Friday: Further Thought – Mercy and Justice in Psalms and Proverbs
Further Thought:
Read Ellen G. White, “The Last Years of David”, pages 746-755, in Patriarchs and Prophets; C. S. Lewis, “Judgment’ in the Psalms”, pages 15-22, in Reflections on the Psalms.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
“The psalms of David pass through the whole range of experience, from the depths of conscious guilt and self-condemnation to the loftiest faith and the most exalted communing with God. His life record declares that sin can bring only shame and woe, but that God’s love and mercy can reach to the deepest depths, that faith will lift up the repenting soul to share the adoption of the sons of God. Of all the assurances which His word contains, it is one of the strongest testimonies to the faithfulness, the justice, and the covenant mercy of God”. – Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 754.
Referring to the wisdom in the book of Proverbs: “These are principles with which are bound up the well-being of society, of both secular and religious associations. It is these principles that give security to property and life. For all that makes confidence and cooperation possible, the world is indebted to the law of God, as given in His word, and as still traced, in lines often obscure and well-nigh obliterated, in the hearts of men”. – Ellen G. White, Education, p. 137.
Discussion Questions:
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Summary:
Psalms and Proverbs are two books particularly tuned to the challenges of living faithfully amid life’s common experiences and trials. Both offer insights into God’s vision for society and His special concern for the poor and oppressed. The cry of the Psalms and the wisdom of Proverbs are that God does notice and will intervene to protect those too often ignored or exploited. And if that’s what God’s about, it’s what we should be about, as well.
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Injustice - Justice is the foundation to God’s throne (Psalm 89:14), and God does not approve of partiality, whether we are talking about a weighted scale or an unjust legal system (Leviticus 19:15).
Hope - Christ hanging on the cross knew this is not end there is a brighter day to come. Even when all external hope was lost deep within the core of himself there was a trust in God and He endured the cross.
Drowning - We feel we are drowning and God is not listening. How often we miss when God is speaking to us?
Integrity - the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. the state of being whole and undivided - Integrity is antagonistic to relativism which states there is no absolute.
Walking - Not standing still, walking with purpose, goal and destiny. Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.
Vulnerable - Satan comes to target Jesus at his most vulnerable position, yet He overcomes not with human wisdom but by the power of God. We may have been placed in the most vulnerable situations in life; however, those who depend on the Lord will be delivered.
Mercy and Justice - Where there is mercy justice cannot be served because justice declares condemnation mercy declares liberation from the condemnation. Christ accomplished mercy and justice at the cross. By meeting the just punishment of sin thus He is able to offer mercy unto us.
Mercy and justice are the foundation of God's kingdom. Those who follow in His footsteps must show His mercy to those in need and give the warning of God's justice to those who have neglected to show the mercy of God.