1.21 blog

Ok…this post has nothing to do with the band Mercyful Fate, but it had to be called something, and it’s about mercy…so, there you have it.

I was reading the Bible this morning, and in Leviticus 5.7-13, God introduces some welfare type legislation into the laws for animal sacrifice. In making a sin offering, people were supposed to offer a lamb. However, some people were too poor for that. In their case, he allowed them to bring two turtle doves. Which was very kind and generous. But then I noticed something that I hadn’t before. If anyone was too poor to offer the birds, they could just bring some grain, and have their sins forgiven. So we see God showing his mercy in making allowance for the impoverished circumstances of some people.

I think that the reason he was able to do this was because forgiveness was never based on the animal sacrifices anyway. For all peoples of all times, it has only been the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that can bring forgiveness from God. And since Jesus was going to make the payment anyway, God could offer this sliding scale method of payment because the sheep or the turtle dove wasn’t going to provide forgiveness anyway…only Jesus can do that.

In doing this God doesn’t compromise his justice: a full payment will be made. But he does highlight his mercy. At the end of the day, we are all poor and needy. And nothing we do can really atone for our sin. We all alike stand in need of Jesus. And by faith, all alike are received by the Father for his sake. Cast yourself on him. Thank him for his mercy. And ask him to teach you to be merciful as well.

Posted by: Gene Schlesinger