Everlasting Mercy and Righteousness

Psalm 103:17

    There can be no thunder without lightning, and no rainbow in the sky without sunlight. Similarly there can be no mercy for God to show us without a righteousness which He gave us in Christ. And both of these David mentioned in Psalm 103:17. He wrote: "But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children."

    David had said the same thing in Psalm 85:10 where he spoke prophetically of the cross of Christ. There he stated, "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Now righteousness is truth, and peace comes only in God's mercy, so that we may state it this way: "Mercy and righteousness are met together; at the cross of Christ they have kissed each other."

    We do well to note that in Psalm 103:17 David made a contrast between the truth of God's mercy and righteousness and the fact that God knows that we are like grass that is here today and gone tomorrow. Our stay here is brief, while God's mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. And though we will soon be gone, God's righteousness will be on our children and grandchildren.

    Beautifully we sing this truth as follows (PRC Psalter):

    Unchanging is the love of God,
    From age to age the same,
    Displayed to all who do His will
    And reverence His name.
    Those who His gracious covenant keep
    The Lord will ever bless;
    Their children's children shall rejoice
    To see His righteousness.

    We will die sooner or later; but we will die in God's mercy. For that mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon us. And in that mercy our children will be in the place we left behind and receive God's righteousness that is in Christ; and therefore also will be dealt with in God's mercy.

    Be assured from God's word that His mercy will bring you to the everlasting blessedness that He has prepared for you. And that He will keep His covenant promises and also bring our children there.

Read: Genesis 17:1-8 
Psalter versification: #281:3, 4
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

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Song for Meditation: Psalter #400
Why not sing along??

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Isaiah 60; Isaiah 61; Isaiah 62:1-5 
Philippians 1:27-30; Philippians 2:1-18 
Psalm 72:1-20 
Proverbs 24:11-12
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Quote for Reflection: 

 …We do not want to throw the lambs to the wolves. In the Christian school, we are preparing them for the inevitable conflict that is coming. There is a war going on. It is not a carnal war, not a war "after the flesh," as the apostle writes in II Corinthians 10: 3ff., but a war that is spiritual, a war that has to do with "imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God." It is a war of ideas; of thoughts: of doctrines; of teachings. These are the great issues and battlefronts: the sovereignty of man versus the sovereignty of God; the reign of Antichrist versus the reign of Jesus the Christ; the authority of man's word versus the authority of God's Word, Holy Scripture; a life of pleasure-madness versus a life of holiness; despair versus hope; the worship of the totalitarian State versus the worship of God, the Father of Jesus Christ. -- David J. Engelsma