GOD’S MERCY ENDURES FOREVER

HOW DOES HIS MERCY ENDURE FOREVER?

God’s endured mercy is seen in His conversation with His servant Moses. His anger would grow hot at times because of their stiff-necked manner. Moses would plead with Him and He would relent from consuming the people (Exod. 32:1-6) “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden hearings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons and your daughters and bring them to me.” So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the golden from their hands, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” Then they rose early on the next day, offered burn offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”  These are real stiff-necked people who tend to forget very fast. And the sorrowful part of it all is that even Aaron Moses’ brother allied with them and became the chief among them in suggesting what to do and afterward proclaimed the feast of the Lord. And instead of giving glory to who the glory is due, they gave it to the molded calf that Aaron had made and built an altar to it. What shame!  The Israelites forgot very fast all the miracles, wonders and signs that God did perform in their midst; that mighty deliverance from their oppressors!  O Lord God, Merciful and Righteous Father, help me not to forget the things that You have done, what You are doing and what You will do in my life In Jesus Mighty name . Amen.

This helps me realize that the graces and the ordained destinies which each one of us carries are totally different even to a blood brother. We are all designed differently and with different tasks all together.  Could we imagine this was that Aaron the brother of Moses whom together with his brother performed all the ten plague in Egypt and the mighty deliverance out of the land of Egypt together! And it was just after few days that Moses had gone to meet with the Lord on Mount Horeb. God’s mercy is indeed in abundance and indeed endures forever. He saw and knew what the people did and instead of consuming them all, He informed His servant Moses who came down to see for himself (V. 7-9) “And the Lord said to Moses, “Go, get down! For your people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, “this is your god who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’”. And the Lord said o Moses, “I have seen these people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!” This was serous!  Until God had to address Moses as his people. His wrath did burn hot against them had it not been the plea of His servant Moses, they would all be a forgotten generation as some of them who got consumed on the fire because of their stiff-necked hearts. And also  (about three thousand men fell that day from the slaughter of their brethren the Levites according to Moses’ command on those who refused to be on the Lords side but wanted to continue sacrificing and dancing to the calf) (V. 25-28).

A STIFF-NAKED PEOPLE

The Lord learnt what manner of people His people were and He did not want to be in their midst lest He consume all of them (Exod. 33:3) “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst , lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-naked people.” Nevertheless when Moses prayed to God, He did answer and promised them His divine presence to accompany them on their journey to the promised land (V.13-14, 17,19) “Now, therefore I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight.  And consider that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest;” So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in my sight, and I know you by name.”  He further continues; Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion to whom I will have compassion.”

FINDING FORGIVENESS THROUGH HIS ENDURED MERCY

The Lord again descended from heaven and made a proclamation to His servant Moses (Exod. 34:6-11) “And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.”  Moses then did bow down and worshiped the Lord, and the Lord made a covenant with him (V. 8-10) “So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. Then He said, if I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.” And He said: “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, or in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.”  The mercy, grace and forgiveness of God appear as the chief trait of His character. This insight into God’s character follows Moses’ request for wholesale forgiveness of Israel’s sin.  Thus God is a God of unlimited grace, mercy and forgiveness. But we must first of all seek this forgiveness from our Merciful God and Father as it is not automatically received anyhow.  And God’s covenant with the Israelites in verse ten included relief from the judgment of the people’s sins to allow them to be taught their need and seek forgiveness; as those who sought forgiveness found it.

SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME

 This is the well-known confident song of David to the Lord thus (Ps. 23:1-6) “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down on green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake.” David had the confidence of the Lord as the Good Shepherd who takes good care of him; and there is no any want with him as the Good Shepherd makes him lie down on the greener pasture and afterward He leads him beside the still waters for His name’s sake. “Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” The son of Jesse was also assured of God’s ever presence during his afflictions and the suffering of life. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  And because God prepared a table before him and in the presence of those who hated him without a cause; he was assured of the goodness of the Lord and was again convicted of His mercies which had no end.

GOD’S ENDURETH MERCY

The psalmist praised and blessed the name of the Lord for is goodness and for His mercies which endures forever and ever (Ps. 118:1-4) “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord now say, “His mercy endures forever.” In another Scripture he declared the wonder work of God :( Ps. 136:1-26) He thanked the Lord for He is good and His mercy endures forever.  He thanked the God of gods, the Lord of lords, to whom alone does great wonders; to whom by the wisdom made the heavens; to Him who laid out the earth above the waters; to him who made great lights; the sun to rule by day; the moon and stars to rule by night; to Him who struck down great kings; and slew famous kings; Sihon king of the Amorites; and Og king of Bashan; and gave their land as a heritage; a heritage to Israel His servant; who remembers us in our lowly state; and rescued us from our enemies; who gives food to all flesh; Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.”

“With this in mind beloved, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of His grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb.4:16).

“Grace to you and Favor from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen and Amen and Amen.”