The Often Forgotten Purpose of God's Mercy
Solomon is making his intercessory prayer over the Temple of Israel in 1 Kings 8. It is a very long prayer filled with theological and practical truths for us today. In the last post we looked at how this Temple and it's dedication prefigures the Church of Jesus Christ, the true Son of David who builds His people as a living Tabernacle to bring the broken, defeated, sinful and stranger into God's presence. As we continue in the prayer, Solomon speaks of the future of Israel, that they would be the people who turn to God for grace when they experience punishment for sin in the form of exile. Notice what Solomon says:
1 Kings 8:48–50 (ESV) if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, 49 then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them.
Did you see something incredible in that passage? All the ingredients of coming back to God are there. Repentance, seeking God, turning toward the true Temple. All these facets point to the true path back to God. Repentance from sin, turning toward Jesus, coming to Him whole-heartedly. But notice verse 50, particularly, the last part:
"grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them."
Wow. What a verse! Solomon is both praying to God and informing God's people of the PURPOSE of God's mercy in their lives! He forgives in order that they may have a forgiving heart to those who take them captive. Do not miss the unbelievable demand on God's people - compassion for the very nation who takes them captive because of their sin.
This is the often ignored purpose of God's mercy toward us. He wants us to pay it forward! He wants us to live with compassionate hearts because HE is a compassionate God. This is also the hardest part of Christianity for so many Christians.
The story of a typical local Church might go as such: A notable member commits a terrible sin. He denies it and then confesses it. Remarkably, he turns from it and renounces it. He sees how it blinded him and deceived him. He also notices how it influenced him in terrible ways to mistreat others. To his credit and because of the Holy Spirit's work on his life, he seeks forgiveness from all whom he hurt. What a wonderful thing, yes?
If only it got better from there. Usually it gets sour quickly. Some of the strongest members of the church who were perhaps most hurt begin to take issue with his potential restoration. They aren't sure he had repented long enough, the time hasn't fit the "crime". They aren't ready to welcome him back to the place from which he fell. Disturbing? Yes. And yet it is so often the case in the Church.
The one sin we seem perfectly fine committing again and again in the sin of NOT forgiving those who sin against us.
This passage makes patently clear that God's mercy toward us is also the instrument through which He shows the rest of the world just how wonderfully merciful He is through us. We show the world God's mercy by forgiving those amongst us (and even outside us) who hurt us. This is hard. Because as much as we understand we have hurt others, the hurts we bear often seem so much worse. But Christ bore our WRATH on that tree. He suffered far worse than we will ever suffer. How can we possibly NOT forgive any and all who hurt us?
Now I know some of you right now have a pit in the bottom of your stomach. Perhaps someone stole your innocence. Perhaps someone violated you physically, emotionally, or financially. I guarantee that I do not know how you feel and I cannot imagine your pain so I cannot offer you the strength you need to forgive them. But Christ can. He is the one who forgave you all your sins and if you look to Him, He will give you that supernatural God-given strength to pass His mercy ON. The world needs it.
So do you.
1 Kings 8:48–50 (ESV) if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, 49 then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them.
Did you see something incredible in that passage? All the ingredients of coming back to God are there. Repentance, seeking God, turning toward the true Temple. All these facets point to the true path back to God. Repentance from sin, turning toward Jesus, coming to Him whole-heartedly. But notice verse 50, particularly, the last part:
"grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them."
Wow. What a verse! Solomon is both praying to God and informing God's people of the PURPOSE of God's mercy in their lives! He forgives in order that they may have a forgiving heart to those who take them captive. Do not miss the unbelievable demand on God's people - compassion for the very nation who takes them captive because of their sin.
This is the often ignored purpose of God's mercy toward us. He wants us to pay it forward! He wants us to live with compassionate hearts because HE is a compassionate God. This is also the hardest part of Christianity for so many Christians.
The story of a typical local Church might go as such: A notable member commits a terrible sin. He denies it and then confesses it. Remarkably, he turns from it and renounces it. He sees how it blinded him and deceived him. He also notices how it influenced him in terrible ways to mistreat others. To his credit and because of the Holy Spirit's work on his life, he seeks forgiveness from all whom he hurt. What a wonderful thing, yes?
If only it got better from there. Usually it gets sour quickly. Some of the strongest members of the church who were perhaps most hurt begin to take issue with his potential restoration. They aren't sure he had repented long enough, the time hasn't fit the "crime". They aren't ready to welcome him back to the place from which he fell. Disturbing? Yes. And yet it is so often the case in the Church.
The one sin we seem perfectly fine committing again and again in the sin of NOT forgiving those who sin against us.
This passage makes patently clear that God's mercy toward us is also the instrument through which He shows the rest of the world just how wonderfully merciful He is through us. We show the world God's mercy by forgiving those amongst us (and even outside us) who hurt us. This is hard. Because as much as we understand we have hurt others, the hurts we bear often seem so much worse. But Christ bore our WRATH on that tree. He suffered far worse than we will ever suffer. How can we possibly NOT forgive any and all who hurt us?
Now I know some of you right now have a pit in the bottom of your stomach. Perhaps someone stole your innocence. Perhaps someone violated you physically, emotionally, or financially. I guarantee that I do not know how you feel and I cannot imagine your pain so I cannot offer you the strength you need to forgive them. But Christ can. He is the one who forgave you all your sins and if you look to Him, He will give you that supernatural God-given strength to pass His mercy ON. The world needs it.
So do you.
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