Near in Truth
The One who is Near
גֹֽאֲלֹו֙ הַקָּרֹ֣ב
On each side
of the river stood the tree of life,
bearing twelve crops of fruit,
yielding its fruit every month.
And the leaves of the tree are for the
healing of the nations
My Soul Thirsts for You
A Psalm Of David
Hear my prayer, O LORD;
give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your dfaithfulness answer me, in your drighteousness!
2 eEnter not into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous fbefore you.
3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
ghe has crushed my life to the ground;
hhe has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit ifaints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.
5 jI remember the days of old;
kI meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.
6 lI stretch out my hands to you;
mmy soul thirsts for you like na parched land.Selah
7 oAnswer me quickly, O LORD!
pMy spirit fails!
qHide not your face from me,
rlest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8 sLet me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I ttrust.
uMake me know the way I should go,
vfor to you I lift up my soul.
9 wDeliver me from my enemies, O LORD!
I have fled to you for refuge.1
10 xTeach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
yLet your good Spirit zlead me
on alevel ground!
11 bFor your name’s sake, O LORD, cpreserve my life!
In your righteousness dbring my soul out of trouble!
12 And in your steadfast love you will ecut off my enemies,
and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
for I am your fservant.
My Rock and My FortressOf David.144 Blessed be the LORD, my grock,
hwho trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
2 he is my isteadfast love and my jfortress,
my kstronghold and my deliverer,
my lshield and he in whom I take refuge,
who msubdues peoples1 under me.
3 O LORD, nwhat is man that you oregard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?
4 pMan is like a breath;
his days are like qa passing rshadow.
5 sBow your heavens, O LORD, and come down!
tTouch the mountains so that they smoke!
6 uFlash forth the lightning and scatter them;
usend out your arrows and rout them!
7 vStretch out your hand from on high;
wrescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
from the hand xof foreigners,
8 whose mouths speak ylies
and whose right hand is za right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing aa new song to you, O God;
upon aa ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10 who gives victory to kings,
who brescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me
from the hand xof foreigners,
whose mouths speak ylies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 May our sons in their youth
be like cplants full grown,
our daughters like dcorner pillars
cut for the structure of a palace;
13 emay our granaries be full,
fproviding all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our fields;
14 may our cattle be heavy with young,
suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;2
may there be no gcry of distress in our streets!
15 hBlessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
iBlessed are the people whose God is the LORD!
Great Is the Lord
A Song Of Praise. Of David
I will extol you,
my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
land praise your name forever and ever.
3 mGreat is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his ngreatness is unsearchable.
4 oOne generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On pthe glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of qthe might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your rabundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is sgracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The LORD is tgood to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 uAll your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
and all your vsaints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to wmake known to the children of man your2 xmighty deeds,
and ythe glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 zYour kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[The LORD is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]3
14 The LORD aupholds all who are falling
and braises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all clook to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You dopen your hand;
you esatisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The LORD is frighteous in all his ways
and gkind in all his works.
18 The LORD is hnear to all who call on him,
to all who call on him iin truth.
19 He jfulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also khears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD lpreserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and mlet all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
God made a covenant
(a conditional covenant)
with the
children of Israel
through His servant Moses.
He promised good to them and their children for generations if they obeyed Him and His laws; but He always warned of despair, punishment, and dispersion if they were to disobey. As a sign of His covenant He had the Israelites make a box according to His own design, in which to place the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. This box, or chest, was called an “ark” and was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. The Ark was to be housed in the inner sanctum of the tabernacle in the desert and eventually in the Temple when it was built in Jerusalem. This chest is known as the Ark of the Covenant.
After a brief introduction, Haggai begins his prophecy by declaring, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD” (Haggai 1:2).
Why were the Israelites not rebuilding the temple?
During his first year as king of Persia, in 538 B.C., Cyrus issued an edict allowing the Jews to return from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple (Ezra 1:1-4). The altar was repaired, and the foundation of the temple probably began sometime in 537 B.C. Then Samaritan opposition brought construction to a halt in 536 B.C. Ezra 4:24 notes, “Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.” The temple project languished for 16 years, until 520 B.C.
Therefore, originally, the Jews stopped rebuilding the temple due to opposition from the neighboring Samaritans. But other reasons crept in. At the time of Haggai’s prophecies, some Jews simply said that the timing was not right (Haggai 1:2). Yet the time was right for them to build their own homes. In fact, Haggai rebukes the people for their concern for their own houses while neglecting God’s house.
Haggai taught that God was sending His judgment because of the Jews’ neglect of the temple of the Lord. Their harvest had failed, and their finances were not blessed: “He who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes” (Haggai 1:6). No matter how hard the people worked, their food, drink, and finances were not adequate. Haggai said that their needs would only be met when they obeyed God and rebuilt the temple (Haggai 1:7-11).
Together with the prophet Zechariah (Ezra 5:1), Haggai prompted the restart of the temple building project (Ezra 5:2). Once God’s people were back on track, the temple was soon completed, on March 12, 515 B.C. (Ezra 6:13-15). This fulfilled Jeremiah’s prediction of a 70-year captivity (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10) that lasted from Nebuchadnezzar’s burning of the temple in the fifth month of 586 B.C. (2 Kings 25:8-9) until the new temple’s reopening in the twelfth month of 515 B.C.
The answer to why it was important to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls is found in Nehemiah 1:3. Some Jews who visited Jerusalem returned to Persia and reported to Nehemiah, the king’s cupbearer. The men said, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
After the Babylonian Captivity, a remnant of the Jewish people had returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Ezra. These returned exiles had rebuilt the temple, but they were now in need of protection. The lack of fortified walls around the city left the people defenseless against enemies. Weather, wild animals, opposing people, and other opponents could easily enter and cause “great trouble” to the people.
According to the report Nehemiah received, the remnant in Jerusalem was shamed. A city with broken walls revealed a defeated people. The Jews who had returned to their homeland were both in unsafe conditions and humiliated at living in a destroyed city. In Nehemiah 2:17, Nehemiah told the Jewish leaders, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”
Also, the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls would show God’s blessing upon His people again. Nehemiah quoted God’s words to Moses in his prayer, saying, “If you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name” (Nehemiah 1:9).
Rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was an important sign to the enemies of Israel. Nehemiah told their enemies, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it” (Nehemiah 2:20).
And rebuilding the walls showed that God was with His people. Upon the completion of the walls, Nehemiah wrote, “When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God” (Nehemiah 6:16).
The destruction of Jerusalem’s walls left its people exposed to great trouble and shame. Rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was important because it revealed God’s blessing, served as a sign to Israel’s enemies, and showed God was with His people. The walls provided protection and dignity to a people who had suffered the judgment of God but had later been restored and returned to the Promised Land.
The real significance of the
Ark of the Covenant
was what took
place involving the lid of the box,
known as the
"Mercy Seat."
The term ‘mercy seat’ comes from a Hebrew word meaning “to cover, placate, appease, cleanse, cancel or make atonement for.” It was here that the high priest, only once a year (Leviticus 16), entered the Holy of Holies where the Ark was kept and atoned for his sins and the sins of the Israelites. The priest sprinkled blood of a sacrificed animal onto the Mercy Seat to appease the wrath and anger of God for past sins committed. This was the only place in the world where this atonement could take place.
The Mercy Seat on the Ark was a symbolic foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice for all sin—the blood of Christ shed on the cross for the remission of sins. The Apostle Paul, a former Pharisee and one familiar with the Old Testament, knew this concept quite well when he wrote about Christ being our covering for sin in Romans 3:24-25: "…and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." Just as there was only one place for atonement of sins in the Old Testament—the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant—so there is also only one place for atonement in the New Testament and current times—the cross of Jesus Christ. As Christians, we no longer look to the Ark but to the Lord Jesus Himself as the propitiation and atonement for our sins.
The author of Hebrews writes to inform readers of the superiority of Jesus and to urge them to follow Him closely. In Hebrews 4:16 the author explains that we can come boldly to the throne of grace: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” So, following Jesus is about confidence, not timidity. The author explains how: because of Jesus, our High Priest.
Jesus is described as a merciful and faithful high priest in Hebrews 2:17, and He accomplished propitiation for sin (or the satisfaction of God’s wrath because of sin). In the Mosaic Law, the high priest would intercede on behalf of the people and was at least a symbolic head of the current priestly administration (Numbers 25, 28). The priest would bring sacrifices to God on behalf of the people of Israel and would do so repeatedly, as the law prescribed. While ordinarily the high priest would bring the sacrifice, Jesus Himself was the sacrifice. His personal sacrifice was an incredible act of mercy, and He could be the sacrifice because He had become like those for whom He was giving Himself up (Hebrews 2:17). Because of Jesus the High Priest, we can come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). Elsewhere in the epistle, Jesus is the “High Priest of our confession” (Hebrews 3:1). Jesus is a trustworthy high priest, as God the Father counted Him faithful (Hebrews 3:2). If the Father counts Him as faithful, then we can, too.
In the Mosaic Law, that which was sacrificed died, and so new sacrifices were necessary to (temporarily) cover sin. But Jesus as high priest brought a different kind of sacrifice. Jesus sacrificed Himself, and He was resurrected and ascended into heaven (Hebrews 4:14)—another evidence that He is faithful and had the ability to accomplish salvation for all who would believe in Him. Because of Him we can come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). He is a high priest who sympathizes with our weakness (He knows our weaknesses because He became like us when He became a man)—He even has been tempted in all things as we have, yet He remained sinless (Hebrews 4:15).
Because Jesus was a man, He could be our substitution—He could stand in our place to pay the price for sin: death. None of us can finish paying the price because our debt is so great and we have nothing left with which to pay it. He could pay the price in our place as a man. Because Jesus was God, He had no sin of His own and He could arise from the grave showing that He conquered sin and death. His one-time sacrifice was enough (Hebrews 9:26). Because of Him we can now come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16)—not on our own merits, bringing our own sacrifice—but on His merit and His sacrifice. Now that He has made it possible for us to come to God, we come to Him by faith—for “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). Because of what Jesus has done for us, we can come boldly and with confidence to the throne of grace—it is no longer a throne of judgment for us; rather, it is where we have received forgiveness in mercy and righteousness in grace.
Jesus, our High Priest, intercedes on our behalf even today (Romans 8:34). Not only can we come boldly to the throne of grace for forgiveness and salvation (Hebrews 4:16), but we can also come to that same throne in prayer knowing that we are no longer enemies of God but beloved children who can call Him “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:15).
One of the most popular verses among both Jews and Christians promoting social justice is Micah 6:8. It reads, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Many desire to know more about what this inspiring verse teaches on the issues of justice, mercy, and humility.
Micah 6 involves an imaginary conversation between the Lord and Israel. In verses 1-5 the Lord introduces His case against the disobedient people of Israel. Verses 6-7 record Israel’s response as a series of questions beginning with, “With what shall I come to the Lord?” (Micah 6:6).
Israel’s focus is on their external religious rites, and their questions show a progression from lesser to greater. First, they ask if God would be satisfied with burnt offerings of year-old calves (Micah 6:6b), offerings required in the Law of Moses. Second, they ask if they should bring “thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil” (Micah 6:7a). This is the rhetoric of hyperbole; such an offering could only be made by someone extremely wealthy or by the larger community of God’s people. Third, they ask whether they should offer their firstborn sons as a sacrifice for God. Would that be enough to cover their sin? Would God be pleased with them then?
Verse 8 follows with God’s answer, rooted in the Law of Moses: “He has told you, O man, what is good.” In other words, Israel should already have known the answer to their questions. God then says that He did not need or desire their religious rites, sacrifices, or oblations. Instead, the Lord sought Israel’s justice, mercy, and humility.
The answer to Israel’s sin problem was not more numerous or more painful sacrifices. The answer was something much deeper than any religious observance: they needed a change of heart. Without the heart, Israel’s conformity to the Law was nothing more than hypocrisy. Other prophets tried to communicate a similar message (Isaiah 1:14; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:21). Unfortunately, God’s people were slow to heed the message (Matthew 12:7).
“Act justly” would have been understood by Micah’s audience as living with a sense of right and wrong. In particular, the judicial courts had a responsibility to provide equity and protect the innocent. Injustice was a problem in Israel at that time (Micah 2:1-2; 3:1-3; 6:11).
“Love mercy” contains the Hebrew word hesed, which means “loyal love” or “loving-kindness.” Along with justice, Israel was to provide mercy. Both justice and mercy are foundational to God’s character (Psalm 89:14). God expected His people to show love to their fellow man and to be loyal in their love toward Him, just as He had been loyal to them (Micah 2:8-9; 3:10-11; 6:12).
“Walk humbly” is a description of the heart’s attitude toward God. God’s people depend on Him rather than their own abilities (Micah 2:3). Instead of taking pride in what we bring to God, we humbly recognize that no amount of personal sacrifice can replace a heart committed to justice and love. Israel’s rhetorical questions had a three-part progression, and verse 8 contains a similar progression. The response of a godly heart is outward (do justice), inward (love mercy), and upward (walk humbly).
The message of Micah is still pertinent today. Religious rites, no matter how extravagant, can never compensate for a lack of love (1 Corinthians 13:3). External compliance to rules is not as valuable in God’s eyes as a humble heart that simply does what is right. God’s people today will continue to desire justice, mercy, and humility before the Lord.
Mercy describes a divine attribute of God’s nature—He is “rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4), and His “mercy is great” (2 Samuel 24:14; see also Daniel 9:9). Mercy is revealed in the actions God takes to relieve suffering and demonstrate His faithfulness and steadfast love. Mercy is such an exceptionally complex concept that several Hebrew and Greek words are used to express the dimensions of its meaning. Synonyms like compassion, lovingkindness, favor, and steadfast love often appear in Bible translations to illustrate the idea of mercy. A brief biblical definition of mercy is “the gift of God’s undeserved kindness and compassion.”
On a human level, mercy is the benevolent or compassionate treatment of someone suffering or in need. Mercy is an attitude that moves us to act on behalf of the unfortunate. On a divine level, mercy is the foundation of forgiveness expressed in God’s pardon of human sin. By His divine quality of mercy, God remains faithful to His covenant promises and His relationship with His people despite their unworthiness and faithlessness (Deuteronomy 30:1–6; Isaiah 14:1; Romans 9:15–16, 23; Ephesians 2:4–9).
When God revealed Himself to Moses, He emphasized the prominence of His mercy: “The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, ‘Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty’” (Exodus 34:6–7, NLT).
In God’s mercy, He shows leniency. He withholds punishment from sinners even though they deserve it: “But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are!” (Nehemiah 9:31, NLT). God’s mercy also causes Him to give good gifts to those who are undeserving: “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us” (Luke 1:78, NLT). Thus, mercy is related to grace.
Jesus Christ is the fullest, most dynamic expression of God’s mercy (Ephesians 2:4–5). In His earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrated compassion and mercy for the helpless and suffering (Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 20:34; Mark 6:34; Luke 7:13). Mercy motivated Christ to give “himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2; see also Galatians 2:20) so that through Him we might be forgiven of our sins (Hebrews 2:17) and granted the gift of eternal life (1 Peter 1:3; 1 Timothy 1:14–16; Jude 1:21).
In Titus 3:4–7, the apostle Paul gives us one of the best descriptions of God’s mercy as revealed in Jesus Christ: “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” God’s mercy not only forgives and saves us but also withholds the punishment we deserve.
The Bible beckons Christians “to love mercy” (Micah 6:8) and “be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Believers must show the same mercy and compassion toward one another that God demonstrates toward them (Zechariah 7:9; Matthew 5:7; 18:33–35; Colossians 3:12; James 2:12–13; 1 Peter 3:9). Mercy is also pronounced as a greeting and a blessing on God’s people (Galatians 6:14; 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:16–18; 2 John 3; Jude 1:2, 21).
The writer to the Hebrews talks about the arrangement
of the tabernacle of the Old Testament.
The tabernacle was the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites from the time of their wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt to the building of the temple in Jerusalem (see Exodus 25–27). Within the tabernacle was the ark of the covenant which included the mercy seat (Hebrews 9:3-5 NKJV).
The ark of the covenant, the chest containing the two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, was the most sacred object of the tabernacle and later in the temple in Jerusalem, where it was placed in an inner area called the Holy of Holies. Also within the ark were the golden pot of manna, such as was provided by God in the wilderness wanderings (Exodus 16:4) and Aaron’s almond rod (Numbers 17:1-13). On top of the ark was a lid called the mercy seat on which rested the cloud or visible symbol of the divine presence. Here God was supposed to be seated, and from this place He was supposed to dispense mercy to man when the blood of the atonement was sprinkled there.
In a manner of speaking, the mercy seat concealed the people of God from the ever-condemning judgment of the Law. Each year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood of animals sacrificed for the atonement of the sins of God’s people. This blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat. The point conveyed by this imagery is that it is only through the offering of blood that the condemnation of the Law could be taken away and violations of God’s laws covered.
The Greek word for “mercy seat” in Hebrews 9:5 is hilasterion, which means “that which makes expiation” or “propitiation.” It carries the idea of the removal of sin. In Ezekiel 43:13-15, the brazen altar of sacrifice is also called hilasterion (the propitiatory or mercy seat) in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament)
because of its association with the shedding of blood for sin.
What is the significance of this? In the New Testament, Christ Himself is designated as our “propitiation.” Paul explains this in his letter to the Romans: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed” (Romans 3:24-25 NKJV). What Paul is teaching here is that Jesus is the covering for sin, as shown by these Old Testament prophetic images. By means of His death, and our response to Christ through our faith in Him, all our sins are covered. Also, whenever believers sin, we may turn to Christ who continues to be the propitiation or covering for our sins (1 John 2:1, 4:10).
This ties together the Old and New Testament
concepts regarding the
covering of sin
as exemplified
by the
mercy-seat of God
In Leviticus 25:25-28, we read a passage that quickly brings to mind
Ruth and Boaz:
“If your brother becomes poor and sells some of his property, then his nearest kinsman may come and redeem what his brother has sold. If a man has no kinsman-redeemer, but he himself recovers and finds sufficient means to redeem it, then let him reckon the years since its sale and restore the surplus to the man to whom he sold it. Then he will return to his property. But if he is not able to get it back for himself, then what he has sold is to remain in the hand of the one who has bought it until the Year of Jubilee. Then in the Jubilee it should be released, so he may return to his property."
Lev.25:25-28
גֹּאֵ֑ל
Hebrew: go’el
Go’el translates to
kinsman-redeemer” or “redeeming relative.”
Yeshua (Jesus) is our relative. He is so closely related to us that
He qualifies as our kinsman-redeemer.
In a sense, this is obvious, but if you really spend a moment to meditate on this fact, I am sure you will be touched by how truly glorious it is that our Savior is our relative.
“… Blessed be ADONAI, who has not left you without a go’el (Redeemer)
May His Name be famous throughout Israel.” Ruth 4:14Redemption was only possible if certain parameters were met. The nearest kinsman had a choice. He could freely choose whether or not he wanted to redeem his brother. Ruth’s first-in-line kinsman redeemer actually rejected the proposition. Initially, he was interested, but once he realized he would have to marry Ruth and also take on the obligation to care for the widowed Naomi as well, he decided not to go through with the redemption.
He was concerned that he could endanger his inheritance, perhaps fearing things would be divided among a large family if he were to serve as redeemer. We do not know his reasons, but they may well have been financial. Boaz was probably wealthier and in a better position to take on the Redeemer-responsibility of a wife and mother-in-law.
Then Boaz took ten of the town’s elders and said, “Sit down here,” so they sat down. Then he said to the goel, “Naomi, who has returned from the region of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belongs to our brother Elimelech. I thought I should inform you saying, ‘Buy it in the presence of the people sitting here, and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, redeem it. But if it will not be redeemed, then tell me, so that I can know, because there is no one else in line to redeem it. I am after you.’” “I will redeem it,” he said. Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from Naomi’s hand, you will also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased over his inheritance.” The kinsman said, “Then I cannot redeem it for myself, or else I might endanger my own inheritance. You, take my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.” Now in the past in Israel, one removed his sandal and gave it to another, in order to finalize the redemption and transfer of a matter. This was a legal transaction in Israel. So the kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” then took off his shoe. Boaz announced to the elders and all the people: “You are witnesses today that I have bought from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased over his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the gate of his town. You are witnesses today.” Ruth 4:2-10The one in need of redemption is described in the Bible as “having become poor.”
You and I are spiritually bankrupt without the LORD, but He freely chose to redeem us out of our spiritual poverty.
“Becoming poor” means that we started out ok, but something, ie. the fall, happened to separate us from the LORD. If you have done something that makes you feel “less than” or completely “unworthy” or “unable” to “attain” salvation, know this: your poor condition doesn’t have to define your future.
Sin creeps in with the intent of robbing us of relationship with our Merciful Savior, but if you will confess your need and reject sin, you reject spiritual poverty. You can’t earn a place at His banqueting table, but you can accept His generous gift of mercy. He can set you free today from your fears, your anxiety, from anything that is between you and Him. The LORD wants to redeem you today!
Worship on Truth
The One who is
Near
גֹֽאֲלֹו֙ הַקָּרֹ֣ב
The full Hebrew description in Leviticus 25:25 for an individual to bring redemption to
their “poor brother” is “go’el haqarob.”
קָרוֹב
Hebrew: qarob. This means
“near.”
“Kinsman”
in Hebrew then could be expressed as
one’s “near one.”
Someone near and dear to you.
Forms of this same verb are used throughout the Psalms to express the nearness of God.
"ADONAI is near (קָר֣וֹב) to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth." Psalm 145:18 (TLV)
The LORD
is near, the LORD
is qarob –
He is near to you
when you call on Him
in Truth
He is near, qarob,
as your next-of-kin. He is Elohim qarob,
the
God who is near.
You are part of the family of God, and He,
your Savior,
redeems you as your kinsman-redeemer.
Yeshua (Jesus) is your Brother and His Father is your Father, too.
Our Redeemer Lives and He is Near“For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?" Deut.4:7, NKJVHere again, a form of the term “qarob” is used to describe the spectacular Truth that our Redeemer God is near to us. Who else is so privileged to have God on their side? The LORD is with His nation, Israel; we are members of this holy nation. He not only protects and guides us, He is so near to us, nearer than our own breathing. He is not some distant god. He is not powerless, He is not uninterested in our future. He is deeply involved in our day-to-day lives because He cares for us so profoundly. And whenever we call upon His Name, He is listening. What a privilege!
The phrase “dead to sin”
comes from Romans 6:11:
“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Here, the contrast is made that to be “dead to sin” is to be “alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Those who have come to faith in Jesus are no longer to allow sin to control their lives. Instead, we offer ourselves to God to serve His purposes.
Paul expands on this concept in Romans 12:1-2: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” The phrase “living sacrifice” is a paradox—sacrifices do not “live”; they die. But it’s a good summation of the Christian life, as we are dead to sin and alive to God. The emphasis here is on living a different life as a result of God’s salvation. We no longer follow the pattern of the world but live according to God’s will.
To be dead to sin does not mean we are sinless. Paul made clear that he continued to struggle with temptation and sin: “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:19-20). If Paul could call himself the “worst of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:16), then we should certainly expect to continue our conflict with sin until we reach heaven.
To be dead to sin means we no longer need to be controlled by our sin nature. Romans 6:17 teaches that “though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.” Before Christ, we are “slaves” to sin. Now we have a new Master. Sin continues to exist, but we are no longer dominated by it.
As Christians, we have God’s Spirit within us to empower us. However, we still face temptation and must strive to stand against sin. We can live “dead to sin” as we follow Christ, knowing that our Lord will one day remove the curse of sin altogether (Revelation 22:3).
Faith resides at the core of Christianity and the Christian life. While the Bible has much to say about it, faith is a challenging concept to define. A biblical definition of faith reaches beyond mere belief—the simple acknowledgment that God exists—into the realm of trust. Genuine faith involves abandoning all human reliance on self-efforts and placing total dependence upon God’s character, His actions, and His promises, as revealed in His Word.
Faith has many dimensions. One crucial facet of faith is defined in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Biblical faith takes present-day possession of things not yet seen with our eyes but hoped for in the future. What God has revealed in His Word becomes our inner reality today. Rather than looking at life with our earthly eyes, faith sees through the lens of God’s promises.
The apostle Paul said, “We walk by faith and not sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith does not put trust in bank account balances, headline news, or the doctor’s report. “We don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:18, NLT). When the world seems to be falling apart, our faith stands secure on the rock-solid, trustworthy promises of God and His Word.
Faith begins with God. It is His gift, not the result of any human effort or achievement. God initiates the relationship between Himself and humans by revealing Himself to them (Ecclesiastes 3:11; Romans 1:19–20) and lovingly persuading them to come to Him (Romans 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9; Isaiah 30:18), just as Jesus called the disciples to follow Him (Matthew 4:18–22). But then God expects us to respond to Him in faith: “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, NLT). Failure to trust God was at the heart of the first sin (Genesis 3:1–7). Ever since the fall of man, God has been calling people back to faith—to a place of trust and obedience to Him.
Faith is and always has been the only means of salvation. In the Old Testament, the covenantal bond was the believer’s expression of faith. God initiated the covenant, and believers responded in faith, actively obeying His Word and trusting in the Lord to fulfill His promises. In Genesis 15:6, Abraham “believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith” (NLT; see also Romans 4:22; Galatians 3:6). The prophet states, “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God” (Habakkuk 2:4, NLT).
In the New Testament, it is by faith that people receive God’s grace in Jesus Christ and, through Him, the gift of salvation (Ephesians 2:8–9). Paul emphasized the centrality of faith in the believer’s life: “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life’” (Romans 1:16–17, NLT; see also Romans 3:27–28; 10:9–10).
Faith results in numerous blessings and benefits. At the top of the list are the gifts of salvation, justification, and peace with God (Romans 5:1–2; Galatians 2:15–16; 1 Peter 1:8–9). Jesus makes His home in our hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17). We receive forgiveness of sin (Acts 10:43; Luke 7:48–50), adoption into God’s family (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26), God’s protection and power (1 Peter 1:5; Matthew 17:20; Luke 8:43–48), freedom to draw near to God with a clean conscience (Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 10:22), reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18), sanctification (Acts 26:17–18), and a new life in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:20), all through faith. Moreover, we are granted victory over death and eternal life (John 3:16, 36; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 11:25–27).
The Bible plainly teaches that faith is not just a mental attitude. James explains that saving faith is revealed in a person’s actions. He writes, “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?” (James 2:14, NLT). James is not saying that we are saved by works, but that faith and good deeds go together: “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works” (James 2:26, NLT). Good works are proof that our faith is alive.
A biblical concept of faith includes believing that God exists and that He is wholly trustworthy, so much so that we base our lives on Him and His Word, doing what it says, no matter what our physical eyes tell us. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we obtain “the victory that has overcome the world” (1 John 5:4–5).
In writing to his “dear children” in the Lord, the apostle John tells them that “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The contrast here is between the Spirit of Christ and the spirit of antichrist; in short, God is greater than Satan.
First John 4 begins with an exhortation for believers to test the spirits of prophets or teachers: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). What a prophet or teacher proclaims reveals whether he is of God or a false prophet of the world. John tells us how to recognize a false prophet: “Every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist” (verse 3). Anyone who teaches or proclaims falsehood about Jesus, such as denying His divinity, is a false prophet. These false prophets are actually speaking in the spirit of the antichrist on behalf of “the one who is in the world,” Satan.
The word antichrist means “against Christ.” Satan is the ultimate spirit against Christ. He is the father of lies and is against truth (John 8:44). He is called “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) and “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). He is “the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 2:2). Satan uses false prophets to lead people away from Christ by deceiving them with a false view of Jesus. Twisting who Jesus is perverts the gospel. It keeps people in the bondage of sin and in darkness. Yet Satan is not as powerful as God, and John reminds the believers in 1 John 4:4 that greater is He that is in believers than he that is in the world.
The bodies of believers are the temples of the Holy Spirit who dwells within them (1 Corinthians 6:19). John encourages those in whom God lives: “You are from God” (1 John 4:4, ESV). They are not of the world. John reassures them that they have “overcome” those who teach false doctrine and who can rightly be called “antichrists.”
John uses the concept of “overcoming” five other times in 1 John: believers have overcome the evil one (1 John 2:13, 14) and have overcome the world (three times in 1 John 5:4–5). The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now indwells believers in Christ (Romans 8:11). The Holy Spirit is far stronger than Satan or any of his minions, the Spirit’s wisdom is greater than any of Satan’s schemes, and the Spirit’s protection is more than enough to thwart any of Satan’s attacks. Because he who is in us is greater than he who is in the world, we have confidence in God and at the same time put no confidence in the flesh. The power is not ours but the Holy Spirit’s.
By these encouragements believers can have peace and rejoice because Jesus has “overcome the world” (John 16:33). Believers need not fear Satan; rather, they trust in the Lord and obey Him. By the living Spirit of God within them, believers can overcome the lies and temptations of the powers of darkness. Those who are of God can boldly say, “Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.”
“Stripes,” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24) in the language of the King James Version of the Bible, and in some others, means “wounds,” as seen in more modern translations such as the New International Version. These stripes were administered by whipping the bare backs of prisoners whose hands and feet were bound, rendering them helpless. The phrase “by His stripes we are healed” refers to the punishment Jesus Christ suffered—floggings and beatings with fists that were followed by His agonizing death on a cross—to take upon Himself all of the sins of all people who believe Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
The whips used were made of braided leather, with pottery shards and sharp stones affixed to the ends, which tore open the flesh of the prisoner with each cruel swing of the whip. When we picture this terrible, inhumane form of physical punishment we recoil in horror. Yet the physical pain and agony were not all Jesus suffered. He also had to undergo the mental anguish brought on by the wrath of His Father, who punished Him for the sinfulness of mankind—sin carried out in spite of God’s repeated warnings, sin that Jesus willingly took upon Himself. He paid the total price for all of our transgressions.
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Peter wrote, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” In Isaiah 53, Jesus’ future life on earth was foretold in the clearest of terms, to include his eventual torture and death: “But He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds (stripes) we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).
Although these two verses are central to the topic of healing, they are often misunderstood and misapplied. The word “healed” as translated from both Hebrew and Greek, can mean either spiritual or physical healing. However, the contexts of Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2 make it clear that they are referring to spiritual healing, not physical. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). The verse is referring to sin and righteousness, not sickness and disease. Therefore, being “healed” in both these verses is speaking of being forgiven and saved, not being physically healed.
Matthew uses Isaiah 53:5 and speaks of its fulfillment in the context of Jesus’ healing ministry: “Many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases’” (Matthew 8:16–17). Jesus was not actually bearing sin in Matthew 8, but He was bearing some of the consequences of sin; thus, Jesus showed Himself to be the true Messiah prophesied by Isaiah. In healing the multitudes of their physical ailments, Jesus proved His power to also heal them of their spiritual ailments (cf. Mark 2:8–12). Matthew finds in Jesus’ healing miracles a foretaste of Jesus’ atonement for sin: the bearing of the diseases was emblematic of the removal of sin. The ultimate cause of sickness, the sin of the world, would be borne later on the cross, and our ultimate physical healing, with resurrection, will come at the end (1 Corinthians 15:42).
In Isaiah 42:8 God states, “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images” (NASB). God’s glory is His honor, splendor, and dignity, and He will not share it with anyone. In telling Israel of how He was sparing them from destruction and giving them new prophecies, God says, “For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11).
God will not give His glory to another because all glory, honor, and praise belong to Him alone. He will not allow His works to be attributed to a false god, which is “nothing at all in the world” (1 Corinthians 8:4). Also, God will not allow humans to take credit for what He does, as if it were our own skill, wisdom, and power that deserve the praise.
God will not give His glory to another because it is immoral for someone to take credit for something he or she did not do. Whether it’s cheating on a test, plagiarizing a book, “stealing valor” by posing as a military veteran, or attempting to take credit for what God has done, it’s wrong. Most people understand that siphoning off the reputation of others or accepting accolades due to someone else is dishonest and dishonorable. For a human being to attempt to take credit for God’s actions is the height of hubris.
King Herod made the mistake of trying to appropriate God’s glory: “Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, ‘This is the voice of a god, not of a man.’ Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died” (Acts 12:21–23). In grasping for glory that belongs only to God, Herod was much like Lucifer, who said, just before his fall, “I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14).
God will not give His glory to another. He is “the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light. . . . To him be honor and might forever. Amen” (1 Timothy 6:15–16). The Lord our God is worthy “to receive glory and honor and power” (Revelation 4:11). His glory is such that even heaven’s mightiest angels cannot look fully upon Him (Isaiah 6:1–4). There is no boasting in His presence (1 Corinthians 1:28–29).
God will not give His glory to another, which makes Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer all the more astounding, because in it Jesus prayed, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (John 17:5). Three things of note here: 1) Jesus prays that the Father would give Him glory; 2) Jesus lays claim to a previous glory that was His before the time of creation; and 3) Jesus asserts that His glory was that of the Father’s. In other words, Jesus asks that the Father would give His glory to another, namely Himself; more than that, Jesus proclaims that He has already shared in that divine glory as the pre-existent Son of God.
What are we to make of Jesus’ prayer, in light of Scripture’s unambiguous decree that God will not give His glory to another? Either Jesus is blaspheming, or He is indeed who He claimed: the eternal Son of God who is worthy to “sit on his glorious throne” (Matthew 25:31). We believe that Jesus is “in very nature God” (Philippians 2:6) and that “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). He is worthy to be praised.
Jerusalem’s ancient garbage dump—a place called Gehenna—was illustrative of the ceaseless agonies of hell. This dump was on the south side of Jerusalem. In Old Testament times, children had been sacrificed to idols there (2 Kings 23:10); in Jesus’ day, it was a place burning with constant fires to consume the waste that was thrown there. The material burned there included everything from household trash to animal carcasses to convicted criminals (Jeremiah 7:31–33). Needless to say, the Jews considered Gehenna a cursed place of impurity and uncleanness.
The word translated “hell” in Mark 9:43 is the Greek word Gehenna, which comes from the Hebrew name for a place called the “Valley of Hinnom.” Jesus uses this place to paint a vivid image of what hell is like. The Jewish people often associated the Valley of Hinnom with spiritual death.
In Mark 9:48, when Jesus says, “Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (ESV), He is quoting from Isaiah 66:24: “They will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” In both texts the word translated as “worm” literally means “grub” or “maggot.” A maggot would have an obvious association with a dump like Gehenna where dead bodies are thrown; however, the maggot Christ speaks of “will not die.”
Taken at face value, this text is one of the most horrific descriptions of what hell is like. The thought of eternal torment, likened to maggots eating away at a rotting corpse, is undoubtedly ghastly. Hell is so awful that Christ said, figuratively speaking, it’s better to cut off the hand that causes you to sin than to end up in hell (Matthew 5:30).
Mark 9:48 does not mean that there are literal worms in hell or that there are worms that live forever; rather, Jesus is teaching the fact of unending suffering in hell—the “worm” never stops causing torment. Notice that the worm is personal. Both Isaiah 66:24 and Mark 9:48 use the word their to identify the worm’s owner. The sources of torment are attached each to its own host.
Some Bible scholars believe the “worm” refers to a man’s conscience. Those in hell, being completely cut off from God, exist with a nagging, guilty conscience that, like a persistent worm, gnaws away at its victim with a remorse that can never be mitigated. No matter what the word worm refers to, the most important thing to be gained from these words of Christ is that we should do everything in our power to escape the horrors of hell, and there is only one thing to that end—receiving Jesus as the Lord of our lives (John 3:16).
Isaiah 41:14 says, “‘Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,’ declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” It’s a wonderful promise combined with an unflattering mode of address. Jacob (that is, the people of Israel) is called a worm.
Worms are small, and worms are lowly. That is the most obvious connection drawn in Isaiah 41:14 between Israel and the worm. In and of themselves, the children of Israel had no power or glory. They would be trampled by the other nations as easily as people would trample a worm. But God promises deliverance to His people, protection from their enemies, and triumph in the end. “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (verse 10). Israel’s enemies will be vanquished: “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish” (verse 11). Though they are a mere worm, a symbol of insignificance, the Lord God Almighty is on their side.
It’s fascinating to look at the Hebrew word translated “worm” in Isaiah 41:14. In Hebrew it is tola, and it can be properly translated in two ways: either as “worm” or as “scarlet material.” The context determines the meaning. In Lamentations 4:5, a form of the same word refers to fine scarlet clothing.
The “worm” in question is usually identified as the Coccus ilicis, an insect that was used in ancient times to make scarlet dye. When a female “scarlet worm” is ready to have young, it permanently attaches itself to the trunk of a tree and lays its eggs. The insect then dies and in death turns crimson, staining the surrounding wood scarlet as well. The dead bodies of these insects were then collected and the scarlet fluid extracted; the resulting brilliant dye was prized for coloring fabric and thread.
The book of Exodus uses forms of the word tola over twenty times, almost always in the sense of “crimson” or “scarlet.” Scarlet was one of the colors in the curtains of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:1); in the veil separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (verse 31); and in the garments of the priests (Exodus 28:5–6). In each of these cases, scarlet is symbolic of the blood of the sacrifice.
Significantly, the word tola is also found Psalm 22:6, a messianic psalm. Here, the Messiah says, “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people,” and goes on to describe His pierced hands and feet (verse 16), the mockery of the onlookers (verse 7), and the gambling over His clothing (verse 18). Like the little “crimson worm,” the Messiah was deemed frail, lowly, and insignificant. “He made himself nothing” (Philippians 2:7). Like the “crimson worm,” Jesus hung from a tree, stained the wood crimson, and died giving life to others.
The specific phrase highway of holiness is found only once in Scripture, in Isaiah 35. In this chapter, God promises that, in the future, the land of Israel will be blessed with fertility and “the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose” (verse 2). Isaiah’s prophecy of the messianic kingdom also encourages the weak and fearful to be strong, for God will come with vengeance to save the long-oppressed people of Israel (verses 3–4). There will be gladness and shouts of joy when the new, restored Zion will see God’s glory, experience His presence, and be guided and protected by Him.
At the time the kingdom is established, “a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness” (Isaiah 35:8). The highway of holiness does not need to be a literal highway; the point of the prophecy is that God will remove all obstacles and “smooth the way” for His people, enabling them to access the blessings of the kingdom. Some point to the fulfillment of this prophecy as the Jews’ return from captivity in Babylon and Persia. But the language of Isaiah 35 gives it a broader context, including physical healing and environmental blessings (verses 5–7). The highway of holiness could also be seen to refer to the Way that is Christ (see John 14:6), the way of sovereign grace that redeems us from sin.
The highway of holiness has three important characteristics. The first is found in Isaiah 35:8: “It will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.” The highway of holiness is a place of holiness. It is reserved for those who are righteous in God’s sight. No one entering the kingdom will be foolish or sinful. Christ alone provides the way of holiness, having exchanged His perfect righteousness for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). His righteousness is imputed to us, enabling us to be holy, even as He is holy. The highway is reserved for His people alone.
Second, the highway of holiness is a place of safety, reserved for the redeemed of the Lord. “No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return” (Isaiah 35:9–10). This is indicative of the safety and security God’s people will experience on the highway. No wicked persons, symbolized by lions and ravenous beasts, will be allowed on the highway. The redeemed of the Lord will walk there in peace and safety.
Third, the highway of holiness will be a place of joy: “They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away” (Isaiah 35:10). Just as the ransomed captives would return joyfully from Babylon, all the redeemed of the Lord will enter the millennial kingdom rejoicing.
Isaiah’s mention of a “highway” occurs again in Isaiah 40:3, referring to the first advent of the Messiah: “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” This prophecy was fulfilled by John the Baptist (see Matthew 3:3).
In Isaiah 41:8, God speaks to Israel, calling them “descendants of Abraham my friend.” Abraham’s friendship with God is also mentioned by King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:7 and by the apostle James in James 2:23. Thus Abraham was accorded the high honor of being called a “friend of God.”
Literally, Isaiah 41:8 could be translated as “Abraham, who loved Me.” Abraham showed his love for God through his faith accompanied by obedience (Genesis 12:1, 4; 15:6). He was more than an acquaintance of God and more than a companion. He was a friend of God.
A friendship is a reciprocal relationship between two people who share a bond of mutual affection. Friends can be described as those who:
– know and understand each other
– like each other
– have shared interests
– want to spend time together
– help and protect each other
Friendship is not fickle. Scripture says that “a friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17), bad times included.
Abraham’s friendship with God was based on God’s everlasting covenant with Abraham and Abraham’s faith in accepting it:
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2–3; cf. Genesis 15:1–21).
As the physical descendants of Abraham, the people of Israel were assured of God’s continued protection. After reminding Israel that their ancestor Abraham was His friend, God said,
“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
All who rage against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
will be as nothing and perish” (Isaiah 41:10–11).
As the spiritual descendants of Abraham (Galatians 3:7), believers in Jesus Christ can also be assured of God’s presence and protection. We are also God’s friends through the One who loved us and died for us (John 15:13). As friends of God, we know Him and are known by Him. We trust Him. We share His interests. We want to spend time with Him in Bible reading and prayer. When God asks us to do or not do something, we try our best to please Him.
The beautiful thing is that those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior are already more than friends of God. They are adopted into the family of God and are children of God: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:3–5, ESV).
That is how special we are to God. We are part of His family, and we cannot be taken out. He will never disown us or abandon us. Jesus is the “friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). More than servants and more than friends, we are part of God’s family and will live with Him in His house for eternity (John 14:2).
In his first epistle, the apostle John deals with the assurance of our salvation: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Since he wants his readers to “know” they have eternal life, John provides a test of faith that we can use to examine whether or not we are truly saved.
In 1 John are various descriptions of the genuine believer. If a person knows Christ and is growing in grace, he or she will be generally marked by the following traits:
1. The believer enjoys fellowship with Christ and His redeemed people (1 John 1:3).
2. The believer walks in the light, not in the darkness (1 John 1:6–7).
3. The believer admits and confesses his sin (1 John 1:8).
4. The believer obeys God’s Word (1 John 2:3–5).
5. The believer loves God rather than the world (1 John 2:15).
6. The believer’s life is characterized by “doing what is right” (1 John 2:29).
7. The believer seeks to maintain a pure life (1 John 3:3).
8. The believer sees a decreasing pattern of sin in his life (1 John 3:5–6; 5:18).
9. The believer demonstrates love for other Christians (1 John 3:14).
10. The believer “walks the walk,” versus just “talking the talk” (1 John 3:18–19).
11. The believer maintains a clear conscience (1 John 3:21).
12. The believer experiences victory in his Christian walk (1 John 5:4).
Number 8 in the list above is that the believer will evince a decreasing pattern of sin in his or her life. Here is what John says:
“No one who lives in [Christ] keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him” (1 John 3:6)
and
“We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them” (1 John 5:18)
Some misinterpret these verses to mean that Christians can attain sinless perfection. After all, John says that “no one who lives in Him sins” (1 John 3:6, NASB) and that “no one who is born of God sins” (5:18, NASB). Based on those verses, they reason, sin must be a thing of the past. If you commit a sin, that’s proof that you are not saved, because Christians are sinless. But that is not what John is teaching.
We know that, when John writes that believers do not continue to sin, he is not referring to sinless perfection because of what he writes elsewhere in the same epistle. To believers John says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). So, we are all sinners, and we continue to struggle with sin even after we are saved. We will never know a total absence of sin until we are with the Lord in glory: “When Christ appears, we shall be like him” (1 John 3:2).
If John is not referring to sinless perfection, what does he mean that believers do not continue to sin? Very simply, he means that believers will not continue practicing sin as a way of life. There will be a difference between the old life without Christ and the new life in Christ. The thief who was characterized by his theft is a thief no more; he has a different way of life. The adulterer who was characterized by his immorality is an adulterer no more; his behavior patterns have changed. The child of God who was a former thief may still struggle with covetousness, but he no longer lives according to the pattern of stealing. The child of God who was a former adulterer may still struggle with lust, but he has broken free from the old life of immorality. “All who have this hope in [Christ] purify themselves, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).
The Amplified Bible brings out John’s meaning clearly:
“No one who abides in Him [who remains united in fellowship with Him—deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin. No one who habitually sins has seen Him or known Him” (1 John 3:6, AMP)
and
“We know [with confidence] that anyone born of God does not habitually sin; but He (Jesus) who was born of God [carefully] keeps and protects him, and the evil one does not touch him” (1 John 5:18, AMP)
The word habitually is key. A believer will struggle with sin and sometimes give in, but giving in to sin is no longer normative. As we grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord (see 2 Peter 3:18), we are being sanctified. As we are led by the Spirit, we will walk more and more in obedience to the Word of God.
If a person claims to be a Christian but lives in defiance of God’s Word, then that person is showing the world he or she is unsaved. No one who continues to live in willful sin knows God. Because continual sin is incompatible with new life in Christ, living in unrepentant homosexuality, idolatry, or falsehood is proof that no regenerative work of the Spirit has yet taken place in the heart, regardless of anyone’s claims to the contrary.
John gives us the reason why believers do not continue to sin: “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God” (1 John 3:9). A genuine Christian will not “deliberately, knowingly, and habitually” sin. It’s just not in their “spiritual DNA.”
The Redeemer as revealed in the Tanakh
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at
the latter day upon the earth (Job 19:25)
Introduction
The root for the word go'el is used in specific situations regarding the things a righteous man would do for his near-kinsman:
- Repurchase a field which was sold in time of need (that is, buy back the property of a relative that had fallen into debt (Lev 25:25 ff))
- Free an Israelite slave who sold himself in time of poverty (Lev 25:48ff)
- Avenge the blood for a murdered close relative. The next of kin must effect the payment of life for life. The kinsman is the avenger of blood, called go'el haddam.
In the Psalms and prophets God is described as Israel's Redeemer who will stand up for his people and vindicate them. Since God is considered "near kin" or owner of Israel, a redemption price (or ransom) is included in the idea of redemption (see Isa. 43:1-3).
The Redeemer
Haggo'el
The Redeemer
References: Job 19:25; Ps. 19:14; 78:35; Prov. 23:11; Isa. 41:14; 43:14; 44:6, 24; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7, 26; 54:5, 8; 59:20; 60:16; 63:16; Jer. 50:34.
A redeemer is someone entrusted with securing one’s release from oppression, harm, evil, enslavement, or some other binding obligation. A redeemer restores the lost rights and freedoms of another by avenging any wrongs and paying whatever price is required to set that person free. The role of “Redeemer” is uniquely assigned to Jesus Christ, who rescues believers “from the dominion of darkness” and delivers them into God’s kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13–14).
In the Old Testament, two main words and their derivatives communicate the concept of redemption. The verb gaʾal means “to buy back; to ransom or redeem by paying the price.” The term is used in Exodus 6:6 and 15:13 to designate God’s sovereign act of redeeming Israel from slavery in Egypt (see also Psalm 77:15). From this point forward, the Lord reveals Himself as a deliverer, redeeming people from danger, oppression, captivity, and death (Psalm 72:14; 103:4; 106:10; 107:2; Jeremiah 32:16–44; 50:34; Isaiah 43:1; 48:20). In the book of Ruth, Boaz acts as kinsman-redeemer to Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 2:20), liberating them from destitution and widowhood by buying back the land of Elimelech and taking Ruth to be his wife (Ruth 4:1–12).
The idea of redemption from sin is included in the Old Testament legal term padah (Psalm 26:11; 49:7; 103:8; 130:8; Isaiah 1:27; 59:20), which is associated with an animal being substituted as the ransom price for either a person or another animal (Exodus 13:13; 34:20). In conjunction with Israel’s sacrificial system for sin, these terms and concepts served as constant reminders that a price or ransom had to be paid for one to be released from the guilt and penalty of sin.
The theme of redemption develops further in the New Testament with two more terms. The first is lutron, which means “to redeem,” “to liberate,” or “to ransom.” The Gospels use this word to express the heart of Christ’s mission as Redeemer: Jesus came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28; see also Mark 10:45). His death on the cross paid the ransom price to set sinners free from bondage to sin (Revelation 1:5; Romans 3:23–24; 6:18, 22; Hebrews 9:15; Titus 2:14; Titus 3:3–5; 1 Peter 3:18). Just as the Old Testament animal sacrifices paid for Israel’s sins, Christ “bore our sins in his body on the tree” and satisfied the debt we owed (1 Peter 2:24).
Another New Testament word, agorazein (and its cognates), is used to express the costly nature of God’s redemptive work in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:20; Galatians 4:5). Redemption cost Jesus, our Redeemer, everything: “Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree’” (Galatians 3:13, NLT; see also 1 Corinthians 7:22–24). Christ paid the ransom to secure our freedom from sin and death with His own precious blood (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12–14; 13:11–12; Revelation 1:5; 5:9–10). The apostle Peter testified, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18–19).
Throughout the Bible, God’s work of redemption points to Jesus as the supreme Redeemer of humanity (Isaiah 63:16). Christ is the fulfillment of Scripture’s redemptive theme (Romans 3:25).
Although our sins separated us from God, the Father, in His love and mercy, sanctioned the ultimate rescue mission by sending His Son to be our Redeemer. Christ gave His life so we might live (John 3:16; 10:10–11). Believers are “justified by his blood” and “saved from God’s wrath through him!” (Romans 5:9). We are forgiven and cleansed from our sins (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 9:14; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; 1 John 1:7), released from guilt and condemnation (Hebrews 9:14; Romans 5:9; 8:1–2), and restored to fellowship with God (1 John 1:6–9; Romans 5:10; Ephesians 2:13; Colossians 1:19–22; Ephesians 2:14). Jesus our Redeemer sets us free from evil forces and powers of darkness in the world (Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13; 2:20; Galatians 1:4) and rescues us from the “the terrors of the coming judgment” (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9).
The apostle Paul explains that our complete redemption will be experienced in the future. Right now, we have “the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory” as we “wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us” (Romans 8:23, NLT). In the eternal state, we will enjoy every glorious aspect of the spiritual inheritance God has promised to His people (Ephesians 1:14; Romans 8:17–18; 1 Peter 1:3–5). Oh, what a Redeemer we have in Jesus! May we always remember and rejoice in the deliverance and freedom He supplies.
Psalm 23 portrays the close relationship David enjoys with his God. It begins with the metaphor of a shepherd leading his lamb, highlighting the Lord’s personal care, guidance, and protection. In the closing verses, the imagery intensifies with even greater intimacy as David is welcomed into the Lord’s house as a permanent guest, continual resident, and friend: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:5–6, ESV).
David acknowledges that his standing with the Lord is not like a visitor who is entertained once and then must leave or as one who is invited to return only occasionally. No, David rejoices that he has been given a perpetual place setting at the Lord’s table.
Anointing a person’s head with oil was an ancient custom of courtesy, respect, and hospitality shown toward guests. In Psalm 23, David sees himself as an honored guest of the Lord, who invites him to dinner, favorably anoints him, and pours out such lavish abundance that David’s cup is filled to overflowing.
Goodness and mercy are depicted as attendants in the Lord’s household who accompany David for the rest of his life. The word for “goodness” in the original language means “that which is pleasing or valuable or useful.” The term for “mercy” is sometimes translated as “loyal love,” “steadfast love,” or “unfailing love.” The same word is used of God’s love as it relates to the faithfulness of His covenant. The verb translated as “follow” here means “to accompany, or to go with.” It should not be understood as “pursue or run after.”
When David said, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,” he was giving human-like qualities to abstract blessings of the Lord. A paraphrase might be, “Because You, Lord, are good, pleasing, and valuable, and because You love me so faithfully, I am certain You will be with me all my life.”
David’s good and merciful Shepherd is the same God who passed in front of Moses: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6, ESV). He is the same God to whom Israel sang, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever” (1 Chronicles 16:34). Even in the presence of his enemies, David was sure of God’s goodness and faithful love (Psalm 23:5).
As believers, we can trust that the Lord’s overflowing blessings will remain with us no matter what circumstances we face (Psalm 27:13; 31:19; 69:16). If we dwell in the house of the Lord continually, we are under His constant protection: “One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:4–5; see Psalm 52:8; 61:4; 63:2–4).
God is the perfect Shepherd and Host. As our Shepherd, the Lord provides personal care, guidance, companionship, protection, and security. And as our eternal Host, God welcomes us to feast at His rich table of abundant and overflowing blessings. We will abide in His house forever. His presence, protection, and unfailing love will surround us for all eternity. And we can say with David, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life!”
The overall lesson about worshiping the Lord in spirit and truth is that worship of God is not to be confined to a single geographical location or necessarily regulated by the temporary provisions of Old Testament law. With the coming of Christ, the separation between Jew and Gentile was no longer relevant, nor was the centrality of the temple in worship. With the coming of Christ, all of God’s children gained equal access to God through Him. Worship became a matter of the heart, not external actions, and directed by truth rather than ceremony.
In Deuteronomy 6:4, Moses sets down for the Israelites how they are to love their God: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Our worship of God is directed by our love for Him; as we love, so we worship. Because the idea of “might” in Hebrew indicates totality, Jesus expanded this expression to “mind” and “strength” (Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). To worship God in spirit and truth necessarily involves loving Him with heart, soul, mind and strength.
True worship must be “in spirit,” that is, engaging the whole heart. Unless there’s a real passion for God, there is no worship in spirit. At the same time, worship must be “in truth,” that is, properly informed. Unless we have knowledge of the God we worship, there is no worship in truth. Both are necessary for God-honoring worship. Spirit without truth leads to a shallow, overly emotional experience that could be compared to a high. As soon as the emotion is over, when the fervor cools, the worship ends. Truth without spirit can result in a dry, passionless encounter that can easily lead to a form of joyless legalism. The best combination of both aspects of worship results in a joyous appreciation of God informed by Scripture. The more we know about God, the more we appreciate Him. The more we appreciate, the deeper our worship. The deeper our worship, the more God is glorified.
Give Thanks to the LordOf David.138 bI give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
before cthe gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down dtoward your eholy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.1
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.2
4 fAll the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of gthe ways of the LORD,
for great is the glory of the LORD.
6 hFor though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 iThough I walk in the midst of trouble,
you jpreserve my life;
you kstretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your lright hand delivers me.
8 The LORD will mfulfill his purpose for me;
nyour steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake othe work of your hands.
Search Me, O God, and Know My HeartTo The Choirmaster. A Psalm Of David.139 O LORD, you have psearched me and known me!
2 You qknow when I sit down and when I rise up;
you rdiscern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, syou know it altogether.
5 You them me in, behind and before,
and ulay your hand upon me.
6 vSuch knowledge is wtoo wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 xWhere shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where yshall I flee from your presence?
8 zIf I ascend to heaven, you are there!
aIf I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall blead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, c“Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 deven the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you eformed my inward parts;
you fknitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.1
gWonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 hMy frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in ithe depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your jbook were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are your kthoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 lIf I would count them, they are more than mthe sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
19 Oh that you would nslay the wicked, O God!
O omen of blood, pdepart from me!
20 They qspeak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies rtake your name in vain.2
21 sDo I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?
And do I not tloathe those who urise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
vTry me and know my thoughts!3
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and wlead me in xthe way everlasting!4
Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil MenTo The Choirmaster. A Psalm Of David.140 yDeliver me, O LORD, from evil men;
preserve me from zviolent men,
2 who plan evil things in their heart
and astir up wars continually.
3 They make btheir tongue sharp as ca serpent’s,
and dunder their lips is the evenom of asps.Selah
4 Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
preserve me from zviolent men,
who have planned to trip up my feet.
5 The arrogant have fhidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread ga net;1
beside the way they have set hsnares for me.Selah
6 iI say to the LORD, You are my God;
give ear to jthe voice of my pleas for mercy, O LORD!
7 O LORD, my Lord, kthe strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 lGrant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their2 evil plot, or mthey will be exalted!Selah
9 As for the head of those who surround me,
let nthe mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10 Let oburning coals fall upon them!
Let them be cast into fire,
into miry pits, no more to rise!
11 Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
12 I know that the LORD will pmaintain the cause of the afflicted,
and qwill execute justice for the needy.
13 Surely rthe righteous shall give thanks to your name;
sthe upright shall dwell in your presence.
Give Ear to My Voice
A Psalm Of David
O LORD,
I call upon you; thasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let umy prayer be counted as incense before you,
and vthe lifting up of my hands as wthe evening sacrifice!
3 xSet a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
ykeep watch over the door of my lips!
4 zDo not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who awork iniquity,
and blet me not eat of their delicacies!
5 cLet a righteous man strike me--it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me--it is oil for my head;
let my head not refuse it.
Yet dmy prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6 When their judges are ethrown over the cliff,1
then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
so shall our bones fbe scattered at the mouth of Sheol.2
8 But gmy eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord;
hin you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!3
9 Keep me from ithe trap that they have laid for me
and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked jfall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.
You Are My RefugeA Maskil1 Of David,
When He Was In Kthe Cave.
A Prayer.142 With my voice I lcry out to the LORD;
with my voice I mplead for mercy to the LORD.
2 I npour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.
3 When my spirit ofaints within me,
you know my way!
In the path where I walk
they have phidden a trap for me.
4 qLook to the rright and see:
sthere is none who takes notice of me;
tno refuge remains to me;
no one cares for my soul.
5 I cry to you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my urefuge,
my vportion in wthe land of the living.”
6 xAttend to my cry,
for yI am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
zfor they are too strong for me!
7 aBring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will bdeal bountifully with me.
Mercy
describes a divine attribute of
God’s nature--
He is “rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4),
and His “mercy is great”
2 Samuel 24:14; see also Daniel 9:9
Mercy is revealed in the actions God takes to relieve suffering and demonstrate His faithfulness and steadfast love. Mercy is such an exceptionally complex concept that several Hebrew and Greek words are used to express the dimensions of its meaning. Synonyms like compassion, lovingkindness, favor, and steadfast love often appear in Bible translations to illustrate the idea of mercy. A brief biblical definition of mercy is “the gift of God’s undeserved kindness and compassion.”
On a human level, mercy is the benevolent or compassionate treatment of someone suffering or in need. Mercy is an attitude that moves us to act on behalf of the unfortunate. On a divine level, mercy is the foundation of forgiveness expressed in God’s pardon of human sin. By His divine quality of mercy, God remains faithful to His covenant promises and His relationship with His people despite their unworthiness and faithlessness (Deuteronomy 30:1–6; Isaiah 14:1; Romans 9:15–16, 23; Ephesians 2:4–9).
When God revealed Himself to Moses, He emphasized the prominence of His mercy: “The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, ‘Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty’” (Exodus 34:6–7, NLT).
In God’s mercy, He shows leniency. He withholds punishment from sinners even though they deserve it: “But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are!” (Nehemiah 9:31, NLT). God’s mercy also causes Him to give good gifts to those who are undeserving: “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us” (Luke 1:78, NLT). Thus, mercy is related to grace.
Jesus Christ is the fullest, most dynamic expression of God’s mercy (Ephesians 2:4–5). In His earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrated compassion and mercy for the helpless and suffering (Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 20:34; Mark 6:34; Luke 7:13). Mercy motivated Christ to give “himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2; see also Galatians 2:20) so that through Him we might be forgiven of our sins (Hebrews 2:17) and granted the gift of eternal life (1 Peter 1:3; 1 Timothy 1:14–16; Jude 1:21).
In Titus 3:4–7, the apostle Paul gives us one of the best descriptions of God’s mercy as revealed in Jesus Christ: “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” God’s mercy not only forgives and saves us but also withholds the punishment we deserve.
The Bible beckons Christians “to love mercy” (Micah 6:8) and “be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Believers must show the same mercy and compassion toward one another that God demonstrates toward them (Zechariah 7:9; Matthew 5:7; 18:33–35; Colossians 3:12; James 2:12–13; 1 Peter 3:9). Mercy is also pronounced as a greeting and a blessing on God’s people (Galatians 6:14; 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:16–18; 2 John 3; Jude 1:2, 21)
God being merciful basically means that, when we deserve punishment, He doesn’t punish us, and in fact blesses us instead. Mercy is the withholding of a just condemnation. Throughout the Bible, God gives many illustrations of His mercy. God fully demonstrates His mercy in Jesus Christ.
God was merciful to the wayward Solomon in 1 Kings 11:13. God was merciful to Israel in captivity (Psalm 106:45; Nehemiah 9:31). David illustrated God’s mercy when he showed kindness to Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:7). God’s mercy was illustrated every year on the Day of Atonement, when the high priest entered the Holiest Place and sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice before the mercy seat (Leviticus 16:14).
Another illustration of God’s mercy is found in Matthew 18:23–27. In this parable, Jesus describes a rich ruler who was owed a large sum of money. The ruler ordered that money be collected, but then the debtor came and begged for mercy. The ruler, in turn, graciously forgives the debt. Here’s the point: we owed God a debt we could never repay, and He has freely forgiven us that debt in Christ! Interestingly, after the ruler in the parable forgives the debt, the person who owed the money refuses to forgive someone else. The ruler then judges that ungrateful person. God requires us to be merciful and forgiving to others here on earth (see Matthew 6:15). We who have been forgiven so much have no right to withhold forgiveness from others.
Mercy is coupled with other attributes of God in Psalm 86:15, “You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (ESV). God’s mercy is rooted in His love for us. He is merciful, in large part, because He is love (1 John 4:8). As sinners, we deserve punishment (Romans 3:23). God’s righteousness requires punishment for sin—He wouldn’t be holy otherwise. Since God does love us and is merciful, He sent His Son (John 3:16). The fullness of His mercy is seen in Matthew 27. Jesus is brutally beaten and murdered on our behalf; Jesus received our just condemnation, and we received God’s mercy.
Because of His love for us, God wants us to be with Him. His mercy is required for that to take place; there is an inseparable connection between God’s love and mercy. Jesus laid down His life and became the sacrificial lamb (Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29) so that God’s mercy could be extended to us. Instead of punishing us for our sin, God allowed His Son to take the condemnation in our place. That is the ultimate act of God’s mercy (see Ephesians 2:4–5). To our eternal benefit, “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13b).
The River of Life
1Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
3No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be within the city, and His servants will worship Him. 4They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5There will be no more night in the city, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun. For the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.
Jesus Is Coming
6Then the angel said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel to show His servants what must soona take place.”
7“Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of prophecy in this book.b”
8And I am John, who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown me these things. 9But he said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”
10Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of prophecy in this book, because the time is near.11Let the unrighteous continue to be unrighteous, and the vile continue to be vile; let the righteous continue to practice righteousness, and the holy continue to be holy.”
12“Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
14Blessed are those who wash their robes,c so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. 15But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”
17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.
Nothing May Be Added or Removed
18I testify to everyone who hears the words of prophecy in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and the holy city, which are described in this book.
20He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
21The grace of the Lord Jesusd be with all the saints.
Amen.
Genesis 2:9
Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Ezekiel 47:12
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of all kinds will grow. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. Each month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be used for food and their leaves for healing."
Zechariah 14:8
And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike.
Revelation 2:7
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God.
Revelation 21:21
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate consisting of a single pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.
Revelation 22:14
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.