LIVING IT OUT · THE WALK WITH GOD — CRAWL, WALK, RUN, FINISH
Mercy — Foundational Biblical Doctrine
OPENING WORD
Mercy is a walk before it is anything else. A child does not learn to walk in a day: first he crawls on his hands and knees; then his father takes him by the arms and teaches him to walk, step by step; then he walks alone; then he grows, and he runs. And the one who runs well runs a race, and the race has an end, and at the end a crown. So it is with mercy in the walk with God. The Hebrew word is chesed (H2617, mercy) — the covenant kindness that keeps faith; and its companion is racham (H7356, tender mercies) — the deep love that flows down from the greater to the lesser, as deep as a mother's love for the child of her womb, and it never fails. The Greek word is eleos (G1656, mercy) — mercy that acts, that moves the hand to help; and hilasterion (G2435, mercy seat) — the very place where God meets man. This study carries mercy through the whole way of a man: how he finds it when he can only crawl; how he walks in it once he has it; how he runs with it and offers it like a soldier; and how he crosses the finish line at last, where mercy itself abides for ever. Search it out.
THREE QUESTIONS THIS STUDY ANSWERS:
1. Where is mercy found, and how does a man first come to it?
2. What should a man do with mercy once he has it, and how does he walk in it day by day?
3. How does mercy carry a man to the end of the race, and how does mercy itself abide for ever?
1. CRAWLING — HOW TO FIND IT
(My personal thoughts — every walk begins low. A baby goes on hands and knees before he goes on his feet, and no one is born already merciful and already full of mercy received. Mercy must first be found; and these witnesses show where. It is not gained by climbing up to God — it is God who comes down, who waits on purpose so that he may give it, and who runs while the man is still far off. Begin low, begin small, and cry out.)
1.Matthew 9:27Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
TWO BLIND MEN FOLLOWED HIM, CRYING → THOU SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON US.
2.Matthew 15:22Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
A WOMAN OF CANAAN CRIED → HAVE MERCY ON ME, O LORD, THOU SON OF DAVID.
(My personal thoughts — the blind men could not see him, and the woman was not even of Israel; yet both found the same door open. Mercy is found by crying for it, not by having a claim on it.)
3.Exodus 33:19Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
I WILL MAKE ALL MY GOODNESS PASS BEFORE THEE → I WILL BE GRACIOUS TO WHOM I WILL BE GRACIOUS, AND SHEW MERCY ON WHOM I WILL SHEW MERCY.
4.Isaiah 30:18Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
THE LORD WILL WAIT, THAT HE MAY BE GRACIOUS UNTO YOU → BLESSED ARE ALL THEY THAT WAIT FOR HIM.
(My personal thoughts — the LORD's waiting is not the LORD holding back. He waits on purpose, so that he may be gracious. It ends with two who wait: God waiting to give mercy, and a man waiting to receive it. If you have not yet found it, you have not been passed by — you have been waited for.)
5.Numbers 6:24Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: (25) The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: (26) The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON THEE, AND BE GRACIOUS UNTO THEE → GIVE THEE PEACE.
6.Psalm 145:9Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
THE LORD IS GOOD TO ALL → HIS TENDER MERCIES ARE OVER ALL HIS WORKS.
7.Isaiah 49:15Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
CAN A WOMAN FORGET HER SUCKING CHILD? → THEY MAY FORGET = YET WILL I NOT FORGET THEE.
(My personal thoughts — "have compassion" here is racham (H7355, have compassion), close kin to rechem, the womb. God sets his mercy beside the deepest human love there is — a mother and the child of her womb — and says his mercy is deeper still. A man who cannot yet believe mercy is looking for him need only picture this one thing: a love that cannot forget.)
8.Jeremiah 31:20Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.
MY BOWELS ARE TROUBLED FOR HIM → I WILL SURELY HAVE MERCY UPON HIM, SAITH THE LORD.
9.1 Kings 3:26Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
HER BOWELS YEARNED UPON HER SON → GIVE HER THE LIVING CHILD, AND IN NO WISE SLAY IT.
10.Luke 15:20Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
YET A GREAT WAY OFF → HIS FATHER SAW HIM, AND HAD COMPASSION, AND RAN.
(My personal thoughts — this is where crawling ends and finding happens. The son was still a great way off — still coming, still unwashed, still smelling of the far country — and the father saw him first and ran to him. You do not have to arrive to be found. Mercy runs out to meet you while you are still on the road.)
2. WALKING — WHAT TO DO WITH IT ONCE YOU HAVE IT
(My personal thoughts — the child is on his feet now; mercy has been found, and it must be kept and lived in, day after day. Notice that the mercy God keeps for us is a covenant mercy — sworn, sure, and never taken back — and the mercy he asks us to walk in is the same kind: not a mood we feel once, but a kindness we keep giving.)
1.Deuteronomy 7:9Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
THE FAITHFUL GOD → KEEPETH COVENANT AND MERCY TO A THOUSAND GENERATIONS.
2.1 Kings 8:23Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:
THERE IS NO GOD LIKE THEE → WHO KEEPEST COVENANT AND MERCY WITH THY SERVANTS.
3.Psalm 89:28Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
MY MERCY WILL I KEEP FOR EVERMORE → MY COVENANT SHALL STAND FAST.
4.Psalm 89:33Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. (34) My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
MY LOVINGKINDNESS WILL I NOT UTTERLY TAKE → MY COVENANT WILL I NOT BREAK.
5.Isaiah 54:10Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.
THE MOUNTAINS SHALL DEPART → MY KINDNESS SHALL NOT DEPART FROM THEE, SAITH THE LORD THAT HATH MERCY ON THEE.
(My personal thoughts — a man who has been shown mercy is being asked to walk on ground that does not move. Mountains depart; his kindness does not. That is the floor a person stands on while learning to walk in mercy day by day.)
6.Psalm 85:10Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
MERCY AND TRUTH ARE MET TOGETHER → RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE HAVE KISSED EACH OTHER.
7.Psalm 25:10Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
ALL THE PATHS OF THE LORD = MERCY AND TRUTH UNTO SUCH AS KEEP HIS COVENANT.
8.Psalm 103:13Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
LIKE AS A FATHER PITIETH HIS CHILDREN → SO THE LORD PITIETH THEM THAT FEAR HIM.
9.Luke 6:36Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Be ye therefore merciful [G3629 oiktirmon], as your Father also is merciful.
BE YE THEREFORE MERCIFUL → AS YOUR FATHER ALSO IS MERCIFUL.
(My personal thoughts — this is the whole of walking in mercy stated in one line. You do not invent your own kind of mercy; you walk in the pattern already shown you. As your Father is merciful, so are you to be.)
10.Colossians 3:12Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
PUT ON, AS THE ELECT OF GOD → BOWELS OF MERCIES, KINDNESS, HUMBLENESS OF MIND, MEEKNESS, LONGSUFFERING.
11.Philippians 2:1Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
CONSOLATION IN CHRIST → COMFORT OF LOVE → FELLOWSHIP OF THE SPIRIT → BOWELS AND MERCIES.
12.1 John 3:17Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
SHUTTETH UP HIS BOWELS OF COMPASSION FROM HIS BROTHER → HOW DWELLETH THE LOVE OF GOD IN HIM?
(My personal thoughts — walking in mercy is not only a feeling kept warm inside; it is a door kept open toward a brother in need. To shut that door is to ask where the love of God has gone. The walk is tested exactly here, in the ordinary days, toward the person right in front of you.)
3. RUNNING THE RACE — YIELD IT LIKE A SOLDIER IN GOD'S ARMY
(My personal thoughts — now the walk becomes a race, and mercy is put to work under pressure. A soldier does not fight for himself alone; he fights for those beside him, and the battle he fights is not even his own strength to win — it is the LORD's. So it is with mercy offered under hardship: it is not yielded by our own strength, and it is not yielded alone.)
1.Romans 12:1Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
BY THE MERCIES OF GOD → PRESENT YOUR BODIES A LIVING SACRIFICE.
2.Romans 6:13Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield [G3936 paristemi] yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
YIELD YOURSELVES UNTO GOD → YOUR MEMBERS AS INSTRUMENTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS UNTO GOD.
(My personal thoughts — a soldier yields his body to his orders; the man who has received mercy yields his body as an instrument of mercy. What was once used for sin is now presented, by the mercies of God, for God's use instead.)
3.1 Samuel 17:47Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗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.
THE BATTLE IS THE LORD'S → AND HE WILL GIVE YOU INTO OUR HANDS.
4.Nehemiah 4:14Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
REMEMBER THE LORD, WHICH IS GREAT AND TERRIBLE → FIGHT FOR YOUR BRETHREN.
(My personal thoughts — the soldier's fight in Nehemiah was for brothers, sons, daughters, wives, and houses — for people, not for territory. Mercy yielded like a soldier is fought for people too: the brother in need, the enemy who cries out, the stranger who has no claim on you at all.)
5.Matthew 14:14Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
JESUS SAW A GREAT MULTITUDE → MOVED WITH COMPASSION → HE HEALED THEIR SICK.
6.Mark 1:41Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
MOVED WITH COMPASSION → PUT FORTH HIS HAND, AND TOUCHED HIM → I WILL; BE THOU CLEAN.
7.Luke 7:13Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
THE LORD SAW HER → HAD COMPASSION ON HER → WEEP NOT.
(My personal thoughts — none of these three healings cost Jesus nothing. He touched a man that no one else would touch, and stopped a funeral procession to speak to a widow no one else was helping. Yielding mercy like a soldier means going toward the very people it would be easier to pass by.)
8.James 5:11Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful [G4184 polusplagchnos], and of tender mercy [G3629 oiktirmon].
YE HAVE SEEN THE END OF THE LORD → THE LORD IS VERY PITIFUL, AND OF TENDER MERCY.
NOT ALONE — TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE
Ecclesiastes 4:9Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. (10) For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. ... (12) And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE → IF THEY FALL, THE ONE WILL LIFT UP HIS FELLOW.
BEAR YE ONE ANOTHER'S BURDENS → AND SO FULFIL THE LAW OF CHRIST.
James 5:16Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
CONFESS YOUR FAULTS ONE TO ANOTHER, AND PRAY ONE FOR ANOTHER → THAT YE MAY BE HEALED.
1 Thessalonians 5:11Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
COMFORT YOURSELVES TOGETHER, AND EDIFY ONE ANOTHER.
(My personal thoughts — a soldier does not serve alone, and mercy is not meant to be carried alone either. Bearing another's burden IS a way of showing mercy — it is mercy with a shoulder under it. [VERSES JOINED TOGETHER — NO ONE VERSE SAYS THIS ALONE] — Scripture does not say the word "mercy" in every one of these verses, but the pattern is plain: two are better than one, burdens are meant to be shared, and prayer for one another heals.)
4. THE FINISH LINE — MERCY ABIDETH FOR EVER
(My personal thoughts — every race has an end, and the end of this one is not a wall; it is a mercy that keeps going after the race is over. The psalm that named mercy twenty-six times is not naming a mercy that will one day be used up — mercy itself is the thing that endures, generation after generation.)
1.Psalm 100:5Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
THE LORD IS GOOD → HIS MERCY IS EVERLASTING + HIS TRUTH ENDURETH TO ALL GENERATIONS.
2.Psalm 89:1Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
HIS MERCY IS ON THEM THAT FEAR HIM → FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.
4.Luke 1:54Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; (55) As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
HE HATH HOLPEN HIS SERVANT ISRAEL, IN REMEMBRANCE OF HIS MERCY → AS HE SPAKE TO ABRAHAM, AND TO HIS SEED FOR EVER.
(My personal thoughts — set the psalm beside Luke, and hear one voice across the whole book. His mercy is everlasting (Psalm 100:5); his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation (Luke 1:50). The finish line does not end the mercy — it only shows how far the mercy has already carried a person, and how much further it will still carry them.)
5.Hebrews 4:16Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
COME BOLDLY UNTO THE THRONE OF GRACE → OBTAIN MERCY, AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED.
6.1 John 2:2Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
HE IS THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS → ALSO FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD.
7.1 John 4:10Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
HEREIN IS LOVE → HE LOVED US, AND SENT HIS SON TO BE THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS.
8.Luke 1:78Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Through the tendermercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, (79) To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
THROUGH THE TENDER MERCY OF OUR GOD → THE DAYSPRING FROM ON HIGH HATH VISITED US.
9.Psalm 32:1Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered [H3680 kacah].
BLESSED IS HE WHOSE TRANSGRESSION IS FORGIVEN, WHOSE SIN IS COVERED.
10.Philippians 2:5Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: ... (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU, WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS → HE HUMBLED HIMSELF, AND BECAME OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH.
(My personal thoughts — mercy shown to another is never free to the one who shows it. It cost the Father his Son, and it cost the Son his own life, poured out on a cross. The finish line of this race was reached only because he first ran it, and the mercy we are asked to carry is shaped like his cross before it is shaped like a crown.)
MOUTH OF TWO
2 Samuel 22:26Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗With the merciful [H2623 chasid] thou wilt shew thyself merciful [H2616 chasad], and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.
WITH THE MERCIFUL THOU WILT SHEW THYSELF MERCIFUL — SUNG IN THE DAY THE LORD DELIVERED HIM (2 Samuel 22:1).
Psalm 18:25Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗With the merciful [H2623 chasid] thou wilt shew thyself merciful [H2616 chasad]; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
WITH THE MERCIFUL THOU WILT SHEW THYSELF MERCIFUL — SUNG AGAIN, TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN (Psalm 18, title).
2 Corinthians 13:1Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses [G3144 martus] shall every word be established.
IN THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES → SHALL EVERY WORD BE ESTABLISHED.
(My personal thoughts — the same song is sung twice, once in the day of deliverance and once again to the chief musician: to the merciful man, God shows himself merciful. The man who has run this race learns that God answers mercy with mercy — not because mercy is earned, but because it is the pattern a merciful man is drawn into.)
THE SHADOW AND THE FULFILLMENT
Think of a shadow lying on the ground. You can see its shape, but the shape alone will not tell you what is casting it — it could be one thing, it could be another thing about the same size, and as long as you only look at the shadow, you can only guess. The shadow stays a mystery until the true light shows you the object itself. Then you look back at the shadow and see it was that object's shape all along.
That is what the Old Testament pictures are. They are real shadows, truly shaped by a real body — "a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ" (Colossians 2:17). But a shadow is "not the very image" (Hebrews 10:1), so no one could read the whole truth from the shadow alone. When Christ came, the light showed the body — and now we look back at the shadow and see whose shape it carried all along.
11.Exodus 25:17Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. (21) And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. (22) And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony.
THOU SHALT MAKE A MERCY SEAT OF PURE GOLD → THERE I WILL MEET WITH THEE, AND I WILL COMMUNE WITH THEE.
12.Leviticus 16:14Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
BLOOD SPRINKLED UPON THE MERCY SEAT, AND BEFORE THE MERCY SEAT, SEVEN TIMES.
13.Leviticus 16:22Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
THE GOAT SHALL BEAR UPON HIM ALL THEIR INIQUITIES → UNTO A LAND NOT INHABITED.
14.Hebrews 9:5Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.
THE CHERUBIMS OF GLORY SHADOWING THE MERCYSEAT.
15.Romans 3:24Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (25) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
GOD HATH SET FORTH CHRIST JESUS TO BE A PROPITIATION THROUGH FAITH IN HIS BLOOD.
16.Hebrews 9:11Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; (12) Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
BY HIS OWN BLOOD HE ENTERED IN ONCE → HAVING OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION FOR US.
17.Hosea 2:23Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God. / 1 Peter 2:10 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.
NOT A PEOPLE → NOW THE PEOPLE OF GOD; NOT OBTAINED MERCY → NOW HAVE OBTAINED MERCY.
(My personal thoughts — the mercy seat was a place; the propitiation is a Person. The goat carried sin out of the camp; Christ carried it on the cross, outside the city. Romans 3:25 hangs the mercy seat's own Greek word on Jesus himself. The shadow was true as far as it went — but the light has now shown the body, and it was his shape all along.)
CLOSING
Jude 21Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
LOOKING FOR THE MERCY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST → UNTO ETERNAL LIFE.
Lamentations 3:22Modern Bible↗Share↗Strong's↗It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. (23) They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
NOT CONSUMED, BECAUSE HIS COMPASSIONS FAIL NOT → NEW EVERY MORNING + GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS.
(My personal thoughts — gather the whole walk into one line. Mercy is found low, by crying out while still far off, because God waits on purpose to be gracious. Mercy is walked in day by day, kept like a covenant that mountains cannot move. Mercy is yielded like a soldier's strength, fought for the brother in need, and it costs the one who gives it, just as it cost the Father his Son. And mercy does not stop at the finish line — it is everlasting, new every morning, looked for still, all the way to eternal life. He taught you to cry out; he ran to meet you on the road; he will bring you over the line, and his compassions will not have failed you once along the way.)
GREEK KEYWORDS
These are the keywords for this study. Tap any dotted word in the verses above to see its meaning here.
“mercy” — G1656 eleos — compassion, active mercy toward the afflicted
the old covenant mercy crossing into the new language — mercy promised to the fathers, performed in Christ
“to have mercy” — G1653 eleeo — to show mercy, to help the afflicted
the cry by the road — have mercy on us — and the Lord always stops
the word of the foundation's psalm — twenty-six times, his mercy endures for ever
“tender mercies” — H7356 racham — compassions; the same word is elsewhere the WOMB
mercy from the deepest carrying place — mother-deep love from the greater to the lesser
“have compassion” — H7355 racham — the verb — to love deeply, to pity, to have mercy
what a nursing mother cannot stop doing, God says he will do more
“be gracious” — H2603 chanan — to bend, to stoop in kindness to one beneath you
the priestly blessing's word — and the LORD waits, so that he may be gracious
“mercy seat” — H3727 kapporeth — the golden covering-lid of the ark; from kaphar, to cover, to make atonement
mercy is not an idea — it is a PLACE God built, where he met man above the blood
“forgiving” — H5375 nasa — to lift, to bear, to carry away
forgiveness lifts the load off the man; the goat carried away all their iniquities
PRACTICE QUIZ
1. Luke 15:20 — when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and:
a) sent for the elder son
b) had compassion, and ran
c) hardened his heart
2. Isaiah 30:18 — And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may:
a) be gracious unto you
b) be exalted among the heathen
c) forget the covenant
3. Deuteronomy 7:9 — the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to:
a) a thousand generations
b) their children's children
c) all that call upon him
4. Luke 6:36 — Be ye therefore merciful, as:
a) the merciful obtain mercy
b) your Father also is merciful
c) it is written in the law
5. Romans 12:1 — I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies:
a) a reasonable sacrifice of praise
b) a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God
c) an offering made by fire
6. Romans 3:25 — Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his:
a) righteousness
b) grace
c) blood
7. Psalm 100:5 — For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth:
a) to all generations
b) from everlasting to everlasting
c) forevermore in Zion
ANSWER KEY: 1-b, 2-a, 3-a, 4-b, 5-b, 6-c, 7-a
HOW THIS STUDY BRANCHES
→ How the shadow brings light: the mercy seat sprinkled with blood once a year (Leviticus 16:14) was a place; Romans 3:25 hangs that same word on a Person. The place where God once met one priest, one day a year, is now the throne any believer may come to boldly (Hebrews 4:16).
→ How the new covenant expounds it further: the covenant mercy sworn to the fathers (Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 89:28) is the same mercy that is everlasting and reaches to all generations (Psalm 100:5; Luke 1:50) — what was sworn to Israel is performed and kept open to the world.
→ How the words matter: the Hebrew racham (H7355/H7356, have compassion, tender mercies) is kin to the word for the womb, and the Greek splagchnizomai (G4697, moved with compassion) is the same picture carried into the new language — mercy felt in the deepest inward place before ever the hand moves.
→ How this applies to you: come the way of the blind men and the woman of Canaan — cry out for it (Matthew 9:27; 15:22); walk in it toward your brother, and do not shut up your compassion from him (1 John 3:17); and when mercy costs you something, remember it cost him more first (Philippians 2:7-8).
→ What this means for eternity: the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ is looked for, leading to eternal life (Jude 21), and it does not fail — his compassions are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), all the way to the last one.
→ Rabbit trail: the blood sprinkled upon and before the mercy seat seven times (Leviticus 16:14) opens onto the whole Day of Atonement — the two goats, the scapegoat carrying iniquity into the wilderness, and the high priest going in once a year within the veil (Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9).
→ Possible revelation: the tables of the law lay inside the ark, and the mercy seat lay above them, and God spoke from above the mercy seat, not from the law itself. He did not remove his law to meet with man — he covered it with blood, and met him there. Mercy has been the meeting place ever since, and it still is. (My personal thoughts)
