Mercy

Today we begin worship with:

Psalm 119:103-104
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my
mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate
every false way.

In this section of the Psalm (Psalm 119:97-104), the Psalmist exclaims that because of God’s law, he is wiser (ḥāḵam) than his enemies, comprehends (śāḵal) more than all his teachers, and is more discerning (bîn) than those who are older. 

What could do this?

God’s law tells us how life should be led, how we are to act, and what we should do.  There is no better way. There is nothing more sweet than mercy (ḥeseḏ).

Psalm 119:64 

The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love;
    teach me your statutes!

Rescued

 Today we start worship with:

Luke 15:7

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner

who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no

repentance.

This parable was addressed to quote-unquote righteous persons, or at least to ones that thought they needed “no repentance”.  The Pharisees and scribes had been grumbling because Jesus would spend time with sinners (Luke 15:1-2).  Jesus was addressing them.

We know now that everyone needs repentance. 

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

This was a lesson that Abraham had to learn.  He pleaded with God to save the city of Sodom for the sake of his nephew Lot.  Even as the number decreased from 50 down to 10, God’s answer was always the same.  If righteous were found, God would withhold His wrath (Genesis 18:22-33).  In the end, righteous were not found and only a few were found willing to leave.  Only Lot, his wife, and his two daughters took advantage of the angel’s warning and his wife famously turned back and received the just penalty (Genesis 19:15-29).

Heaven rejoices when the warning is heeded, when the sinner is rescued.

Image

 Today we begin worship with:

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in his own image, 

in the image of God he created him; 

male and female he created them.

It is lost in English that this is a song!  

This act of creation is connected (In English "So") to the previous verb "to speak" ('āmar).  This triumphant song follows God's decision and design to share His image with mankind.

Genesis 1:26a
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. 

And verb "make" (ʿāśâ) is not one-time, simply for Adam, but continuous.  God decided that each generation should reflect Him.

We should ask ourselves daily how well we are holding that mirror.

Righteousness

This week we begin worship with:

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they

shall be satisfied.

Yes, righteousness (dikaiosynē) is the state of being right with God, but God does not make us wait for it.  In fact, two other Beatitudes do not have the familiar “shall be” phrase.  They, the first and the last (Matthew 5:3,10), say we are citizens in the Kingdom of God.  We need not hunger for that!

Our verse rather speaks of our intense desire that we, personally, live a life in which we are the “living sacrifice” (Romans 12), which is summed up as:

Romans 12:18

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

How then shall we be “satisfied” (chortazō)?  The word describes the shepherd’s task of grazing the flock so they fatten for slaughter. So in the first sense we will become the sacrifice we desire. 

But secondarily we will also see the righteousness of God executed in justice.

Revelation 19:11

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.