Merci for Mercy!

Mercy, anyone??! The site chosen for the temple Solomon was chosen to construct has quite a legacy. In 1st Chronicles 21, the consequences of David's sin of numbering the people under his dominion had caused catastrophic losses throughout the land. And David, seeing the angel of the Lord with sword in hand in order to smite Ornan the Jebusite and his household along with other inhabitants of Jerusalem, sought God's mercy, vs. 13. Though fearful of the hand of God, he knew there was nothing but the mercy of God to appeal to and that is what moved God to tell the angel to cease and desist the administration of justice.. It is as if the consequence for accepting the sentence would be more damning than the action that warranted the sentence in the first place. And because this is where David interceded for God's mercy, God told Gad to tell David that is where He wanted an altar to be built. A place to signify that God could hear and be moved by man would be a powerful testimony and reminder for the people to continue to trust Him. And isn’t that what Christ proclaimed and demonstrated as well. He was moved to make the sacrifice.   To be sure, the more we fear the appropriate impartment of due process that would hold us to account for our sin, the more God shows His amazing grace and profound mercy: Zephaniah 3:7 "I said, ‘Surely you will fear me;

you will accept correction.

Then your dwelling would not be cut off

according to all that I have appointed against you.’ " I believe God is especially moved when we have nothing but a determination to be heard by God whether in communion or confrontation--mano a Deo--when we know we have nothing but His Word to fall back on because His Word testifies to His love, His mercy and His desire for us to know we can and should count on Him for what we need and that He wants to provide abundantly! We can ask, seek, and knock because God wants us to confront Him--to have a passionate determination in our aspiration to find inspiration! The splendor of David’s plan, in all its glory, got its humble beginnings from the consequence of sin and the redeeming grace of God. Much better then, the splendor of God’s plan which was fulfilled in Christ. God interceded on our behalf to save us. The cross reminds us that He is a God that cares and was moved so much as to give His only Son to redeem us into His kingdom. Now to receive this most merciful gift is only to confront the Lord, confess our fear and profess “I am yours; save me,…” (Psalm 119:94). May God be glorified with our praise, obedience and thanksgiving, Amen.