Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

MERCY

The compassionate disposition to forgive someone or to offer aid, assistance, or help to someone in need. Closely connected are such concepts as grace, goodness, love, loving-kindness, compassion, and patience.

Mercy (Heb. rāḥam, ḥānan) is an essential quality of God (Exod. 34:6; Deut. 4:31; Ps. 103:8). This is the quality (ḥeseḏ, “covenant love”), demonstrated throughout their history (cf. Deut. 30:1-6; Isa. 14:1; Ezek. 39:25-29), by which God faithfully keeps his promises and maintains his covenant relationship with his chosen people despite their unfaithfulness (Gk. éleos; Rom. 9:15-16, 23; Eph. 2:4). Israel was often reminded of the relationship between God’s ḥeseḏ and their covenant with God (Deut. 7:9; 1 Kgs. 8:23; Neh. 1:5; Isa. 55:3; Dan. 9:4).

God’s mercy is more than punishment withheld. It actively helps those who are miserable due to circumstances beyond their control. This is demonstrated in Jesus’ healing of the blind (Matt. 9:27-31; 20:29-34) and lepers (Luke 17:11-19). The parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) shows how God is “the Father of all mercies and the God of all consolation” (2 Cor. 1:3); the parable of the merciless servant (Matt. 18:23-35) puts this divine quality in a negative setting. God’s merciful faithfulness is most evident in his sending Jesus and saving his people (Rom. 11:30-32; Eph. 2:4). God’s mercy will be manifest at the final judgment (2 Tim. 1:18; Jas. 2:13). God is merciful and expects his children to be merciful (Matt. 5:7; Jas. 1:27).

Edward P. Myers

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

MERCY

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)