WHAT IS MERCY?

 BIBLE STUDY-PROVERBS #12   PROVERBS 3:3

NETTIE-OLOGY: “Lord have mercy!” Have you ever heard someone say that? What is mercy? Why do we need it? Why should we show it.

PROVERBS 3:3 THE VOICE

Stay focused; do not lose sight of mercy and truth; engrave them on a pendant, and hang it around your neck; meditate on them so they are written upon your heart.

The Voice paraphrases Scripture however, I appreciate the words.  Often when I am meditating on a Bible verse I use another translation to help me see the message better. My allegiance is to the Word (John 1:1, 14, though I use the King James Bible often, other translations help me to understand faster. 

In this study we are instructed to “not lose sight of mercy and truth”. So many Believers have.

PROVERBS 3:3 KING JAMES VERSION

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 

Do you see the difference? The Voice begins: “Stay focused” whereas King James simply says: “Let not”- there is more urgency in the Voice. We are warned: “Don’t get distracted!” versus “Don’t let this happen.” The Voice puts the responsibility on definitely on the Believer. 

Mercy is an important aspect of everyone’s life. Mercy is the word or action that leads a person to not have stress, to not worry. Mercy is the deed done by someone else that alleviates the deserved consequences of ones’ actions. Without mercy we could not forgive those who trespass against us. Without mercy we would all go to hell.

We must never forget these two things:

• Before we were even thought of He endured grief, took on sorrow, was beaten, ridiculed and abused on our behalf. 
• Jesus was nailed to a cross because Father God is merciful.

ISAIAH 53:4-5 KING JAMES VERSION

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 

JOHN 14:6-7 KING JAMES VERSION

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 

Though I sin daily, I am NOT A SINNER, I am SAVED! I was a sinner until I was born again. I go to my heavenly  Father in the name of Jesus not Sinner. Mercy says: Your name can be or is Jesus not Sinner and you have that name above ever other name because of mercy! PRAISE GOD!

If you cannot forgive, you cannot be merciful. 

PSALM 86:5 KING JAMES VERSION

For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. 

An interesting note about Psalm 86:5, other Bible translations use the word “love” instead of “mercy”. 

Mercy is translated from, according to Stong’s 2616, the Hebrew word ‘hesed’. “Hesed” has been, in the King James Bible, to: mercy 149 times, kindness 40 times, lovingkindness 30 times, goodness 12 times, kindly 5 times, merciful 4 times, favour 3 times, good once, goodliness once, pity once; as well as reproach and  wicked thing both one time. 

If you are not forgiving you are not merciful. Furthermore, mercy is an act of love. 

I submit to you: Loving a person does not mean you have to fellowship with him or her or hang-out with that person. Proverbs tell us to “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee”.  Mercy and truth go together. WE are to be loving enough towards others that we forgive them yet we don’t ignore those things, behaviors, that are not according to His word. 

What is mercy? Mercy is the gift of forgiveness and love. I can forgive you, I can love you but I may have to do it from afar. 

                                                                         written by Marsha L F Randolph

NETTIE-OLOGY /NETTIE-ISM reflects the opinions of and is the soul property of the author MARSHA L F RANDOLPH. All rights reserved- do not use without permission. Disagreeing with what is written is not offensive to the author a disagreeable comment will be deleted. 

SCRIPTURES QUOTED ARE AS CITED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF:

THE KING JAMES BIBLE: Holy Bible: King James Version WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 

STRONGS CONCORDANCE: Strong, James. StStrong, James. Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. Austin, TX: WORDsearch Corp., 2007.
WORDsearch CROSS e-book.rong's Concordance. Austin, TX: WORDsearch, 2007. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 

 All OTHER  BIBLE TRANSLATIONS: with the help of BIBLEGATEWAY