The Justice and Mercy of God

GOLDEN TEXT: “The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children.” —Psalm 103:17

DEUTERONOMY 10:12-15,17 – 11:1

THE basic principles of God’s Law are unchangeable, even as he changes not. Moses said to the generation of Israelites living in his day, “What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear [or reverence] the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”—ch. 10:12

Hundreds of years later Solomon wrote, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Eccles. 12:13) Still later another servant of God wrote, “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what cloth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”—Micah 6:8

The tendency of fallen humanity frequently has been to complicate the simple message of divine truth, to make mysteries out of those revelations of the divine plan and will, to which no mystery by right should be attached. The plain teachings of the Word of God are too often confused by human philosophy, often misnamed theology.

As Moses said to Israel, all the Lord wanted of them was their reverence, obedience, and love. And even their love for God, as manifested in their obedience to his commandments, was for their own good. God had loved their fathers—Abraham. Isaac, and Jacob—and had made wonderful promises to them. And as Moses further explained, “He chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.”—vs. 15

God was just in his dealing with the Israelites, caring for the fatherless and the widows, and loving even the stranger in their midst, “giving him food and raiment.” (vs. 18) The Lord wanted his people to follow his example. If they could, and did, a rich reward was in store for the nation, for they would be made a kingdom of priests, etc.—Exod. 19:5,6

The standards of God’s perfect Law were too high to be reached by any member of the fallen race. Doubtless many Israelites sincerely tried to keep the Law, but all came short of full attainment. Since the animal sacrifices of that age were not efficacious to take away sin, the Law brought the Israelites under just condemnation, from which the mercy of God made no immediate provision for release. The way of escape was not provided until Jesus came, he who was to be the Redeemer and Savior of Israel and the whole world.

ROMANS 5:6-11

SPEAKING particularly of himself and other Israelites under the Law, Paul wrote, “When we were yet without strength [or helpless to attain salvation by keeping the Law], in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” (vs. 6) Jesus also died for the ungodly Gentiles, but only the Israelites had been under the Law and thus proved themselves “without strength.” The import of this endeavor under the Law will no doubt yet be made known to the Gentile world, so that all will know that only through the redemptive work of Christ is life available.

The caption of our lesson speaks of both the justice and mercy of God, but we are not to understand that his mercy, or love, sets aside his justice. Rather, God’s love made provision whereby his justice could be satisfied. That was the gift of his beloved Son to be the “propitiation,” or satisfaction, for the sins of both the church and the world. Thus, as the Scriptures explain, God can be just, yet the justifier of all who believe in Jesus.—Rom. 3:25,26; I John 2:2

Paul’s statement that when we were enemies we were reconciled to God obviously means that provision was then made for our reconciliation. It does, however, emphasize the fact of God’s great love. And since that provision was made, it only remains now for those who become aware of it to accept the provision upon the basis of faith,—faith that is demonstrated by a complete surrender to know and do God’s will. This results in a passing from death unto life.—Rom. 5:18; John 5:24; I John 3:14

QUESTIONS

Do the basic principles of divine Law ever change?

Why was it impossible for the Israelites to measure up to the high standards of God’s Law?

In sending Jesus to be the Redeemer, did God set aside his justice in order to be merciful?

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