Wait! There’s More!

I am remembering a time when I was visiting a church when the pastor, full of Pentecostal energy, shared vigorously from Psalm 136.  Twenty-six times the Psalmist declares, “His mercy endures forever.” Some translations, “His lovingkindness endures forever.” Oh, it does!  God’s mercy is unending. Matchless in every way. It can be seen from the beginning of mankind’s existence and has no vanishing point in the future.  Within the twenty-some minutes of sharing, the pastor repeated the blessing of God’s mercy, then “In closing…”  He said, “His mercy endures forever.”  As the folks stood to leave, preparing for the trek home to the roast in the Crockpot, I wanted so BADLY to stand to my feet and yell, “Tell them!” (All eyes on the crazy visitor lady in the back.)   “Wait! There’s more! Pastor! Don’t stop here!”  

Tell them that the Hebrew language is full of imagery. YES mercy! But there is more.  Just like there is “sunrise” with just a glimpse of a sliver of light peeking over the horizon, then there is SUNRISE with colors so vibrant you stare in unbelief at the magnitude of His creation. Colors spilling over each other as it dances across the sky in tones that if we are still enough, so very quietly still­—it could almost be heard.  Today, with the Pastors’ sharing, we were just—peeking.

His mercy endures forever. Mercy is “hesed” (in the Hebrew).  Scholars find it extremely difficult to translate into English because there really is not an equivalent word. The English Bible uses many different words in an attempt to express its meaning in each context.  Words such as lovingkindness, steadfast love, goodness, favor, loyal love, kindness, faithfulness, truth, justice, righteousness, mercy and yes—grace. 

Mercy and grace. God’s mercy is withholding what we do deserve, where His grace is giving us what we do not. One hand pushes forward in giving, while the other holds back in restraint.  The ultimate divine coordination—THAT is our God!  Because of His love for us, His commitment to covenant, and His value of relationship, our God interacts with hesed. It is deep, wide and continuing.

Agape (love) is the New Testament (Greek) equivalent to hesed. Paul wrote;
  “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19, NIV). 

Jonah knew God’s hesed, saying “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love (hesed), a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2, emphasis mine).  Ok, maybe Jonah needed an attitude adjustment, (Thus the large fish story) but he knew, he understood, and observed how God operates.

God’s lovingkindess is His willful, purpose-filled direction toward man.

Yes indeed, it is worthy of repeating in twenty-six verses, “His mercy (insert all those words describing His amazing character here) endures forever.”  What a challenge, to be aware and be in awe of God. It is enough to make us close our eyes, bow our head and sit quietly and take in His brilliant sunrise!

His hesed endures forever.

In Him, DeDe (“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love & good deeds” – Hebrews 10:24).