Last week, we learned that God’s mercy speaks of his goodness, kindness, and faithfulness. On our flight to the USA in July, we experienced God’s mercy. I do not like to fly because I get so exhausted. God mercifully enabled me to sleep enough on the flights so that I felt quite well when I arrived. God mercifully provided several opportunities to witness along the flight. Another mercy during that flight was that we had no turbulence. We had prayed much and were depending fearfully on the Lord and he abundantly blessed. Our God is so good!

This evening, I want to expand on the theme of God’s Mercy that in Psalm 147:10-11. Turn with me to Psalm 103. Follow along as I read Psalm 103:8-14. Our text will be verse11, “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.”

In this verse, I want to highlight the content, the greatness, and the reception of God’s mercy.

The Content of God’s Mercy

  1. God’s mercy reviewed
    1. Remember, the Hebrew word checed translated mercy refers to God’s goodness, kindness, and faithfulness.
    2. Perhaps “tender lovingkindness” is a good overall definition.
    3. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the English word “mercy” as “compassion or forbearance shown, especially to an offender; a blessing that is an act of divine favour or compassion; compassionate treatment of those in distress.”
  2. God’s mercy revealed
    1. The first time we find checed in Scripture is in Genesis 19:19 when Lot spoke to God’s angel. (Genesis 19:19) “Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:”
    2. Then in Exodus 34:6, “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,”
    3. (Psalms 23:6) “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
    4. All 26 verses of Psalm 136 state that God’s mercy endureth forever.
    5. How has God shown his mercy or tender lovingkindness to you? How many times has God given you mercy instead of judgment? God is merciful especially to give us eternal salvation instead of the hell we deserve. If God never granted any mercy, but only just judgment, what would be your condition today? I know that I would be in BIG trouble or in hell.
    6. The fact that God is merciful (i.e., good, kind, and faithful) is a blessing we must not forget.

The Greatness of God’s Mercy

(Psalms 103:11) “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.”

  1. God’s mercy is limitless
    1. David compares God’s mercy to the height of the heaven above the earth.
    2. The closest star, Proxima Centauri, is 4.24 light-years away. A light-year is 9.44 trillion km. That is a total of 40 trillion km to the closest star. That is the closest star.
    3. How high are the heavens? No one knows. Every time man creates a stronger telescope, they keep finding more stars farther out.
    4. How broad are the heavens? Again, they are limitless in our comprehension.
    5. The Holy Spirit revealed to David that God’s mercy is at least as extensive as the heavens above the earth.
    6. (Psalms 36:5) “Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.”
    7. (Psalms 57:10) “For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.”
    8. When you go outside this evening, take a look up into the stary sky and think about God’s limitless mercy.
  2. God’s mercy is great
    1. With the vast heavens in mind, David said, so great is God’s mercy toward them that fear him.
    2. That applies to you and me just as it did to David.
    3. God’s goodness, God’s kindness, and God’s faithfulness is so great that it cannot be measured and cannot possibly be exhausted.
    4. His mercy is greater than all our sin.
    5. His mercy is great enough to forgive us.
    6. The story of the Prodigal son in Luke 15 is a picture of God’s loving kindness to us. (Briefly narrate the store). However, for months, perhaps years, the Prodigal son ran for his father’s mercy. If you run from God, you will never enjoy the benefits and comforts of His mercy.

The Reception of God’s Mercy

(Psalms 103:11) “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.”

  1. God promises mercy to those who fear him.
    1. In Psalm 147:10-11, we spoke of the fear of God. Fearing God is recognising His authority over us and respectfully desiring to please Him in all things, and not offend or displease Him in anything. We identified the following ways that we can fear the Lord.
      1. Reverently acknowledge Him as the absolute Sovereign of all things. Takes humility!
      2. Learn to trust His word even when we do not understand. Takes faith!
      3. Place His commands and principles above our personal desires. Takes surrender!
      4. Seek to live by His statutes and walk in His ways. Takes determination!
      5. Fearfully respect Him so much that we avoid all that He condemns. Takes insight!
      6. Tremble at the thought of offending Him and facing His judgment. Takes thought!
    2. Perhaps the greatest hindrance to fearing God is our pride. When we think we are self-sufficient or great, we stop fearing God and take his place of greatness.
    3. I repeat this because fearing God is vital to a close walk with the Lord, and yet it is so easily neglected.
  2. If we fail to fear the Lord, we miss his mercy.
    1. If God should withhold his mercy from us, we would have no hope of eternal life, we would receive only stern justice when we sin, we would miss out on the countless blessings we receive from him.
    2. Fearing God is the emphasis of this verse because God deserves our fear, and he does not want us to miss out on his mercy.

Conclusion

(Psalms 103:11) “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.” As you look up into the stary heavens tonight, thank God for his great, limitless mercy. Then meditate on the sovereignty of God (i.e., his authority as the King of Kings). Every atom in the universe responds instantly to his thought. However, he has given man a free will to respond in fear. He is Lord and Master of all and deserves our fearful submission and respect.

If you have not been fearing God as you should, you are missing out on God’s mercy. You cannot afford that! You need God’s great mercy and so do I!

Song: Come Thou Fount, 17

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God’s Great Mercy

8 December 2024 PM – Psalm 103:11