The Mercy of God

I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Ex 20:5-6)

There is an ongoing struggle within man between the spirit and the flesh, between the good inclination and the bad inclination, between our desire to do good and our actions which fail to produce our desire. Although we rarely pondered the matter, the scriptures seems to portray a struggle within God between His two natures, justice and mercy. For the Bible tells us that the LORD is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance,” (2 Pet 3:9), and He takes “no pleasure in the death of anyone,” (Ezek 18:32). At the same time, the scriptures tell us “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad,” (2 Cor 5:10).

When you think about it, justice and mercy are opposites. Justice requires payment for a violation of the law, while mercy seeks to delay and even abandon the payment required. God must constantly balance between these two characteristics of His nature without abandoning either. If God were to be only a God of justice, then “who can stand?” (Rev 6:17). Yet if the LORD is only a LORD of mercy, then there would be no fear of judgment. Yeshsua coupled these attributes together when he told the Pharisees, “You have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness,” (Matt 23:23).

As has been so appropriately brought out recently, the name “God” (Elohim in Hebrew) is understood to denote His aspect of judgment and “LORD” (Adonai),” His aspect of mercy. When the phrase “LORD God” is used in scripture, it is to be seen as the totality of the creator simultaneously reflecting both attributes of his divine nature, such as at creation, “the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,” (Gen 2:4). The Talmud reasons this to reflect the thoughts of the creator as follows, “If I create the world only with the attribute of mercy, sins will multiply beyond all bounds; if I create it only with the attribute of justice, how can the world last? Behold, I will create is with both attributes so that it might endure!” (Gen. R. 12:15).

So how does God balance His mercy while maintaining the justice of His nature? According to the Jewish Sages, the mercy of the LORD is 500 times greater than the justice of God. How can such an assertion be made? Listen to the reasoning that comes from Everyman’s Talmud, by Dr. A Cohen:

“This conclusion was deduced form the fact that in connection with punishment God described Himself as ‘visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and four the generation’ (Ex 20:5); but in connection with grace it is said: ‘And showing mercy unto the thousandth generation’ (Ex 20:6). The last phrase is, in the Hebrew, alafim, which is literally “thousands” and must indicate at least two thousand. Retribution, therefore, extends at most to four generations, whereas mercy extends to at least tow thousand generations (Tosifta Sot.IV.I)” (Everyman’s Talmud, page 18).

When I hear of a person who has been convicted of killing another, I am ready to have that person put to death immediately. Yet, when we delay the death for 10-15 years, we show mercy. Maybe in that time evidence will be produced to demonstrate the innocence of the individual or maybe the individual will become repentant saving his soul and making some restitution to the family and the world. To show mercy, even to those who act in the harshest manner toward us is to reflect the nature of God.

So how many times am I supposed to forgive my brother, up to seven times? “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven,” (Matt 18:21). Seventy times seven equals 490, just 10 short of 500. I guess the Jewish Sages were just rounding up. So the question is not do I show mercy in my life, but is my mercy 500 times as great as my judgment?

Scott