MAN AND GOD’S MERCY

Someone has described mercy as the main characteristic of God’s dealing with man. The Hebrew word “chesed” is often used, and in’ the A.V. is rendered by kindness, mercy, pity, favour, goodness and lovingkindness. It is often found united with righteousness, faithfulness, truth, compassion and other divine qualities. As we study its many uses in the psalms, we feel that we are touching the very tenderness of the heart of God who knows the very worst about sinful man, yet cannot leave him altogether to the deserts of his own wrong doings. We are sure that there is a deep longing in God’s heart that evils should be remedied, and it is God in His mercy who finds the way.

1. “I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy”, 31. 7; 89. 1; 101. 1. Note the professions of trust in the Lord, 31. 1. To him God is both rock and fortress, v. 3. The context suggests that he trusts the Lord with a desire for protection and guidance, vv. 2-3. So it is that as he senses his security, he breaks into song. The subject is the mercy of God, and we note how he describes the character of this attitude of his God: “thou hast considered my trouble”. Here is the essence, the mainspring of mercy— divine consideration for human need and weakness. Human exposure to trouble, and the deep feeling the writer had of being hemmed in by enemy action, brought forth suitable sympathy to act, and the liberating hand of God brought him into a large room, v. 8. The quality of God’s mercy answers the character of man’s need; cf. Heb. 4. 16.

2. “Have mercy on me, O Lord”, v. 9; 51. 1; 85. 7. The cry of the psalmist is for just this consideration which has sympathy for need. Note how desperate is the psalmist’s need, revealing depths of weakness that left him helpless, vv. 9-13. Can mercy meet it all? “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy: Vaster, broader than the sea.” Note v. 14: “I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God”.

3. “God is my defence, and the God of my mercy”, 59. 17; cf. 52. 8. As so often with the psalmist, he looks away from the attribute, the values of mercy which he enjoys, to the God who is at its source: “God of my mercy”. We look at the suitability of His mercy, because He is the God that He is. Only this answers the need, and in this we rejoice.