Time this morning for another old song.
Mercy rewrote my life. Mercy rewrote my life. I should have fallen, my soul cast down but mercy rewrote my life.
Each year as we get closer to celebrating the resurrection of our Savior, and our Lord, my heart is drawn to focus on His mercy and sacrifice on our behalf.
Mercy: (I want this word to become engrained in your heart)
from Merriam Webster dictionary
1 a : compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power; also : lenient or compassionate treatment
2 a : a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion
3 : compassionate treatment of those in distress
Compassion shown to an offender. The focal point of the Tabernacle was the mercy seat. The focal point of God’s relationship to man is mercy!
Can you imagine being tasked with the responsibility for crafting the items used in the Tabernacle?
“Bezalel built a chest of acacia wood forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. 2 He covered it inside and out with pure gold and put a gold edging around the top…6 The entire lid of the chest, which was also covered with pure gold, was the place of mercy.” Exodus 37:1-6 CEV
This chest was the ark of the covenant – this ark was a sign of God’s presence and here in God’s presence was the place to find mercy!
Why do we so often run from God when we sin? The Father’s heart is that we run to Him, run to Him for mercy and for help, run to Him for forgiveness and restoration.
The high priest could only enter the Holy of Holies and offer the blood sacrifice once a year to the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat. But no more!
Jesus became our high priest, and He offered His own shed blood for the forgiveness of sins and we have been forever cleansed! Hallelujah!
“11 Christ came as the high priest of the good things that are now here. He also went into a much better tent that wasn’t made by humans and that doesn’t belong to this world. 12 Then Christ went once for all into the most holy place and freed us from sin forever. He did this by offering his own blood instead of the blood of goats and bulls.” Hebrews 9:11-12 CEV
I heard mercy described like this once.
We are taken to court with a long list of charges (sin) against us. The prosecutor (satan) stands before the judge (the Father) and declares that we are guilty. The defense attorney (Jesus) stands before the judge and says “My client throws himself on the mercy of the court, Your Honor.”
The judge then says” I will grant your plea for mercy however someone has to pay the penalty”. Then the defense attorney, Jesus, steps forward and says “I will pay the penalty Your Honor. Let my client go and take Me in His place. (grace)”
Mercy: not receiving the penalty we deserve
Grace: receiving release or forgiveness that we don’t deserve
Thank you Father for your mercy and your grace! Your mercy rewrote my life’s story!