GOD'S MERCY (2)

2 Sam 7:12-16.

2 Samuel 7:12–16 NKJV

12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

INTRODUCTION:

This passage of scripture God is speaking of Solomon, David’s son. He is speaking to David before Solomon was born. God’s love for David carried on throughout all of David’s generations. 2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. (KJV)

Listen to verse 15 again: 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, (from Solomon) as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. This verse tells us that Saul lost the mercy of God. If Saul lost God’s mercy – then it can be lost today. I believe that Saul was a saved man and when he died he went to heaven, but he lost the mercy of God during the remaining days here on earth. That is why he was so harsh and mean. He didn’t understand the meaning of mercy. When the attribute of mercy is gone the person lives and reacts without displaying the mercy or without receiving mercy from God.

The family of Saul became totally extinct; the family of David remained till the incarnation. Joseph and Mary were both of that family; Jesus was the only heir to the kingdom of Israel; he did not choose to sit on the secular throne, he ascended the spiritual throne, and now he is exalted to the right hand of God, a PRINCE and a Savior, to give repentance and remission of sins.

Saul lost the mercy of God, and he became bitter, hard, unforgiving. He had an evil spirit. All of the things that God’s mercy provides, Saul lost.

He was going to kill his own son, Jonathan. The absence of mercy made Saul act this way.

He sought and hunted David to kill him. The absence of mercy.

He became a very evil and brutish king. He disobeyed God and schemed to make himself ascend in the eyes of Israel. The absence of mercy.

Saul’s death was a result of his having lost God’s mercy.

1 Chronicles 10:13 NKJV

13 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance.

All of the sins that Saul committed led to his death. All of these sins were sins that God would normally forgive or withhold His wrath. Yet Saul died because of these sins. That was the result of the mercy that Saul lost. God took His mercy from Saul.

How many people do you suppose that has been guilty of these same transgressions as was Saul? I would say probably millions. Without the mercy of God upon a person there is no reason for that person to live any longer.

I want to give you four thoughts about mercy:

I. GOD’S MERCY ENABLES GRACE

Turn to Psalm 136. Look at these verses with me.

Psalm 136:11–14 NKJV

11 And brought out Israel from among them, For His mercy endures forever; 12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, For His mercy endures forever; 13 To Him who divided the Red Sea in two, For His mercy endures forever; 14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His mercy endures forever;

God provided escape through His mercy.

Then look at: Vs. 23-26.

Ps 136:23-26

Psalm 136:23–26 NKJV

23 Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever; 24 And rescued us from our enemies, For His mercy endures forever; 25 Who gives food to all flesh, For His mercy endures forever. 26 Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.

Evidence of His mercy.

The phrase “His mercy endureth for ever” appears 41 times in the O.T.

If God’s attributes included “justice” only and not “Mercy and Grace” then no one could have justification or salvation. His mercy tells justice to make room for grace.

Justice calls for the sinner to be punished.

Mercy allows the sin to be punished - but the sinner to be forgiven.

Mercy allows for another to pay the price of sin instead of the sinner.

TURN TO:

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (KJV) That’s mercy.

Ro 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Mercy allows us to have peace with God.

Ro 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (KJV)

These are all examples of mercy.

II. GOD’S MERCY DELAYS WRATH

The nature of God requires that He punish sin. His wrath falls upon all unrighteousness. When man sinned in the Garden of Eden God’s wrath was activated and called for man to be punished by death. The Just side of God called for the immediate death of Adam and Eve, while His mercy allowed them to be forgiven. We see this action of His mercy in Ge 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (KJV)

Skins; supposed to be of animals offered in sacrifice to God. God made His own sacrifice. It pointed forward to the great atoning sacrifice of Christ, the promised Conqueror of Satan. Through faith in Christ, God would forgive men, sanctify, and save them. This type is seen in reality in 2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (KJV)

God’s righteousness always overshadows man’s righteousness and thus the need to provide His own righteousness to cover man’s sins.

What happens to a person if God removes His mercy from that individual? Mercy lost will sooner or later bring death to the individual.

Justice says, “Death, death, death!”

Mercy says, “Forgive, forgive forgive!”.

Grace provides the means for forgiveness.

If mercy is removed then there is nothing to call for forgiveness.

Saul became uncaring, uncompassionate, unconcerned about anyone but himself and his own kingdom.

It was God’s mercy that permitted Noah to escape the destruction of the earth when God’s wrath fell.

It was God’s mercy that permitted Lot to escape God’s wrath on Sodom and Gomorrah. The wickedness of the occupants of these two cities cried out to God and His wrath called for justice. Mercy answered in Lot’s place, and gave him an escape from the wickedness of the people around him.

It was God’s mercy that allowed the Israelites to exit Egypt.

It was God’s mercy that spared them through the wilderness journey. They had sinned and turned their back on God. His justice called for the death of all of the Israelites, but mercy answered.

It was God’s mercy that permitted David to escape Saul’s murderous spear.

It was God’s mercy that gave victory on the Cross. God’s wrath demanded that all sinners die – his mercy permitted Him to provide another way – The way of the Cross. When His justice called, His mercy answered.

It was God’s mercy that allowed yours and my sins to be forgiven and not held to our account. If mercy is removed or lost then Justice wins out.

God’s justice demanded that the sinner pay the penalty for sin – mercy permitted another to pay the price.

Mercy is part of God’s love.

It means the removal or withholding of a just penalty.

Try to imagine that beside your name at the time of your birth was written, “Justice demands death to this individual”. Then later when you called for mercy – Justice was crossed out and it now reads, “Mercy granted”.

III. GOD’S MERCY OFFERS REDEMPTION

Ps 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. (KJV) His mercy causes His anger and His wrath to be slowed or removed.

Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, (KJV)

His mercy allows Him to love sinners.

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (KJV)

His mercy does not act because of our worthiness or because we deserve it. Righteousness cannot be given through man’s efforts or goodness. Righteousness can only come from God, and then only when He gives it or grants it toward us.

Mankind has the false concept that we can impress God or even overpower Him with our own actions of goodness, or social behavior. Not true. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done….”

Justice calls for man to be punished by death because of our sin. When God sees our sin His wrath cries our for Justice to be done. But when His mercy sees our weakness and frailty His mercy then takes over. That’s why the verse says, " but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (KJV)

I am quite sure that we don’t understand this verse enough to really appreciate what it is telling us. It is saying that God’s mercy allows man to go to Heaven in spite of our wickedness – only because God’s mercy has answered when His Justice called.

In order for God to be Just – all sin must be punished through death. In order for mankind to have the forgiveness of God – His mercy must work in our behalf.

IV. MERCY IS AVAILABLE TO ALL

Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (KJV)

Lu 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. (KJV)

The Rich Man called for mercy, but it was too late. Lu 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. (KJV)

He was already in Hell, suffering in the eternal flame and he was beyond the reach of God’s mercy. His mercy cannot reach into Hell.

Today everyone that would call out for the mercy of God will be given His mercy. It is open and available to any and to all who will call for it.

Ro 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (KJV) That is possible because of His mercy.

There are two voices crying out in this building this morning. One is the voice of God’s Justice. It calls for the eternal punishment of each of us. It demands that our sin be punished by our own death in the burning pits of hell just as is the Rich Man from Luke 16.

But there is another voice crying out also. It is the voice of God’s mercy. It is saying, “The sacrifice has already been made. The price has been paid. The penalty has been served and forgiveness has been granted to all who will call and believe.” His mercy endureth forever.

The sadness that is present today is that those who have not believed in the sacrifice that God has made through His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, face the possibility of having that mercy of God taken away from them just as did Saul. If that did happen before you place your faith and trust in Christ Jesus, then you will join the Rich Man in Hell, where no mercy exists. Only His wrath is seen in Hell.

Why would anyone take that chance by waiting and passing up this great Mercy of God?