Mercy in the Bible

François Boucher, “Saint Peter Attempting to Walk on Water”, 1766 (photo: Public Domain)

I need mercy right now, every day, every hour. Why?

Because of a three-letter word, "sin."

The devil works 24/7 to get me to disobey God.

But Jesus has given me His Holy Spirit to keep me.

Pray with me, as you read, for a clean heart and freedom from sin.

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Mercy scorecard:

mercy 276 times in the Bible 217 OT 59 NT

grace 170 times in the Bible 39 OT 131 NT

faith 247 2 OT 245 NT

love 311 131 OT 180 NT

sin 448 336 OT 112 NT

Let's start with a definition of the word:

Mercy is God's pity, compassion, and kindness toward people who deserve judgment.

We see it first in the Garden of Eden after Adam* (4004-3074 BC) and Eve* (4004- ? BC) have disobeyed God's Word and are expecting death. That was what He said, and He never lies. The devil* knew this and used it to trick the innocent couple through a speaking serpent who asked the question that he continues to ask today: Hath God said? reads the King James, or Did God actually say? ESV

An Asterisk* after a name means the person is in SPIRITUAL LIVES.

There are two elements at play here that we encounter when people

1) question whether the Bible comes from God and is His Word, and

2) whether He really meant what He said. There are people on their way to Hell for not believing the Bible.

As is always the case, the LORD was one step ahead of Satan. He knew what the serpent was doing -- namely, trying to get God to kill them and destroy the human race. Satan knew God's judgment and wrath; he had experienced it personally when he was thrown out of heaven into Hell for disobedience, and he thought that would work here.

He was partially right; there was jugment and wrath: to the serpent The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life." Genesis 3:14

There was judgment for the woman too: “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” Genesis 3:16

Adam* was judged like this: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 

thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 

By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17-19

There was another element too, a warning to the serpent and the woman: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.- Genesis 15

This was the promise of Jesus* (4BC - 30 AD) and His triumph over the devil on Calvary, something the devil knew nothing about. This was divine action no one in heaven or earth had ever seen this before. This was mercy, not executing the just punishment He was due.

And in an act of tender compassion and love, the LORD God made garments of skins for Adam and his wife and clothed them. - Genesis 3:21 They had made aprons of leaves to cover their nakedness, but here the Lord made them clothes of animal skins, the first shedding of blood we see in the Bible.

God shows His mercy again in Genesis 4 when Cain* murders his brother. He refuses to repent and is punished for his deed, but at the same time, God showed mercy to Adam and Eve and gave them another son, Seth* (3874-2962), who became a man of God.

God shows mercy to those who fear Him, but not to the rebellious, as we see in the Flood, where everyone in the world perished because they would not come into the Ark. Jesus tells us that His Second Coming will be like this:

The Ark Unloading on Mt. Ararat  Simon de Myle [Public domain

Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 

They ate, drank, married, and were given in marriage until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. -- Jesus in Luke 17:26-27

Of course Jesus is the Ark and all those who are not in Him will perish. we see in the Flood a deeper aspect of God's mercy: it is to protect what is good, especially His people. It is so today, as Jesus foretold; God withholds His wrath on the wicked for the sake of His people, just as we see in the case of Sodom.

Moses*(1571-1451 BC) writes: Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD. Genesis 13:13

The LORD came with two angels to destroy the city. They stopped off to visit Abraham* (1996-1821), whose nephew Lot lived there. Abraham pleaded with the LORD not to destroy the city for the sake of the righteous ones who lived there.

In a bargaining session, Abraham asked Him if He would spare the destruction for 50 righteous people, and the LORD agreed; And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. - Genesis 18:26

Abraham then asked Him if He would spare the city for 45 righteous people, then 40, then 30, then 20, and finally 10. In His mercy, the LORD replied: He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” - Genesis 18:26

God sent the destroying angels onto Sodom. When they were there the men of Sodom attempted to rape the angels. They struck the Sodomites with blindess and warned Lot (cica 1920-1896?).

“Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. 

Gen 19:13  For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”,

When Lot pleaded with his sons-in-law to escape, they laughed at him The angels then took hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.- Genesis 19:16

I see this same unbelief in the hearts and minds of people today, including members of the Kalis family. God offers mercy to them today and has given His Son to forgive them for their sins, but they refuse Him.

How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? -- Hebrews 10:29

As we go on through the Old Testament, we see it as something more than release from guilt, but for compassion and help when it is needed. We see this in the case of Eliezer (19th century BC) of Damascus, Abraham's servant who was sent back to his master's country to find a wife for Isaac.

It was a long and arduous task, but: And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren. - Genesis 24:27

Later we see Joseph* (1745-1635 BC) enjoy mercy when his master threw him into prison on the basis of a lying accuser: But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. - Genesis 39:21

When the LORD formalized worship and judgment to the children of Israel, He decided to govern them and judge from the golden mercy seat on the Ark:

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, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Exo_26:33

God loves to show mercy, but withholds it from the rebellious. In the Book of Joshua, He shows mercy to Rahab (15th century BC), the harlot, but not to Achan (15th century BC), who disobeyed His commandment and put all of Israel in danger.

In Judges, we see His mercy as He forgives His unfaithful people and sends them deliverers like Ehud* (circa 1325 BC), Deborah* (c. 1285 BC), Jephthah* (c. 1188 BC), Gideon*(c.1249 BC), and Samson* (c.1136 BC). But he does not show mercy to Eli* (1412-1116), who allowed his sons to corrupt his people.

The LORD Himself chose Saul* (1155- 1055 BC) to be king, but removed him when he rebelled. Saul wound up seeking advice from the witch at Endor and finally a suicide.

Of the man He chose to replace him, He said: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. - 2 Samuel 7:15

The LORD was indeed merciful to David* (1085-1015 BC) when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, murdered her husband, and tried to cover it all up. This mercy came with repentance, which David expressed deeply in Psalm 51, where he humbles himself and asks the LORD to give him a clean heart.

He later wrote the fullest description of mercy in Psalm 136, where each of its 26 verses ends with this refrain: For His mercy endureth forever.

We see repentance on a much larger scale in the vast city of Nineveh, where every person from the king to the beasts repented: For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. -- Jonah 3:6

The huge-scale display of mercy contrasted with Jonah's* (personal experience, in which he rebelled against God and was eaten by a giant fish. However, he was shown mercy when the fish vomited him out, and he repented.

Jesus used the story of Jonah as a prophetic lesson on His life and Resurrection. He began the Sermon on the Mount with this: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.- Matthew 5:7

The Gospel shows us Jesus responding ten times to calls from individuals who called for mercy, for healing for themselves or their son or daughter. And Jesus gave it every time.

The ultimate offering of mercy came on the cross, where He gave His life and blood to wash us from our sins so that God's mercy would be available to us, Hallelujah!

Rejecting His mercy has serious consequences:

For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29

Gustave Doré's The Last Judgement: Public Domain

At Calvary

Years I spent in vanity and pride,

Caring not my Lord was crucified,

Knowing not it was for me He died

  On Calvary.

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty,

    At Calvary.

2

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;

Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,

Till my guilty soul imploring turned

  To Calvary.

3

Now I’ve giv’n to Jesus everything,

Now I gladly own Him as my King,

Now my raptured soul can only sing

  Of Calvary.

4

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!

Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!

Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span

  At Calvary!

William Reed Newell (1868-1956)