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Adapted from
What the Bible Teaches about Mercy
by Rex B. Andrews
Part I: What is Mercy?
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Chapter 1: What is Mercy?
The Old Testament (Covenant) of the Bible
was originally written in Hebrew
The main Hebrew word translated mercy
in the Old Covenant is HHESED
Hhesed is translated into English by three
main synonyms:
Mercy
Lovingkindness
Kindness
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Chapter 1: What is Mercy? (cont.)
NKJ Psalm 25:10 All the paths of the
LORD are mercy and truth, To such as keep
His covenant and His testimonies.
The word mercy used here is the Hebrew
word hhesed
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NKJ Psalm 17:7 Show Your marvelous
lovingkindness by Your right hand, O Youwho save those who trust in You From
those who rise up against them.
The word lovingkindness used here is the
Hebrew word hhesed
Chapter 1: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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NKJ Psalm 31:21 Blessed be the LORD,
For He has shown me His marvelouskindness in a strong city!
The word kindness used here is the
Hebrew word hhesed
Chapter 1: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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Hhesed - the eager and ardent desire by
which one is led to do good
It describes a mercy In God which is not
merely a legal whim of a despotic ruler
It describes a personal desire, strong desire,
to do the good which is in itself a
lovingkindness
Not just a good turn for someone forpersonal reasons, such as trading favors
Chapter 1: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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Without the word mercy-lovingkindness
(hhesed) the Bible is a dead book withoutthe revelation of God at all
Without the word mercy-lovingkindness
there is:no Bible
no salvation
no Savior
no Kingdom of God
no eternal life - nothing!
Chapter 1: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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Mercy is Gods supply system for every
need everywhere
Mercy is that kindness, compassion, and
tenderness, which is a passion to suffer
with, or participate in, anothers ills or evilsin order to relieve, heal, and restore
It accepts another freely and gladly AS they
are and supplies the needed good of life tobuild up and to bring to and keep in peace
Chapter 1: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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It is to take another into ones heart JUST
AS THE ARE and cherish and nourish there
Mercy takes anothers sins, evils, and faults
as its own, and frees the other by bearing
them to God
This is the Glow-of-love
This is the ANOINTING
This is the POWER of God
Chapter 1: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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This mercy is to be lived-unto-God by us,
and unto Him alone for it flows from Himand returns to Him
We are to do Gods mercy for God, seeking
nothing in return - only to give
By not seeking gain or honor we are not
subject to the judgments of hurt, angry,
resentful, or envious people We are truly free!
Chapter 1: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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NKJ Psalm 119:64 The earth, O LORD, is
full of Your mercy; Teach me Your statutes.
That which fills and completes the Earth, so
that it is full like God intended, is Mercy!
Gods purpose for Earth was, and is, an
immersion in the heavenly element of
Mercy
Not sin which brought force, wrath,corruption, suffering, pain and death
Chapter 1: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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Chapter 2: What is Mercy?
NKJ Psalm 119:41 Let Your mercies come
also to me, O LORD -- Your salvationaccording to Your word.
Thy mercies = Thy salvation
By His Word God has made known His will
to give salvation, and that salvation is of His
Mercies
To say salvation is to say mercy
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Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
NKJ Psalm 119:88 Revive me according to
Your lovingkindness, So that I may keepthe testimony of Your mouth.
Revive me means - cause me to live!
Cause me to live according to your
lovingkindness (hhesed or mercy)
The word keep in the Hebrew is the
shepherds word for watch, keep, guard
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NKJ Ezekiel 36:27 "I will put My Spirit
within you and cause you to walk in Mystatutes, and you will keep My judgments
and do them.
Being made alive by the Holy Spirit - theSpirit of Mercy - is the only way we can
keep the testimony of God and of Jesus
Christ, truly and acceptably before Him This is a promise of our New Covenant
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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NKJ Psalm 119:76 Let, I pray, Your
merciful kindness be for my comfort,According to Your word to Your servant.
It is truly Gods merciful kindness (hhesed
or mercy) that fills all the need of comfort
NKJ 2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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NKJ Psalm 119:77 Let Your tender mercies
come to me, that I may live; For Your law ismy delight.
The word for tender mercies in Hebrew is
rahhamim which means compassions
It is a great inward tenderness of love that
moves the soul - a passion to comfort
The law is a delight for those thatunderstand that it is all about mercy
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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NKJ Psalm 119:124 Deal with Your servant
according to Your mercy, And teach meYour statutes.
Do with me - or make with me - your
bondslave, according to your mercy
Mercy is what opens the understanding to
the amazing knowledge of God
Without our eyes full of His mercy we willnever understand the Bible or God
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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NKJ Psalm 119:149 Hear my voice
according to Your lovingkindness; OLORD, revive me according to Your
justice.
Judgment is the dividing of the evil fromthe good, the false from the true
Gods judgment is for us, delivering us,
upholding, sustaining, and supplying everyneed by His mercy
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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We have been fearful of Gods judgment
because of a lack of understanding of mercy
If we do His mercy then we will understand
that His judgment is for us, in our favor
against the adversary Realize that God hears our voice according
to His mercy, His lovingkindness
The Psalmist cries out Flood me with lifeaccording to Thy Justice!
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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NKJ Psalm 119:159 Consider how I love
Your precepts; Revive me, O LORD,according to Your lovingkindness.
Precepts are instructions and charges that
are pressed upon us to bring life Consider how I love to do things the way
You want them (mercifully), and the way
you do them (mercifully), and Flood mewith life according to your mercy!
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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NKJ Psalm 117:1 Praise the LORD, all you
Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! 2 ForHis merciful kindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD! All peoples, and all nations, are enjoined to
praise the Eternal Being because His mercy
is great towards us, and His truth is forever The truth of God is His mercy!
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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Mercy in the Old Covenant is the acting, the
doing, of the God who in the New Covenantis unveiled in Christ Jesus as Love
Just as in the New Covenant the truth of the
Eternal Father-Being is that He is love, evenso in the Old Covenant behind the veil the
truth of Him was made known that He is
mercy Mercy is love in action or lovingkindness
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
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The word praise is from the Hebrew word
halal (haw-lal) our beautiful universalpraising word hallelujah
The root signifies to be clear, to be brilliant
It refers to a clear sharp sound or tone andcan also be applied to the brilliance of light
Thus, to sing forth praises in rejoicing
Hallelu - jah = Praise Him who is Jehovah
Jehovah is the Eternal Fountain of Being
To us He is the Eternal Father Being!
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
h h i ( )
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The word laud comes from a Hebrew root
meaning to praise with soothing words
It means to give God the glory, all the glory,
as being the glorious one
In so doing the soother is soothed, thepraiser is exalted
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
Ch 2 h i ? ( )
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The word for indicates the reason why we
should so praise God
For His merciful kindness (hhesed or
mercy) is great toward us
The word great carries the idea of greatstrength, a strong one prevailing
The word toward is better understood as
upon
Because mightily upon us is His mercy
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
Ch 2 Wh i M ? ( )
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The truth of the Lord
The word truth in the original Hebrew has
these related ideas:
stability
perpetuity
faithfulness
uprightness
integritytruth as opposed to falsehood
Today we would say, unchanging-
faithfulness-and-truth
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
Ch 2 Wh i M ? ( )
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The Bible teaches that a great distinction of
God, the Eternal Being, the Creator, is thatHis mercy is unchangingly true and faithful
to all who will live in it
His truth is forever - endless - the greateternal Constant
His truth is the great unchangeable
It is opposite to all evil, oppression,falseness, destruction, and corruption
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
Ch 2 Wh i M ? ( )
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Putting all of that together we have:
With bright clear sounds of rejoicing, praise
the Eternal Being, all nations! Glorify Him
with all praises all peoples! Because
mightily prevailing upon us is His mercy;and the unchanging faithfulness of His truth
is forever - endless! Halelu-jah
Chapter 2: What is Mercy? (cont.)
P
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Prayer
O Lord, I see it, the fullness of the Earth is
Thy Mercy. Teach me, O teach me , that I maylearn this great section of thy law-laid-down,
thy statues. Amen