Great Is Thy Faithfulness
“And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for My Name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the LORD GOD” (Ezek. 20:44). |
“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10).
When you exclaim, “the LORD is merciful and gracious!” (Ps. 103:8), exactly what are you thinking about? By what biblical and historical examples do you recognize that the Lord is “SLOW to anger and PLENTEOUS in mercy” (Ps. 103:8)? Just how slow is anger, and just how plenteous is mercy – can you explain it?
When you sing songs of praise, saying, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” (Lam. 3:23), or, “So Great Is His Mercy” (Ps. 103:11), exactly what is the GREATNESS of God’s faithfulness and mercy which is being magnified to you at that very moment? What are you thinking about? Are you making up your own unbiblical definitions of these things?
When you begin to fall in love with the Father-heart of God, and when you begin to see just how, amazingly, He is full of pity toward His saints –“as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him” (Ps. 103:13) – exactly what is so pitiful about God’s pity toward His saints? What is so praise worthy about God’s tender Fatherhood to you, His child?
When you sing songs of praise, saying, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” (Lam. 3:23), or, “So Great Is His Mercy” (Ps. 103:11), exactly what is the GREATNESS of God’s faithfulness and mercy which is being magnified to you at that very moment? What are you thinking about? Are you making up your own unbiblical definitions of these things?
When you begin to fall in love with the Father-heart of God, and when you begin to see just how, amazingly, He is full of pity toward His saints –“as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him” (Ps. 103:13) – exactly what is so pitiful about God’s pity toward His saints? What is so praise worthy about God’s tender Fatherhood to you, His child?
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more” (Ps. 103:8-16).
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The inspired psalmist of Psalm 103 is praising God, that though God’s wrath is so long a-kindled and burning, and so near the destruction of humanity’s saints, because “our sins” and “our iniquities” merit this (Ps. 103:10), His anger is, nevertheless, NOT KEPT “for ever” and “always” (Ps. 103:9), for if it was kept always, then none of humanity’s saints would be preserved – resulting in a total annihilation. Is this not what God is saying? And again, “For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before Me, and the souls which I have made” (Isa. 57:16). Again in this passage, God recognizes this chief explanation of mercy, namely, that the weakness of our frame would not survive a head-on collision with an angry God charging in the force of justice, and so God intends to preserve humanity’s saints by remembering “our frame” and “that we are dust” (Ps. 103:14), and how shortly we are “gone” and “no more” existing, even as the as the flourishing life of a grass flower straightway withering under the hot sun – thus God must restrain and shade His wrath like He shades sunrays with clouds – IT IS FOR OUR SURVIVAL. All of these titles – “GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS” – “SO GREAT is His MERCY” – as a Father pitieth His children – what is the plenteousness of mercy – the slowness of anger – and what manner of grace God bestows – all of these titles are the exclaimed praises of saints when they behold this truth, that they were near to, under the scope of, and about to suffer total annihilation under God’s wrath, but to God’s great glory, the seemingly forever and always-enduring wrath that was pursuing them was suddenly overpassed and outrun by mercy, and mercy, like eagles’ wings, did fly them to safety. For this, God is deemed slow to anger, in that He did not kill ALL of His people, and that He was not angry FOREVER! In remembering to preserve a small remnant, remembering to preserve His Name, is the same pointed meaning when God remembers what we are (our frame as dust & grass), and how that He might be mindful not to destroy us all.
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“For the LORD shall judge His people, and repent Himself for His servants, when He seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left” (Deut. 32:36). ************************************* The Father pitieth His children when He seeth that their strength is gone, but not before! This is the context of God’s judgment of His children! This is biblical pity, when God is pacified from wrath when He sees that their strength is utterly gone, that most are annihilated, and how, look, the few that are left are on the verge of death – it is then that God pities them because He knoweth their frame, that they will all perish, if indeed His wrath continues. This is why the choicest of God’s elect saints went through the agony of wrestling against God’s destroying anger, until, lo, they recognized that they were being brought to the point of death, and look, then they did plead for mercy because of this near-death experience, verifying it and glorifying God, that their strength is gone and now He has all the glory. This is a true experience of mercy on whom He has mercy! Think of all the saints pleading this very plea as they were pressed under the wrath of God, as it drove them to the precipice of destruction. |
Saints Who Recovered From Near Annihilating Wrath – On What Appeal?
“Don’t let me die, because then Your Name will die with me!”
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When have you ever wrestled against the wrath of God for personal salvation like the choicest and most beloved saints of God did in their relationship with God? One who really understands biblical mercy, faithfulness, pity, and love, will also understand what to plead before God so as to obtain mercy for present continuous pardon and salvation. These men cried out that they were nearing annihilation, thus they were remembering that this is the hour and moment in which mercy is famed to save a saint from total annihilation! Therefore the saints did pray for mercy because they were being pressed toward death and destruction, so they cried – “be not silent to me” (Ps. 28:1), “put not Thy servant away in anger” (Ps. 27:9), “leave me not, neither forsake me” (Ps. 27:9), “lest, if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit” (Ps. 28:1), “let Thou bring me to nothing” (Jer. 10:24), “take me not away in the midst of my days” (Ps. 102:24). They knew this about God – “when He seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left” – then His wrath is pacified and repented of, into saving mercies (Deut. 32:36). These saints do remind God of it, exactly when their power is gone, so that then they might obtain mercy which God says He gives, when He seeth that their power is gone (Deut. 32:36). They understood that if the wrath of God continues onward in its fiery pursuit, then it will drive them into the grave of death. Do you remember these scriptures?
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I find that, as saints do wrestle against the destroying and annihilating wrath of God for present progressive salvation in their own lives, hoping to be saved from it even though it be by scarcity, they do use one chief appeal to arouse the emotions of mercy in God, which is that they, who are vessels of earth called by God’s everlasting and worthy name, are now almost dead. God is attentive to this, because their death would cause God’s praise to descend into silence with the dead man. |
“But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned He His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath. For He remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again” (Ps. 78:38-39).
“For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more” (Ps. 103:14-15). |
The saints understood biblical mercy, compassion, and faithfulness to be exclaimed by a scarce salvation from wrath – not that there is never any wrath, or that there are never any that perish I find that, as saints do wrestle against the destroying and annihilating wrath of God for present progressive salvation in their own lives, hoping to be saved from it even though it be by scarcity, they do use one chief appeal to arouse the emotions of mercy in God, which is that they, who are vessels of earth called by God’s everlasting and worthy name, are now almost dead. God is attentive to this, because their death would cause God’s praise to descend into silence with the dead man. under wrath, but, it is exclamatory that a small remnant, even a few, are spared from the entire regenerate multitude, scarcely though, and this is God’s great faithfulness! And thus, they do ever remind God so that He will remember that they will perish unless God repents from His wrath. They remind Him what they are, namely flesh, a wind that passeth away, and dust. They remind Him of what their frame is so that God will not go too far and consume them to death. This is what is meant when the men cried this prayer into the ears and memory of God – “How many are the days of Thy servant” (Ps. 119:84). God makes men feel His wrath in shocking ways so that they come to understand that they are “appointed to death” (Ps. 102), that “the sorrows of death compassed [them]” and “the snares of death prevent [them]” (Ps. 18:4-6), and that “the terrors of death are fallen upon [them]” (Ps. 55:4-5); therefore they pray thus – “LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, Thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before Thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah” (Ps. 39:4-5). Do you know that God “turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men” (Ps. 90:3)? As wrath is poured out, the godly men are “sighing” and full of “roarings,” insomuch that they are distracted from eating (Job 3:24)! They become “feeble and sore broken” (PS. 38:8), their “bones” are “waxed old through [their] roaring all the day long” (Ps. 32:3), “[their] heart is sore pained within [them]...fearfulness and trembling are come upon [them], and horror hath overwhelmed [them] (Ps. 55:4-5), “the sorrows of hell compassed [them] about,” so that, they are in “distress” unto an uplifted “cry” (Ps. 18:4-6), and “the pains of hell gat hold upon [them]” unto “trouble and sorrow” (Ps. 116:3)! As this is happening, it feels like it is forever, and they know that God, when He has mercy, it does – IN TRUTH – last forever, thus they pray and remind Him of this GREAT MERCY, saying…
“How long, LORD? wilt Thou hide Thyself for ever? shall Thy wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast Thou made all men in vain? What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah” (Ps. 89:46-48).
“How long, LORD? wilt Thou be angry for ever? shall Thy jealousy burn like fire?” (Ps. 79:5) “Wilt Thou be angry with us for ever? wilt Thou draw out Thine anger to all generations?” (Ps. 85:5) “How long, LORD? wilt Thou hide Thyself for ever? shall Thy wrath burn like fire?” (Ps. 89:46) “O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt Thou be angry against the prayer of Thy people?” (Ps. 80:4) “O God, why hast Thou cast us off for ever? why doth Thine anger smoke against the sheep of Thy pasture? We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long. O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme Thy name for ever?” (Ps. 74:1, 9-10) “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt Thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?” (Ps. 13:1-2) “Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech Thee, we are all Thy people.” (Isa 64:9) |
Today, men have no concept of two saving truths…Ravenhill correctly points to them as the Church’s GREATEST NEED of REDISCOVERY – “One, the majesty and the holiness of God, and the other, the sinfulness of sin” (Leonard Ravenhill, Weep Between The Porch And The Altar). My reader, listen! Men believe that the wrath of God is upon them if they commit idolatry, adultery, or murder, but what about for a sinner in the Church congregation or an Achan in the holy camp? What about a failure to trust in the Lord to show the difference between true and false converts? Will God burn in castaway wrath for such things like this? Yes, reader, as He did to His beloved servant Joshua, as He did to David with various other sins which you would never consider to be “so sinful”, so also God will do…and furthermore, God says in the New Covenant that sinners in the Church is as the crime of idolatry – and that includes saints who turn to sin and thus become unclean sinners! Do you know and watch after your congregation so closely, preachers? Or do you not know them so well? If you only knew that your success or failure on this matter holds the potential threat of the wrath of God, then perhaps you would make your ministry more than a Sunday job!
Read of all the times that God was angry with David, and how He did cast him off, and NOTE: David was not committing adultery and murder at any of these times, except one (Ps. 51), and yet God was still wroth with His beloved servant, enough so that God was casting him off in wrath. What are all these sins that David was committing? All of these other sins which David was committing were forgiven him, so much so they are not even mentioned again. David had an impeccable reputation – that he “did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD and turned not aside from any thing that He commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kings 15:5). If this is the case, then what sins was David committing in all of these psalms in which he was nearly drowning under the waves of God’s raging wrath!? Pressed sore and near death, for nearly a “forever,” wrath was kindled over his anointed head – thus did David cry – and he was delivered! It remains for us, therefore, to understand something of the sinfulness of our sins and the holiness of God’s majesty.
Read of all the times that God was angry with David, and how He did cast him off, and NOTE: David was not committing adultery and murder at any of these times, except one (Ps. 51), and yet God was still wroth with His beloved servant, enough so that God was casting him off in wrath. What are all these sins that David was committing? All of these other sins which David was committing were forgiven him, so much so they are not even mentioned again. David had an impeccable reputation – that he “did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD and turned not aside from any thing that He commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kings 15:5). If this is the case, then what sins was David committing in all of these psalms in which he was nearly drowning under the waves of God’s raging wrath!? Pressed sore and near death, for nearly a “forever,” wrath was kindled over his anointed head – thus did David cry – and he was delivered! It remains for us, therefore, to understand something of the sinfulness of our sins and the holiness of God’s majesty.
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” – Lamentations 3:23
“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.” (Thomas Chisholm, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”) |
How many people sing the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” and yet they do not understand the context in which these exact words were written to describe, so that they would know exactly what is faithful about God’s faithfulness!? Consider the whole passage of Lamentations again…
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“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is Thy Faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). God’s faithfulness and unfailing compassions are magnified in that the people of God are not totally annihilated, but they were only brought near to entire annihilation, and the fact that they were ONLY brought to this point – a near annihilation instead of a total annihilation – this is God’s great faithfulness and unfailing compassion! The greatness of our sin, colliding with the exceeding holiness of God, results to reveal to humanity that when a man is saved, it was because the force of God’s faithfulness is greater than the greatness of sin which aggravated the force of holy justice. My reader, is this what you are meditating upon when you sing the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness?” I am convinced that this nation is full of professing Christians that have never understood the meaning of this hymn, and so, they are not worshipping God according to the biblical truth of God’s attributes, but rather according to their own interpretive imagination.
Also, see how the hymn says of God – “Thou changest not.” Just in other words, it is written again of God, “there is no shadow of turning with Thee.” Exactly what is being magnified here about the glory of God’s changelessness which is so worthy of praise?
Also, see how the hymn says of God – “Thou changest not.” Just in other words, it is written again of God, “there is no shadow of turning with Thee.” Exactly what is being magnified here about the glory of God’s changelessness which is so worthy of praise?
“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed” – Malachi 3:6
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Do you see it? What is being magnified about God’s changelessness is that the people of God are not entirely annihilated as they deserve to be. God will not change on the matter of His decision that Israel shall be preserved and finally saved, and therefore He will not entirely destroy them as He does other nations of people. “I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not a man” (Hos. 11:9), which means, this decision was made in the glory of His sovereign purpose, which is changeless, predestinating, and determinate, and therefore the purpose is “without repentance” (Rom. 11:29). If this decision was spoken after the manner of God’s condescension in the ways of man, then He could and would repent of it if He desired to. Is it not astonishing? Here again, the near annihilating wrath of God is still the glory of God’s faithfulness, because He changes not on this point of decision. The famed hymn is saying – “Thou changest not” – which is to mean, “Therefore we are not entirely consumed!”
People quote the promises of God’s faithfulness repeatedly. How often have you heard it said, “God is faithful.” This is for a good reason! The scriptures focus on this attribute of God as the chief reason why men are enabled to persevere, but has it ever occurred to you that God’s faithfulness has been the praise of God’s people before the NT dispensation, and, we ought to look back to see what is faithful about God’s faithfulness? Nehemiah 9 is a correct explanation of the mercy, forgiveness, and faithfulness of God as it was displayed throughout the centuries to His promise-bound people. As an introduction to Nehemiah 9, look now at verse 31, and don’t forget what was written in Lamentations 3:22-23.
People quote the promises of God’s faithfulness repeatedly. How often have you heard it said, “God is faithful.” This is for a good reason! The scriptures focus on this attribute of God as the chief reason why men are enabled to persevere, but has it ever occurred to you that God’s faithfulness has been the praise of God’s people before the NT dispensation, and, we ought to look back to see what is faithful about God’s faithfulness? Nehemiah 9 is a correct explanation of the mercy, forgiveness, and faithfulness of God as it was displayed throughout the centuries to His promise-bound people. As an introduction to Nehemiah 9, look now at verse 31, and don’t forget what was written in Lamentations 3:22-23.
“Nevertheless for Thy great mercies’ sake Thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for Thou art a gracious and merciful God.” – Nehemiah 9:31
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From verses 1-30 of Nehemiah 9, the praying men recounted the troubled yet enduring relationship God had with His saved people. They were greatly mindful of how it played out through the centuries, unto that very day, as all those men were praying. They recognized the preciousness of the fact that, lo, they were yet alive, and this was an awesome mercy of God, because they deserved to be totally annihilated. When God allowed that a remnant would be saved, that of the many called still a few were chosen, and that God’s wrath did not burn forever, but rather it was turned again into mercy, they recognized a breach of comprehensible justice, and that this was an achievement by sovereign mercy. God did send prophets to “judge them,” to “cause them to know the abominations of their fathers” (Ezek. 20:4), and so they did now freely confess the praiseworthy truths – “He hath not dealt with us after our sins” (Ps. 103:10) – and if He did, then His anger would have burned forever unto entire annihilation.
“…but Thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not” – Neh. 9:17
“Yet Thou in Thy manifold mercies” – Neh. 9:19 “…according to Thy manifold mercies” – Neh. 9:27 “…for Thou art a gracious and merciful God” – Neh. 9:31 |
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy” – Psalm 103:8
“…that He might make known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy…” – Rom. 9:23 |
Read Nehemiah 9, and then, think about it…what is so “ready” about God’s readiness to pardon? See Nehemiah 9:17, how it says that God is “ready to pardon”? What is so ready, quick, and speedy about it? Also, what is so “slow” about the “anger” of God (Neh. 9:17)? What is so “great” about the “kindness” of God (Neh. 9:17)? What is so “manifold” about the “mercies” of God (Neh. 9:19)? And do you remember what Psalm 103 said about the slowness of God’s anger and the plenteousness of His mercy, and also, do you remember Romans 9:23, how that it is God’s eternal purpose to show the “riches of His glory on vessels of mercy?” Or in other words, God shows mercy to elect persons, but not just mercy… sinners don’t get saved from just a little mercy. God showers upon them the riches of His mercy so as to save them, and it requires no less an amount! Therefore, here again, along with all the other questions, what is so plenteous, manifold, and “RICH” about the mercy of God? Can you answer these questions? Look at the context of the verses which are cited!
Now let’s look at this situation from another angle. Because mercy is plenteous, manifold, and rich, therefore God’s anger was slowed down, and for this reason the people praise God that He was “slow to anger.” God’s anger was burning hotter, pursuing harder, and minded to a fast and quick annihilation, more than was ever manifested by a plague or a destroying power. He repented of it many times, until finally, He was weary of repenting (Jer. 15:6) – He refused to repent anymore of His angry thoughts toward His people. It was then that His people realized, “Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath He dealt with us” (Zech. 1:6). As the Lord thought to do but repented of it, again and again, now the Lord has thought and repented not, and what was it? It was the near annihilation of His people in the Assyrian and Babylonian Captivities, and the people of Nehemiah’s day came out of it “as a firebrand plucked out of the burning” furnace of God’s wrath, still alive, scarcely though, and now that they have returned back into the land of Israel they do solemnly confess to God – “Thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for Thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly” (Neh. 9:33). God thought to totally annihilate Israel, and then, in an unrepentant purpose, did set His face to Israel according to how He had “thought” before, and God dealt with them “according to [their] ways, and according to [their] doings” (Zech. 1:6), but the very fact that not all were totally annihilated is an unjustifiable mercy. It is a mercy that caused them to escape from the justice of God’s judgment “according to [their] ways, and according to [their] doings” (Zech. 1:6), a mercy which was said to be ““not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings” (Ezek. 20:44), and again Israel says, “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10). Even so, when Israel praised God for His faithfulness, His slowness to anger, the plenteous, manifold, richness of His mercy, it was not that none could fall away and perish who were formerly saved, but it was that a few of the many which were of the saved multitude were preserved, and that there was not a total annihilation according to what they deserved!
Now let’s look at this situation from another angle. Because mercy is plenteous, manifold, and rich, therefore God’s anger was slowed down, and for this reason the people praise God that He was “slow to anger.” God’s anger was burning hotter, pursuing harder, and minded to a fast and quick annihilation, more than was ever manifested by a plague or a destroying power. He repented of it many times, until finally, He was weary of repenting (Jer. 15:6) – He refused to repent anymore of His angry thoughts toward His people. It was then that His people realized, “Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath He dealt with us” (Zech. 1:6). As the Lord thought to do but repented of it, again and again, now the Lord has thought and repented not, and what was it? It was the near annihilation of His people in the Assyrian and Babylonian Captivities, and the people of Nehemiah’s day came out of it “as a firebrand plucked out of the burning” furnace of God’s wrath, still alive, scarcely though, and now that they have returned back into the land of Israel they do solemnly confess to God – “Thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for Thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly” (Neh. 9:33). God thought to totally annihilate Israel, and then, in an unrepentant purpose, did set His face to Israel according to how He had “thought” before, and God dealt with them “according to [their] ways, and according to [their] doings” (Zech. 1:6), but the very fact that not all were totally annihilated is an unjustifiable mercy. It is a mercy that caused them to escape from the justice of God’s judgment “according to [their] ways, and according to [their] doings” (Zech. 1:6), a mercy which was said to be ““not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings” (Ezek. 20:44), and again Israel says, “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10). Even so, when Israel praised God for His faithfulness, His slowness to anger, the plenteous, manifold, richness of His mercy, it was not that none could fall away and perish who were formerly saved, but it was that a few of the many which were of the saved multitude were preserved, and that there was not a total annihilation according to what they deserved!
“The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end” – Jer. 4:27
“…destroy; but make not a full end” – Jer. 5:10 “…I will not make a full end with you” – Jer. 5:18 |
“I was but a little displeased” – Zech. 1:15
“In a little wrath” – Isaiah 54:8 |
“For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished” (Jer. 30:11).
“Fear thou not, O Jacob My servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished” (Jer. 46:27-28). “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer” (Isaiah 54:7-8). |
Shockingly, the wrath of God which nearly annihilated all of God’s people is said to be when God was “but a little displeased,” and it was but “a little wrath” (Zech. 1:15, Isa. 54:8)! What is so slow about God’s slowness to anger? What is so little about God’s wrath? What is so little about God’s little displeasure? If we understood the sinfulness – the abominableness of our sin – like as God seeks to persuade us of (Ezek. 20:4), then we will understand how we DESERVED entire annihilation, how we do not deserve a small remnant to be spared alive, for, lo, a totally annihilating wrath is burning in the heart of God – THE JUST. The fact that a near-annihilating wrath came upon us, rather than a total annihilation, is slowness to anger, little wrath, and a little displeasure, comparatively to what God thought, intended, wanted, said, or could have done in the cause of pure, undefiled, unrestrained justice. If a remnant is spared, then, lo, we have much to be thankful for! This is RICH, PLENTEOUS, and MANIFOLD mercy which overcame the whelming storm of wrath which was alive in God’s heart of justice, against us, the criminals, who have sinned in exceedingly sinful sins. This mercy wins for Israel a near annihilation instead of a total annihilation, and this is “not according to [our] wicked ways, nor according to [our] corrupt doings”, and again, “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities” (Ezek. 20:44, Ps. 103:10)! This is how the biblical, inspired writers understood the mercy of God – the riches of it! The plenteousness of mercy is shown forth in that it was more manifold and numerous than our sins! Perhaps now we are prepared to understand what true worship is, and why God’s people repeatedly praised God with the exact praise: “His mercy endureth for ever”!