Mercy and Judgment

“Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin: and that will by no means clear (the disobedient); visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children unto the third and to the fourth” (Exod. xxxiv. 7).

When Moses charged and exhorted the children of Israel to be faithful and obedient unto all “the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments,” which he had taught them from Jehovah, he reminds them of those glorious attributes of His great name, saying: > “Because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Know, therefore, that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy, with them that love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations: And repayeth them that hate him to their face to destroy them. …. Wherefore it shall come to pass if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers” (Deut. vii. 8-12).

The Psalmist tells how unmindful they were of the Lord’s mercies, saying: “Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt: they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies” (Ps. cvi.). Nehemiah, recounting the mercies and forgivenesses which Jehovah had extended toward Israel, saith: > “Thou earnest down also upon Mount Sinai and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments. …. And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them. But they dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not unto thy commandments. And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them:—but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. …. Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them, by thy Spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hands of the people of the lands. Nevertheless, for thy great mercies’ sake, thou didst not utterly consume them nor forsake them: for thou art a gracious and merciful God” (Neh. ix.).

When the seventy years of the Babylonian captivity were drawing to a close, the prophet Daniel made supplication unto Yahweh, on behalf of his people Israel. It is thus written: > “And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God; keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments. We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants, the prophets, which spake in thy name, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day. …. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him. …. Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. …. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth. …. O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people have become a reproach to all that are about us. Now, therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake” (Dan. ix.).

While he was “speaking in prayer,” Gabriel came unto him and said: “O Daniel, I am come forth to give thee skill and understanding: At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee.” He then delivered unto him the “Prophecy of the Seventy weeks.” In which he informed him of the length of time that should elapse from the going forth of the commandment “to restore and build Jerusalem,” unto the appearing of “Messiah the Prince.” And that he should “confirm the covenant with many” during “one week.” This, according to our able Chronologist, was the last week of the Seventy. The word, through the angel messenger, revealed some of the leading features in the laying of the foundation for that “mercy which God had promised unto the fathers.” After this, he foretells of a period in which the judgments of Jehovah should rest heavily, in His anger, upon the land and the people of Israel. In the revised translation of the text, given by the Dr., it reads thus: “And because of an overspreading of abominations, there shall be a desolating, even to destruction, and that decreed shall be poured out upon the desolator” (Anatolia p. 39).

The destruction of the holy city (Jerusalem) and the temple by the Romans A.D. 70-2, brought about the overspreading of those abominations that have desolated the holy land and city unto the present day. These, according to the prophets testimony, have been decreed, as the visitation of the righteous judgment of Jehovah, because of the sins of His people. But the time when mercy shall be extended to the house of Israel is also decreed, through the testimony of the prophets.

When the end of this long period of desolation shall arrive—while the judgments of the “sixth vial” are being poured out upon the desolator, will appear the Deliverer. A symbolic representation of Him was shown to Daniel in the vision recorded in the tenth chapter. There appeared unto him, “a man whose appearance was representative of the perfect Prince Royal in glory” (Anatolia p. 45), together with His body—a glorified host. “The voice of his words, like the voice of a multitude.” While contemplating this glorious vision, Daniel passed through a figurative death and resurrection. And the angel messenger said unto him: “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for days” (ch. x.).

The prophecy concludes, with the appearing of One who is called “Michael, the great Prince,” who standeth for the people of Daniel in the “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time” (Dan. xii.). The symbolic personage of the tenth chapter, and “Michael the great Prince,” will appear in one and the same glorious Redeemer, even Jesus of Nazareth, the king of Israel. Then will be realized in fulness those “mercies and forgivenesses,” for which Daniel so earnestly prayed on behalf of his people.

When Yahweh shall establish the “covenanted throne in the heavens,” of the “political aerial,” He will “build again the tabernacle of David that is fallen down.” Then will appear that mercy, referred to by the Psalmist, when he saith: “Mercy shall be built up forever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.” The enduring promise of Jehovah is, “I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant. Thy seed will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations” (Ps. lxxxix.).

In view of the mercy that Jehovah is keeping for to bestow upon His people in the future Age, His word through the prophet foretells of a certain preparation of heart that is to take place in them. Thus saith the Lord: > “I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born” (Zech. xii.).

The prophet Ezekiel dwells much upon the mercy and the blessings in store for Israel; but previous to receiving them, the word of Jehovah saith: “I will yet, for this, be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them” (Ezek. xxxvi.). When the days of sorrowing exile shall have an end, the prophet foretells of their return, saying, “Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days” (Hos. iii.).

The Spirit through the Psalmist, speaking prophetically concerning these days of grace and favor, as though they were actually come, says: > “Lord, thou hast been favorable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people; thou hast covered all their sin. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath; thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of their anger. …. Yea, the Lord will give good: and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him, and shall set us in the way of his steps” (Ps. lxxxv.).

It is only through their obedient recognition of the true Messiah, that a door of entrance into the land of their fathers will be opened unto the children of Israel. The word of the Lord, through the prophet, saith concerning Him: > “Thus saith Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, and his holy one, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the holy one of Israel, and he shall choose thee. Thus saith Jehovah, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages: that thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves” (Isa. xlix. 7-9).

Addressing Israel, Jehovah saith: “Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel, my called: I, the First; I, also, the Last” (Isa. xlviii. 12). “And thou shalt know that I, Yahweh, am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob” (Isa. lx. 16).

A record is still further given in Numbers of certain elements of the name. Here, as in the former place of record, Moses is the recipient of blessing. According to the promise the Lord had given him: “In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee” (Ex. xx. 24). And here, as before, the blessing is preceded by the curse,—according to the unchanging principle, that the evil must come before the good, and “before honor is humility.”

“The people again murmured and complained, and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly: Moses also was displeased” (Num. xi.). “And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favor in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?” …. “I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.”

The Lord regarded his supplication and his grief; and prepared a fresh memorial of His favor, in giving him able and worthy helpers, to aid him in the work and service which had been appointed him to do. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them: and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put upon them: and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.” …. “And Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass that when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied and did not cease” (Numb. xi.).

This record exhibits the bringing in of a number to share in the reception of that Spirit, which had first been given to Moses alone: and to share in the bearing of the burden together with him.

Moses was placed in a higher and more exalted position than any of the prophets that were among the congregation of Israel. And when Aaron and Miriam spake against him, the Lord appeared in his defence: and arraigned the transgressors. Administering to them a severe rebuke, He gave fuller expression of favor toward Moses (Numb. xii.).

The land-covenant is then brought into view. And because of the evil report given by the men who were sent to search the land of Canaan, the children of Israel fell into unbelief and rebelled against Moses and Aaron. The Lord threatened to disinherit them, and said to Moses, “I will make of thee a greater and mightier nation than they.” But Moses makes intercession for the people; and pleads for the sake of the name of Yahweh, saying: “And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing (the disobedient), visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word: but as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord” (Numb. xiv.).

Notwithstanding the loving-kindness of Moses in making intercession for them, and the goodness and mercy of Yahweh in pardoning them—another coalition was formed against Moses and against Aaron, by “Korah, Dathan, and Abiram,” together with “two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly.” The visitation of Yahweh’s wrath destroyed them. “And the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud that covered the tabernacle of the congregation.” “And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle: and the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment: and they fell upon their faces” (Numb. xvi.).

On this occasion there was something more than the intercession of Moses required, to bring about a reconciliation for the congregation of Israel. Atonement had to be made. “And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord, the plague is begun. And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation: and behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living: and the plague was stayed.”

In this, the principle is shadowed forth, that it is only through the divinely-instituted atonement that propitiation for sin can be made. The high-priest alone was appointed for this work. The true realization of this, can only be found in Christ. It is only through the atonement that He has made and instituted through the eternal Spirit that the great plague of sin and death that afflicts humanity can be stayed, or done away with.

After the scene of death, the budding rod of Aaron is next introduced. “Of all the twelve rods that Moses laid up before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness,” overnight, one only, “the rod of Aaron budded, bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.” “And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels: and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me that they die not” (Numb. xvii.). The high-priest through whom the atonement was made, also received the emblem of resurrection. The budded rod of Aaron was kept, “laid up within the Ark before the testimony,” thus shadowing the life-giving power, not vested in Aaron, but in the One whom the Ark of the Covenant represented.

The record thus shows, that on each occasion, when the hearts of the children of Israel were turned away in rebellion against Moses, it only served in the fuller unfolding of the purpose of Yahweh, and the bestowing some fresh memorial of His favor, to enrich the cup of blessing Moses held.