Mercy in the midst of judgment

Sometimes the Bible is criticized for having a God in the Old Testament that is incompatible with the God of the New Testament. The God of the Old Testament is said to be wrathful and judgmental, whereas the God of the New Testament is full of love and mercy. Now the only way you can believe that is to not have read the Bible for in so many places in the Old Testament (the the New) we see mercy mingled with judgment.

Our reading today offered two examples. The first is the book of Ruth. In the opening phrase we find the words, "In the days when the judges ruled..." reminding us that this book took place during the time of the judges. Hopefully we will not have forgotten already what we learned from that book. Especially the last few chapters were filled with horrendous accounts like the chopping up of the Levite's concubine, and sending the pieces to all the tribes, followed by a war that featured God's people destroying one of their own tribes. The theme of the book was that there was no king in Israel and that every man did what was right in his own eyes. In a sense this book depicts the natural judgment of God upon a people who rejects their true King.

But in the midst of these sad days for the people of God, we see a glimmer of hope - a demonstration of mercy. We see this endearing book of Ruth, that is so filled with the opposite of what we find in the book of Judges. As we read through the book the rest of this week we will find such love and tenderness, and in the end we will see the greatness of God's mercies as it points to the birth of David through which the Savior would be coming. Mercy amidst judgment - how good is our God.

We found the same in the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah asks Baruch to write down words regarding the coming judgment upon the people of God. But in the midst of those words we find words of mercy. In 36:3 it says, "It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way; and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin." So even in the midst of proclaiming impending destruction, God is declaring His desire to see them repent so that He may withhold from them what their sins certainly warrant.

That is the nature of our God. Yes, His judgment is for real, and there will be a day of reckoning. But He is always a God full of mercy and lovingkindness. He wants to draw His people to Himself so that He might live among them and bless them with His presence.

Sadly, the people of Israel rejected these overtures of mercy. They heard the message, but did not act upon it. They did this to their own destruction. May God grant us an awareness of both the mercy and judgment of God. May we take His judgments seriously, and may we respond to His mercies before the waters of judgment overwhelm us.

Perhaps the greatest emblem of mercy and judgment is the cross. At the cross judgment was being placed upon the sins of man, and Oh - what a judgment it was. The cry of dereliction from Jesus helps us to understand the agonies of this judgment. But the cross also displays in full HD the beauty of God's mercy. Though we deserved hell, we get life through the Lord Jesus Christ. May those mercies transform us every day of our life!