July 14, 2009
Psalms 103 : 8
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness.
Some of us grew up on the MacDonald’s hamburger. A double quarter pounder with cheese will be the same in every MacDonald’s fast food restaurant. In verse eight David testifies that when life’s focus is turned to the Lord, what will be found is a compassionate God. The Message Bible translates this verse, “God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love”. A more expansive translation, the Living Bible is even more transparent. “He is merciful and tender toward those who don’t deserve it; he is slow to get angry and full of kindness and love.”
Where else in the human experience can this definition of love be found? The best case scenario is the “perfect human relationship” that can potentially dissolve any minute. However, there is security for life in the love of God. Regardless of our life circumstances, regardless of our station in life, we will find the acceptance our personhood requires. He is the God of "sheer mercy" for those us who don't deserve it. At the risk of being classified a cynic about human relations, the best lover’s are our pets.
Let’s exclude cats from the discussion but man’s best friend can love his master similar to that of the Lord. There are no up front qualifications that warrant a dogs love. The master only needs to just shows up with food and water. As time goes by the dog will love even when neglected or mistreated. Loyalty is the common character of the dog world. So it is in the Lord’s world for He is “abounding in loving kindness”. The Hebrew word “chesed”, translated loving kindness in this verse, similarly describes this loyal love that will not discard Israel to the garbage heap. Through the repetitive failures of His people Israel, the Lord overlooks His disappointment at their unrighteousness and returns again and again to loving kindness. Go figure!
The focus of this loyal love in Old Testament times was upon Israel. The ground of this love was the will and character of the Lord who chose to begin a friendship with Abram, expecting a return on this investment. Abram’s return was limited, as has the return on investment of each of us since that time. Consequences occur naturally from our moral failures. Yet the Lord always responds with “chesed”. The Lord invested upwards of four thousand years of human history to teach us about this love and we reduce it to mere sloppy sentiment.
In the fullness of time, the lord sent to earth the best expression of His loving kindness in the person of Jesus. All mankind is now the chosen target of the loyal love of the Lord. Jesus passed out forgiveness like popcorn to all who asked and some who did not as He issued a universal invitation to the Kingdom of God. The only folks who angered Him were those merchandizing the love of God, the Pharisees and religious leaders of the Temple. This occurrence in the ministry of Jesus is an example of the Lord’s slow anger. It is grace for the guilty and anger for the self-righteous.
The Christian revivalist movement of the last two hundred years has increasingly marketed and misapplied the anger of God. Extreme accountability is made normative for the sinner but the religious leaders sell healing towels. This does not square with the scriptures. The proponents of revivalism point to a pivotal passage in the gifting of the Ten Commandments to Moses. The first time down the mountain he finds the riotous worship of Israel at the feet of a golden calf made with human hands.
Deeply grieved, Moses appoints his brother and his religious friends to slaughter three thousand of the family. Yet, Moses brother Aaron was leading the idolatry. Moses quotes the Lord, the God of Israel as commanding the violence. Check it out, Exodus 32:27, “Thus says the Lord”!
Was the killing really of God or of men’s anger citing a supposedly righteous excuse? We have all been there on occassion. Any answer must square with all or most of scripture. Be careful, one day we shall all be judged according to our use of scripture.
G.Goslaw
Victorville,CA.
