Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches; but let the one who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises mercy[1], justice[2], and righteousness[3] on the earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.”[4]
 
As pointed out in my previous post, it is not the benefits or blessings that we have been given by or desire from Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym that should be the point of our focus in life. Rather, our life is all about understanding and knowing Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym, particularly, that Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym is the One Who “exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth”, for the Lord God delights in these things.
 
The grace of exercising mercy and justice on earth is the righteousness of God, “for in these I delight, says the Lord”.[5]
 
Psalm 89:14 states: “Righteousness[6] and justice[7] are the foundations of your throne. Mercy and truth stand[8] in front of you[9].”[10] My understanding of this verse is: ‘Mercy and Truth is always before and in front of Your Presence, is always uppermost in your mind and heart even as you administer and dispense righteous judgments from your throne of grace and glory.’
 
This is also an expression of the glory and goodness of God[11].
 
In Micah 6:8 it is written of what God deems good for humankind: “You mortals, Yahweh has told you what is good. This is what Yahweh requires from you: to do what is right (justly)[12], to love mercy, and to live humbly with your Elohim.”[13] For only in understanding and knowing God, can one then “live humbly with” our God(’ĕlôhîym).[14]
 
We are to do justly.
 
This means that we are to do what is right, impartially and righteously. Our actions and judgements must be fair, equitable and justifiable.
 
We are to love[15]mercy. Love is to be the grounding for doing the right thing.  Mercy must always be infused and be in the forefront in doing what is right impartially and righteously, not only to show others, but also that others may perceive and acknowledge that the truth of our actions is fair, equitable and justifiable.
 
This accords with the quintessential nature, glory, goodness and character of Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym as revealed to Israel, and more so in Christ Jesus.
 
Ever infused with love and mercy, this, to me, is true and authentic justice being done, being seen and acknowledged to being done.[16]
The truth and reality of life and existence is that we are not alone. We live, move and have our being in the company of others. We are the sum of all our relationships.
 
As such, the impact of judgement, comprised of justice, ever infused with love and mercy, should take into consideration not only the welfare of the offender and guilty, but also the welfare of the living who have been affected by the actions of the offender and guilty, and who may suffer the continuing effects of such actions.
 
I believe that when Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym wills to be gracious and shows mercy to the guilty, authentic repentance on the part of the guilty and the consequential relationships that the pardoned may have with others are taken into consideration. If the effect of mercy in pardoning results in the pardon person, without repentance, creating and/or continuing to create intentional harm and suffering to others, I believe that full[17] mercy will be withheld. In grace, love and righteousness, justice and judgement will be allowed to run their course, for the good of the whole.
 
For how Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym, in Christ Jesus, relates to me is also how Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym relates to others, and desires and wills that we relate to one another in like manner.
 
We are not alone with Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym in Christ Jesus. There are innumerable others besides us with Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym in Christ Jesus, interlinked in joint and distinct relationships with one another. I believe that is why the good of the whole will always be taken into consideration in Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym’s distinct interlinked expression of love, grace, mercy, goodness, truth, righteousness and judgement.
 
We should always call to remembrance that Immanuel means God with us, not God only with me. The ‘I and me’ are essential and needed before there can be ‘us’, but there must be more than one ‘I and me’ before there can be ‘us’. The ‘I am’ is integral to and cannot be torn away from ‘we are-us’ even as the ‘we are-us’ is jointly one to the several ‘I am’.
 
As such, I feel that it is imperative to appreciate and understand that it is not the characteristics and attributes of love, grace, mercy, longsuffering, goodness, truth, judgement and righteousness that defines Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym. Rather it is through the expressions of these characteristics and attributes in relation to us, that Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym enables us to gain a sliver of knowing and understanding Who the I Am That I am and I Will Be Who I Will Be was, is and will be.
 
And as in Christ Jesus, the fullness of Deity dwells bodily, so in Christ Jesus, we will find the fullest expressions of these characteristics and attributes. We should guard against pitting one attribute or characteristic over and against another. Rather, we should try to understand and come into a fuller experiential knowledge of how they are jointly one and yet distinct, having the infused qualities of the others, in varying degrees, whenever each is seen in their distinct expression.
 
There is also the mystery of choice as well as in Christ Jesus. And in the mystery of choice we find the mystery of preference and favour. In this we find the preference and favour for love, grace and mercy over judgement towards humankind. It is in this context that ““Mercy triumphs[18] over judgment.”[19]
 
I believe that it is also pertinent to note that notwithstanding that mercy is a prerogative choice of Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym, in Christ Jesus, a blessing awaits those who are merciful, for, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.”[20]
 
It is not that if we do not show mercy we will not receive mercy.
 
“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”[21] “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life?”[22] “And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions.”[23] We have been given mercy in Christ Jesus.
 
Rather, over and above the prerogative of Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym to grant mercy as Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym wills, a specific blessing has been reserved to be awarded to those who are merciful, that they shall obtain mercy. We are being encouraged to be merciful with a blessing, that we shall obtain mercy, even as we show mercy.  In being merciful[24], I dare say, that receiving mercy from Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym, now becomes a right for anyone of us.
 
Finally, I would like to say that the “throne of God”[25] is also called the “throne of his glory”[26], the “throne of grace”[27] and the “great white throne”[28]. A description of this throne as a “throne of judgement’ is not referenced at all in the Scriptures. There is reference to judging the living and the dead,[29] from the great white throne.[30] This is in line with what the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 9:7 “But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment.”[31] But it is still not named as the “throne of judgement”.
 
Judgement and mercy are pronounced from the throne of glory and grace. It is the glory of God to give gracious judgement and abundant mercy from the throne of God. Judgement, mercy and grace are but expressions of love from Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym God to the every and whole of all, that in Christ Jesus, we may be one with Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym God even as Yahweh ’ĕlôhîym is one with us, in the man Christ Jesus.[32]
 
Lest we forget, it is the person who gives meaning and definition to the throne, not the throne the person. Hence, it is through what is dispensed or the works from the throne that we can grow in the understanding and knowledge of the person who sits in the throne.
 
Even of Jesus, it is written that he said:” Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”[33] ‘Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.”[34]
 
These are but some of my musings on mercy and grace, in hope, that Spirit may nurture love in our hearts to commune with Father, Son and Spirit hereafter.


[1] Strong’s H2617 חֶסֶד cheçed, kheh'-sed; translated in the KJV as mercy (149x), kindness (40x), lovingkindness (30x), goodness (12x), kindly (5x)…. Modern translation tend to favour translating the word ‘lovingkindnesss’

[2] Strong’s H4941 מִשְׁפָּט mishpâṭ, mish-pawt'; judgment, justice, ordinance translated predominantly as  judgment (296x) in the KJV. In modern translation more commonly translated as ‘justice’ as in theNASB

[3] וּצְדָקָה from צְדָקָה tsᵉdâqâh, tsed-aw-kaw' See Strong’s H6666; from H6663; rightness (abstractly) translated most times(128), as ‘righteousness’, in KJV.

[4] NASB

[5] Jeremiah 9:24 Seer also Iasiah 58;2(a) “they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness”KJV

[6] צֶדֶק tsedeq, tseh'-dek; justice, rightness, righteousness from H6663See Strong’s H6666; rightness (abstractly) translated most times as ‘righteousness’ modern English Translations.

[7] See 2 above

[8] קָדַם qâdam, kaw-dam'; Strong’s H6923  Literally - go in front of

[9] Strong’s H6440 פָּנִים pânîym, paw-neem'; plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה pâneh; from H6437); the face (as the part that turns)

[10] God’s Word Translation (GW)

[11] See Exodusa 33:18-19 and Exodus 34:5-7

[12] Strong’s H4941 מִשְׁפָּט mishpâṭ, mish-pawt'. See 2 reference above.

[13] Names of God Bible (NOG)

[14] I believe that David was expressing an associated hope and idea in Psalm 23 in the words: “Surely goodness and mercy(חֶסֶד cheçed, kheh'-sed – see 1 above) shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

[15] וְאַהֲבַת root from Strong’s H160 אַהֲבָה ʼahăbâh, a-hab-aw; feminine of H158 and meaning the same:—love. Outline of Biblical Usage [?] love: human love for human object, of man toward man, of man toward himself, between man and woman,sexual desire, God's love to His people.

[16] I want to acknowledge the contribution of Lord Hewart’s words:“Justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done”. This dictum was laid down by Lord Hewart, the then Lord Chief Justice of England in the case of Rex v. Sussex Justices, [1924] 1 KB 256.

[17] “containing all that is wanted or needed or possible” Merriam-Webster Thesaurus online

[18] Outline of Blibical usage: to glory against, to exult over, to boast one’s self to the injury (of a person or thing) Blue Letter Bible Strong’s G2620

[19] TLV, NTE, NIV..and in the majority of modern English translations. Strong’s G2620 κατακαυχάομαι katakaucháomai, kat-ak-ow-khah'-om-ahee; from G2596 and G2744; to exult against (i.e. over):—boast (against), glory, rejoice against.

[20] Matthew 5:7 ASV

[21] Romans 5:6 NET

[22] Romans 5:10 NET

[23] Colossians 2:13 NET

[24] In the context of whatever authentic mercy we can show, however wanting, because we are human.

[25] Matthew 23:22, Hebrews 12:2 Revelations 7:15, 14:5, 22:1,3

[26] Jeremiah 14:21, Matthew 19:28, 25:51

[27] Hebrews 4:16 where “we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” NIV

[28] Revelations 20:11, 22:3, 1:4 3:21

[29] Acts 10:42, 2 Timothy 4:1, 1 Peter 4:5

[30] Revelations 20:11-14

[31] NKJV

[32] See John 17:20-25

[33] John 10:37-38 NIV

[34] John 14:11 NIV