¤¤¤
00:00:01.30\00:00:05.30
¤¤¤
00:00:11.31\00:00:14.31
>>Eric Flickinger:
Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
00:00:15.31\00:00:16.61
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:00:16.64\00:00:18.61
We're glad that you
could join us again this week.
00:00:18.65\00:00:20.28
This is week number 7.
We're looking this week at
00:00:20.32\00:00:23.45
"Your Mercy
Reaches Unto the Heavens,"
00:00:23.49\00:00:26.32
spending some time looking
at God's mercy in the Psalms.
00:00:26.35\00:00:30.09
Let's begin today with prayer.
00:00:30.13\00:00:32.16
Father, thank
You for Your mercy.
00:00:32.19\00:00:34.76
And as we spend
time in the Psalms today,
00:00:34.83\00:00:37.23
we ask that You'll
help us to understand
00:00:37.27\00:00:38.97
Your mercy more clearly:
00:00:39.00\00:00:40.67
what it is, and what it isn't,
00:00:40.70\00:00:42.67
and why we can be
so grateful for it.
00:00:42.70\00:00:45.21
We thank You in
Jesus' name, amen.
00:00:45.24\00:00:48.61
Well, we're happy
once again to welcome
00:00:48.64\00:00:50.61
the author of this quarter's
"Sabbath School" lesson,
00:00:50.65\00:00:52.98
Dr. Dragoslava Santrac.
00:00:53.01\00:00:54.85
She has a PhD in Old Testament
and is incredibly passionate
00:00:54.88\00:00:59.15
about the book of
Psalms and is generous enough
00:00:59.19\00:01:01.89
to share that passion
with us here each week.
00:01:01.92\00:01:04.33
Slava, thank you
for being with us again.
00:01:04.36\00:01:06.33
>>Dragoslava Santrac:
I'm delighted to be here.
00:01:06.36\00:01:08.13
>>Eric: Now,
this week, lesson 7,
00:01:08.16\00:01:09.56
we're taking a
look at God's mercy.
00:01:09.60\00:01:11.93
Last week, we
looked at God's judgment.
00:01:11.97\00:01:15.17
Is it by coincidence
that we are looking at mercy
00:01:15.20\00:01:18.91
this week when we
looked at judgment last week?
00:01:18.94\00:01:21.44
My guess is, probably not.
00:01:21.48\00:01:22.78
>>Dragoslava: Certainly not.
00:01:22.81\00:01:24.48
You see, when we
speak about the judgment,
00:01:24.51\00:01:27.28
and although we
stress the aspect
00:01:27.32\00:01:30.69
of the good news of it,
00:01:30.72\00:01:33.05
judgment as
salvation and deliverance,
00:01:33.09\00:01:36.09
still the judgment has
another side of the coin,
00:01:36.12\00:01:41.16
which is instilling in
us the constant awareness
00:01:41.20\00:01:45.10
of God's holiness
and His righteousness.
00:01:45.13\00:01:49.10
And like the psalmist,
00:01:49.14\00:01:51.17
we may feel, like
in Psalm 143, verse 2,
00:01:51.21\00:01:57.08
that we do not want to
appear at that judgment.
00:01:57.11\00:02:01.68
And look what the psalmist says:
"Do not enter into judgment
00:02:01.72\00:02:05.99
"with Your servant,
00:02:06.02\00:02:07.62
for in Your sight
no...living is righteous."
00:02:07.66\00:02:12.36
We realize, like the psalmist,
that we have nothing good
00:02:12.39\00:02:16.26
living in us,
that we have nothing
00:02:16.30\00:02:18.80
to offer to God as a prerogative
00:02:18.83\00:02:22.50
to make us have peace
in the day of His judgment.
00:02:22.54\00:02:26.57
And that's why the message
of the judgment in the Psalms
00:02:26.61\00:02:30.25
is always accompanied with
the message of God's mercy,
00:02:30.28\00:02:35.32
because it is God's
mercy that brings this hope
00:02:35.35\00:02:40.59
in God's judgments
and makes it good news.
00:02:40.62\00:02:43.53
And some people may
find this verse I just read
00:02:43.56\00:02:47.76
to be contradictory
with some other texts
00:02:47.83\00:02:50.73
in the Psalms where the psalmist
00:02:50.77\00:02:53.00
welcomes God's scrutiny
and judgment and tells God,
00:02:53.03\00:02:58.21
"Judge me," and
claims his innocence.
00:02:58.24\00:03:01.14
Are these texts
really contradictory?
00:03:01.18\00:03:03.98
Well, they speak about
two aspects of the same thing.
00:03:04.01\00:03:08.78
The Psalms where the psalmists
are confident in their innocence
00:03:08.82\00:03:13.32
and call on God to
judge them are one side,
00:03:13.36\00:03:17.69
and the other side is this one
00:03:17.73\00:03:19.46
when we do not
want to be judged,
00:03:19.49\00:03:21.63
because they underline the truth
00:03:21.66\00:03:24.43
that righteousness
is not our prerogative,
00:03:24.47\00:03:28.74
our natural prerogative,
00:03:28.77\00:03:30.91
but it is the
gift of God's mercy
00:03:30.94\00:03:33.91
that He gives to His child
in a covenantal relationship.
00:03:33.94\00:03:38.55
So, yes, we can have
innocence and righteousness,
00:03:38.58\00:03:42.68
but only as we receive
that as the gift of God's mercy.
00:03:42.72\00:03:47.26
And that's why the message
of mercy follows the judgment,
00:03:47.29\00:03:51.83
because in order to
have peace and salvation
00:03:51.86\00:03:54.66
at the time of judgment,
00:03:54.73\00:03:56.20
we need to receive
the gift of righteousness
00:03:56.23\00:03:59.03
by God's mercy and grace.
00:03:59.07\00:04:01.54
>>Eric: So God's mercy is
a complement to His judgment
00:04:01.57\00:04:05.11
or His justice.
00:04:05.14\00:04:06.44
There would be no
hope without the mercy.
00:04:06.47\00:04:09.01
We'd be looking at
salvation by works,
00:04:09.04\00:04:11.21
and we would all fall
far short in that department.
00:04:11.25\00:04:14.85
But there is God's mercy
here and we see it, and that's,
00:04:14.88\00:04:17.82
this week, what
we're delving into.
00:04:17.85\00:04:19.69
When we look at the Psalms,
what exactly is God's mercy
00:04:19.72\00:04:23.39
'cause there are some
people who describe God's mercy
00:04:23.43\00:04:25.73
as His
compassion, His graciousness.
00:04:25.76\00:04:28.80
Is that accurate?
00:04:28.83\00:04:31.13
Is that all there
is to God's mercy?
00:04:31.17\00:04:34.07
How would we describe
God's mercy in the Psalms
00:04:34.10\00:04:37.27
as we see it there?
00:04:37.31\00:04:38.61
>>Dragoslava: Yes, God's mercy
is certainly what you mentioned:
00:04:38.64\00:04:41.58
compassion, care, love,
00:04:41.61\00:04:44.58
taking pity on those
who are weak and needy.
00:04:44.61\00:04:48.42
However, there is
one aspect of God's mercy
00:04:48.45\00:04:53.42
that's highlighted in the Psalms
and is very, very important.
00:04:53.46\00:04:57.73
In Psalm 136, for example,
we will read that God's mercy
00:04:57.76\00:05:06.07
is actually His
loyalty or His faithfulness.
00:05:06.10\00:05:11.31
I like the word
"loyalty," that God is loyal
00:05:11.34\00:05:14.64
to His covenant and
therefore to His children.
00:05:14.68\00:05:18.61
That's why He is a merciful
God, and His mercy accompanies
00:05:18.65\00:05:23.52
His judgment because,
00:05:23.55\00:05:25.25
in the covenantal
relationship with God,
00:05:25.29\00:05:27.92
we receive His
loyalty with His mercy
00:05:27.96\00:05:31.56
that makes us
withstand the judgment
00:05:31.59\00:05:34.56
and come out of
that judgment victorious.
00:05:34.60\00:05:38.03
So, Psalm 136 has
this wonderful verse:
00:05:38.07\00:05:45.17
"For His mercy endures forever."
00:05:45.21\00:05:48.78
It's a sort of a refrain
or a chorus in this song,
00:05:48.81\00:05:53.65
and it's mentioned 26 times:
"His mercy endures forever."
00:05:53.68\00:05:59.39
Now, we may ask, "How do we know
that His mercy endures forever?"
00:05:59.42\00:06:03.69
And the psalmist tells
us in the first nine verses:
00:06:03.73\00:06:07.30
Look at the Creation.
00:06:07.30\00:06:09.66
God created the
world, but not just that.
00:06:09.70\00:06:13.10
He also sustains the world.
00:06:13.13\00:06:16.30
Last night, Eric,
when we went to sleep,
00:06:16.34\00:06:18.84
we weren't aware of the world
while dreaming or sleeping.
00:06:18.87\00:06:23.75
We were not aware,
but then in the morning
00:06:23.78\00:06:26.11
we woke up, and
awareness returned to us.
00:06:26.15\00:06:29.15
God is the one who
restores each morning,
00:06:29.18\00:06:32.19
like the sun that He
brings. He sustains the world;
00:06:32.22\00:06:35.79
therefore He's loyal
to His works of creation.
00:06:35.82\00:06:39.63
Then from verses
10 maybe up to 22,
00:06:39.66\00:06:44.60
the psalmist
shares various examples
00:06:44.63\00:06:49.34
of God's
enduring mercy in history,
00:06:49.37\00:06:53.64
in His great acts of
salvation, to various events,
00:06:53.68\00:06:58.81
starting with Exodus and
the parting of the Red Sea
00:06:58.85\00:07:03.22
and other events that
testify to God's people
00:07:03.25\00:07:07.56
of God's loyalty or
mercy that endures in history.
00:07:07.59\00:07:12.23
And here are the
evidences of that.
00:07:12.26\00:07:15.33
And then finally,
in verse 23 and on,
00:07:15.36\00:07:19.03
"who remembered us
in our lawless state."
00:07:19.07\00:07:24.41
So therefore, it is not just
God of the past who helped them,
00:07:24.44\00:07:29.34
who was loyal to them,
00:07:29.38\00:07:30.75
but the Lord also remembers
us in our state wherever we are.
00:07:30.78\00:07:36.99
And here is His
loyalty to us as well.
00:07:37.02\00:07:40.22
Isn't His loyalty
and mercy wonderful?
00:07:40.26\00:07:43.56
>>Eric: It is, and this helps us
00:07:43.59\00:07:44.89
to understand
that a little bit more.
00:07:44.93\00:07:46.49
What He's done in the
past in His creative works,
00:07:46.53\00:07:50.77
what He's done in
the past historically,
00:07:50.80\00:07:53.50
and then
connecting with us today.
00:07:53.54\00:07:56.97
It seems like
there may be some people
00:07:57.01\00:07:59.34
who have a smaller
idea of what God's mercy is,
00:07:59.37\00:08:03.88
but this really expands it
to help us understand who He is,
00:08:03.91\00:08:07.95
and that mercy is a
part of His character
00:08:07.98\00:08:10.25
and has been
since, well, forever.
00:08:10.29\00:08:13.79
And that's a picture of
a God who is a loving God,
00:08:13.82\00:08:18.33
a just God--we'd
looked at judgment last time--
00:08:18.36\00:08:22.10
but a merciful God.
00:08:22.13\00:08:24.03
And that mercy,
the history of mercy,
00:08:24.07\00:08:27.27
should be a help
to those who wonder,
00:08:27.30\00:08:30.27
and there are
many today who wonder,
00:08:30.31\00:08:32.31
"How can I be
saved? I've done this.
00:08:32.34\00:08:35.58
"I haven't done that
that I should have done.
00:08:35.61\00:08:38.81
"I said this to
someone. I did that to someone.
00:08:38.85\00:08:41.68
"How can I possibly--
how could God save me?
00:08:41.72\00:08:45.59
You know, I'm a
terrible person."
00:08:45.62\00:08:47.79
Yeah, well, the truth is
we're all terrible people.
00:08:47.82\00:08:50.19
We've all done those
things. But this mercy,
00:08:50.23\00:08:53.26
these stories of
mercy in the Psalms,
00:08:53.29\00:08:55.60
should give us hope.
00:08:55.63\00:08:57.40
Are there any other
passages that you could think of
00:08:57.43\00:09:01.24
that might be
encouraging to someone
00:09:01.27\00:09:03.51
who's going through
something like that?
00:09:03.54\00:09:05.44
>>Dragoslava: Yes, well, I love
the memory text for this week
00:09:05.47\00:09:09.84
in Psalm 57:9. "I
will praise You, O Lord,
00:09:09.88\00:09:13.95
"among the peoples; I will
sing to You among the nations.
00:09:13.98\00:09:17.69
"For Your mercy
reaches unto the heavens,
00:09:17.72\00:09:21.39
And Your truth unto the clouds."
00:09:21.42\00:09:23.99
"Your mercy
reaches unto the heavens."
00:09:24.03\00:09:26.86
Is there a limit to the heavens?
00:09:26.90\00:09:30.77
There isn't.
00:09:30.80\00:09:32.43
There is no
limit to God's mercy.
00:09:32.47\00:09:35.04
And that's a great,
wonderful encouragement for us.
00:09:35.07\00:09:38.71
You mentioned people who
worry about their salvation,
00:09:38.74\00:09:42.51
who worry about,
"Haven't I done enough?
00:09:42.54\00:09:46.28
Have I forgotten
to do something?"
00:09:46.31\00:09:49.15
These are not the questions that
God wants us to ask ourselves.
00:09:49.18\00:09:54.32
I would tell
people, "Ask yourself,
00:09:54.36\00:09:57.03
"'Have I done something to
make my heart continue beating?
00:09:57.06\00:10:02.10
Have I done enough things
to make my lungs breathe?'"
00:10:02.13\00:10:05.77
You see, breathing is something
00:10:05.80\00:10:07.87
that God gives us as
His gift. Life is His gift.
00:10:07.90\00:10:12.97
His mercy, which is
limitless, is His gift to us.
00:10:13.01\00:10:17.88
And the questions
that we should ask instead
00:10:17.91\00:10:21.02
is, where do I look?
Where do I turn in my life?
00:10:21.05\00:10:26.35
Do I look to self?
00:10:26.39\00:10:28.02
Do I look to other
people, circumstances?
00:10:28.06\00:10:30.96
Or do I look up to God?
00:10:30.99\00:10:32.96
Do I search for the
evidence of His greatness
00:10:32.99\00:10:36.10
and give Him the due
glory that belongs to His name?
00:10:36.13\00:10:41.27
>>Eric: So the
fact that we are alive,
00:10:41.30\00:10:43.24
the fact that we're breathing,
00:10:43.27\00:10:44.61
the fact that
our heart is beating
00:10:44.64\00:10:46.61
is evidence of the grace of
God because without His grace
00:10:46.64\00:10:51.18
we simply would not
be; none of us would be.
00:10:51.21\00:10:55.25
And so, I'm alive; you're alive;
00:10:55.28\00:10:57.52
around the
world there are people
00:10:57.55\00:10:59.92
who are living and
breathing because of God's mercy
00:10:59.95\00:11:04.06
and God's grace.
00:11:04.09\00:11:05.39
And so, if we should
find ourselves wondering
00:11:05.43\00:11:08.40
whether God loves
us or wants to save us
00:11:08.43\00:11:11.53
or if we're heading in
the right direction or not,
00:11:11.57\00:11:15.27
we can stop and just say,
00:11:15.30\00:11:16.71
well, A, I'm breathing;
B, my heart is beating;
00:11:16.74\00:11:20.88
and C, I'm concerned.
00:11:20.91\00:11:23.21
And if I'm concerned, that means
that God is at work in my heart,
00:11:23.24\00:11:26.01
in my mind and
leading me, drawing me
00:11:26.05\00:11:29.95
through His Spirit
in the right direction.
00:11:29.98\00:11:32.19
So if somebody's
feeling that, sensing that,
00:11:32.22\00:11:34.39
how would you encourage
them to keep moving forward?
00:11:34.42\00:11:37.59
>>Dragoslava: Yes,
yes, to do exactly that.
00:11:37.63\00:11:40.53
As you said, if
someone is concerned,
00:11:40.56\00:11:43.06
it means that God is
working on your heart.
00:11:43.10\00:11:46.84
It means that God wants to
draw you closer to Himself.
00:11:46.87\00:11:51.34
And that's why the
Psalm 136 ends with,
00:11:51.37\00:11:56.61
"Oh, give thanks
to the God of heaven!"
00:11:56.64\00:12:00.52
So it is God who remembers us,
00:12:00.55\00:12:03.08
and our response is to
take up the cup of salvation.
00:12:03.12\00:12:07.06
The psalmist says,
"What shall I render"--
00:12:07.09\00:12:09.46
what shall I give back--"to God
00:12:09.49\00:12:11.23
"for all His mercy
and wonderful things?
00:12:11.26\00:12:13.56
I will take that cup
of salvation"--meaning,
00:12:13.60\00:12:16.87
I will not refuse His mercy.
00:12:16.90\00:12:19.30
I will embrace it and
allow God to do His work in me.
00:12:19.33\00:12:24.17
And my work will
be to respond to Him
00:12:24.21\00:12:27.51
with giving thanks to God
00:12:27.54\00:12:30.45
and not to worry about
things that are not in my power.
00:12:30.48\00:12:34.18
Because,
frankly, there are so many
00:12:34.22\00:12:37.12
much simpler things that
we cannot do for ourselves.
00:12:37.15\00:12:41.76
And God did not ask us
00:12:41.79\00:12:43.73
to take care of
our own salvation.
00:12:43.76\00:12:46.49
He is the Savior.
00:12:46.53\00:12:48.03
Our responsibility is to
take that cup and drink it,
00:12:48.06\00:12:53.03
embrace it, allow
mercy to work its way in us,
00:12:53.07\00:12:58.21
according to God's will.
00:12:58.24\00:12:59.77
>>Eric: And those are
encouraging words for all of us.
00:12:59.81\00:13:03.11
And if you are
interested in hearing
00:13:03.14\00:13:04.68
some more encouraging
words from the Psalms,
00:13:04.71\00:13:06.55
make sure that you pick up
00:13:06.58\00:13:08.12
the companion book
00:13:08.15\00:13:09.55
for this quarter's
"Sabbath School" lesson.
00:13:09.58\00:13:11.69
It's, of course,
on the book of Psalms.
00:13:11.72\00:13:13.42
You can find it
at itiswritten.shop.
00:13:13.46\00:13:16.52
Again, that's itiswritten.shop.
00:13:16.56\00:13:18.73
The author is
Dr. Martin Klingbeil,
00:13:18.76\00:13:21.10
and you will be blessed
as you delve into the pages
00:13:21.13\00:13:23.77
of the companion book
for this quarter's lesson.
00:13:23.80\00:13:26.43
We're going to be right
back in just a moment or two
00:13:26.47\00:13:28.67
as we continue taking a
look at this week's lesson.
00:13:28.70\00:13:32.01
We'll be right back.
00:13:32.04\00:13:33.34
¤¤¤
00:13:33.38\00:13:36.38
>>John Bradshaw:
Many people believe
00:13:38.81\00:13:40.12
they'll never be good enough
00:13:40.15\00:13:41.45
to be saved from
sin and go to heaven.
00:13:41.48\00:13:45.55
Jesus spoke to this
during His time on earth,
00:13:45.59\00:13:47.96
often using seeds to explain
the science of salvation.
00:13:47.99\00:13:52.79
Join me for
"Seedtime and Harvest."
00:13:52.83\00:13:55.46
You'll gain rich insights
00:13:55.50\00:13:57.40
into the work
of the grace of God
00:13:57.43\00:13:59.47
and how the principles
of heaven work in your life.
00:13:59.50\00:14:03.14
You'll learn how tiny
seeds can grow to become
00:14:03.17\00:14:05.81
some of the wonders
of the natural world,
00:14:05.84\00:14:08.68
demonstrating that the
seed of the Word of God
00:14:08.71\00:14:12.01
can grow into something
truly remarkable in your life.
00:14:12.05\00:14:17.32
Join me as I travel
to the Show-Me State.
00:14:17.35\00:14:20.72
I'll speak with experts and
uncover the powerful principles
00:14:20.76\00:14:24.59
and promises of the Bible
that will change your life.
00:14:24.63\00:14:28.60
"Seedtime and Harvest,"
00:14:29.86\00:14:32.13
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:14:32.17\00:14:35.54
¤¤¤
00:14:37.14\00:14:41.31
>>Eric: Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:14:41.98\00:14:43.28
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:14:43.31\00:14:44.75
We're looking at God's
grace here in lesson number 7.
00:14:44.78\00:14:49.32
Slava, let me ask
you this question:
00:14:49.35\00:14:51.45
We hear of cheap
mercy or cheap grace
00:14:51.49\00:14:55.72
that sometimes people,
00:14:55.76\00:14:57.46
they like to lean on God's
grace when they are engaged
00:14:57.49\00:15:01.56
in some habitual sin,
00:15:01.60\00:15:03.77
something that they
don't want to get rid of,
00:15:03.80\00:15:06.10
and they just say, "Oh
well, God will forgive me."
00:15:06.13\00:15:09.07
Help us to
understand the picture of grace
00:15:09.10\00:15:13.17
that we find in the Psalms.
00:15:13.21\00:15:14.94
Compare, contrast that
00:15:14.98\00:15:16.54
with what we might
call "cheap grace."
00:15:16.58\00:15:18.61
How does this all fit
together? Does it fit together?
00:15:18.65\00:15:21.85
Where do we draw
this line in here?
00:15:21.88\00:15:24.12
>>Dragoslava: Yes, well, that's
a very important question.
00:15:24.15\00:15:27.19
Though I believe
that grace or mercy,
00:15:27.22\00:15:30.46
God's mercy, is always the same.
00:15:30.49\00:15:33.23
It is God's
undeserving gift of grace,
00:15:33.26\00:15:37.80
which is limitless
and which is undeserved,
00:15:37.83\00:15:42.10
as I said. So, God's
mercy is always the same.
00:15:42.14\00:15:45.77
So when people
think of cheap mercy,
00:15:45.81\00:15:48.91
they probably,
as you pointed out,
00:15:48.94\00:15:52.08
think of people
abusing this gift of grace.
00:15:52.11\00:15:55.95
So it has nothing to
do with the grace itself.
00:15:55.98\00:15:59.05
It has everything to
do with how people relate
00:15:59.09\00:16:03.06
to that gift and
how they use it or,
00:16:03.09\00:16:05.79
I should say,
abuse it in this case.
00:16:05.83\00:16:09.06
So there are many, many psalms
00:16:09.10\00:16:11.60
that can illustrate
what the proper attitude
00:16:11.63\00:16:16.34
towards God's
mercy is and should be.
00:16:16.37\00:16:19.31
And I'm thinking of
Psalm 51 as a wonderful example
00:16:19.34\00:16:23.85
of someone who
embraced God's mercy
00:16:23.88\00:16:28.45
in this proper way
and allowed God's mercy
00:16:28.48\00:16:31.92
to do its intended work,
because when we abuse it,
00:16:31.95\00:16:36.46
mercy will remain
fruitless in our lives.
00:16:36.49\00:16:40.50
And that's such a
pity when mercy in itself
00:16:40.53\00:16:43.47
is so powerful.
00:16:43.50\00:16:44.97
So here in Psalm 51,
it is the psalm of David.
00:16:45.00\00:16:49.74
We see someone,
David, embracing the mercy
00:16:49.77\00:16:54.18
in the right way and allowing it
00:16:54.21\00:16:56.18
to bring fruits of
righteousness in his life.
00:16:56.21\00:17:00.22
Now, as a way of
short introduction,
00:17:00.25\00:17:02.62
prior to praying this
psalm and writing this psalm,
00:17:02.65\00:17:07.42
David committed some
terrible things in his life.
00:17:07.46\00:17:11.33
He committed adultery,
took another man's life,
00:17:11.36\00:17:15.63
and not just that but
arranged circumstances
00:17:15.66\00:17:19.17
so that Bathsheba's,
00:17:19.20\00:17:20.80
the woman's, husband
get killed in a battle
00:17:20.84\00:17:24.51
so he could cover up for his sin
00:17:24.54\00:17:27.68
once she became pregnant,
00:17:27.71\00:17:29.84
and therefore it was obvious
that a sin was committed.
00:17:29.88\00:17:34.62
So coming out of
these terrible sins
00:17:34.65\00:17:39.22
and experiences, now
David has only one option.
00:17:39.25\00:17:43.96
In order to move forward, he
needs to lean on God's mercy.
00:17:43.99\00:17:48.33
He needs to appeal to it.
00:17:48.36\00:17:50.60
And maybe if we think,
"Well, David, you went too far.
00:17:50.63\00:17:54.90
How dare you
appeal to God's mercy?"
00:17:54.94\00:17:58.14
Well, that's wrong.
00:17:58.17\00:17:59.91
God's mercy is
greater than our sins,
00:17:59.94\00:18:04.01
greater than all the
weaknesses that we have.
00:18:04.05\00:18:08.72
And it is precisely the
task of the mercy to forgive,
00:18:08.75\00:18:14.29
cleanse, and transform,
only if we will approach it,
00:18:14.32\00:18:19.06
if God wills us to approach.
00:18:19.09\00:18:21.60
And this psalm illustrates
this in a wonderful way.
00:18:21.63\00:18:26.50
A motif that pervades this psalm
is the motif of brokenness.
00:18:26.53\00:18:33.71
In verse 8 we read of
the psalmist's broken bones,
00:18:33.74\00:18:39.15
meaning that he's so crushed
by the burden of his sins
00:18:39.18\00:18:43.92
as if his bones
are literally broken.
00:18:43.95\00:18:48.36
Then in verse 17, David
speaks about his broken spirit.
00:18:48.39\00:18:54.96
So, in approaching and
leaning to God's mercy,
00:18:55.00\00:18:59.37
his spirit is
broken because he remembers
00:18:59.40\00:19:02.90
what brought him to
God's throne of mercy.
00:19:02.94\00:19:06.61
And then verse 17, also he
speaks of his broken heart.
00:19:06.64\00:19:11.58
So you see, one way to approach
00:19:11.61\00:19:13.45
God's mercy in a correct way
00:19:13.48\00:19:16.08
is this sense of
humility and brokenness.
00:19:16.12\00:19:20.89
We come to God,
crying out to be restored,
00:19:20.92\00:19:25.76
to be restored in order to
be able again to bring glory
00:19:25.79\00:19:30.47
to His name because
in the current state,
00:19:30.50\00:19:33.54
we cannot do that.
00:19:33.57\00:19:35.87
>>Eric: So it
sounds like repentance is
00:19:35.90\00:19:37.81
a significant--
plays a significant role
00:19:37.84\00:19:40.38
in receiving that mercy.
00:19:40.41\00:19:43.31
If there's no repentance,
if there's no brokenness,
00:19:43.35\00:19:46.08
if there's no sorrow,
00:19:46.11\00:19:47.95
then just calling
out for the mercy,
00:19:47.98\00:19:50.62
it sounds like it's
maybe slightly inappropriate.
00:19:50.65\00:19:54.76
I don't know if
that's the right word to use,
00:19:54.79\00:19:56.16
but I'll use that word.
00:19:56.19\00:19:57.79
>>Dragoslava:
Yes, it would be going
00:19:57.83\00:19:59.13
against God's own
character and His integrity
00:19:59.16\00:20:03.10
and everything
that God stands for,
00:20:03.13\00:20:05.10
and that would be so,
so incorrect and improper.
00:20:05.13\00:20:09.40
And with this
brokenness, it's interesting,
00:20:09.44\00:20:13.34
in verse 7 David says,
00:20:13.38\00:20:15.74
"Purge me with
hyssop, and I shall be clean."
00:20:15.78\00:20:19.65
Now, when we look
in the Old Testament,
00:20:19.68\00:20:22.35
in the book of
Leviticus, there was a ceremony
00:20:22.38\00:20:25.32
where the priest was--
00:20:25.35\00:20:27.09
would use hyssop
and a special water
00:20:27.12\00:20:31.09
prepared to
cleanse, for example,
00:20:31.13\00:20:34.30
people suffering from
skin diseases and leprosy.
00:20:34.30\00:20:40.34
And once they are
healed, they were quarantined
00:20:40.37\00:20:43.61
and then upon the
evidence of healing,
00:20:43.64\00:20:46.11
they would be
cleansed with hyssop
00:20:46.14\00:20:49.14
and that would announce
that they are now restored
00:20:49.18\00:20:51.85
and could be allowed back into
the community of God's people,
00:20:51.88\00:20:56.58
back into the temple, et cetera.
00:20:56.62\00:20:58.79
Now, when we read
this psalm, we wonder,
00:20:58.82\00:21:01.46
"Did David suffer from
leprosy or some skin disease?"
00:21:01.49\00:21:05.66
No, he didn't,
00:21:05.69\00:21:07.50
but he felt that his
sins were so disgusting,
00:21:07.56\00:21:13.37
as if he was a leper himself.
00:21:13.40\00:21:16.47
He was separated from
God as a leper was separated
00:21:16.50\00:21:20.84
from the
community and was unclean.
00:21:20.88\00:21:23.81
And that's why he ask for
hyssop because no sacrifice--
00:21:23.85\00:21:28.12
and he says that.
00:21:28.15\00:21:29.45
No sacrifice could be
offered for the forgiveness
00:21:29.48\00:21:32.72
of murder and adultery.
00:21:32.75\00:21:35.69
But then he
hopes that this hyssop
00:21:35.72\00:21:38.49
somehow would cleanse
him of this leprosy of sin
00:21:38.53\00:21:42.10
and unite him back with God.
00:21:42.13\00:21:45.57
>>Eric: How can we be more
appreciative of God's mercy
00:21:45.60\00:21:50.77
in our lives? It's
there; it's available to us.
00:21:50.81\00:21:55.11
Maybe we don't always
avail ourselves of it.
00:21:55.14\00:21:57.61
Sometimes we stew
in our own juices,
00:21:57.65\00:22:00.38
as we might say, and
we're in a downward spiral
00:22:00.42\00:22:03.18
of "Oh, woe is me."
00:22:03.22\00:22:05.05
But the mercy is
there, and if we want to go,
00:22:05.09\00:22:07.99
as David did, it's available.
00:22:08.02\00:22:10.73
So how do we
avail ourselves of that,
00:22:10.76\00:22:13.83
to reap the benefits
that God wants us to reap?
00:22:13.86\00:22:17.27
>>Dragoslava: Yes, first of all,
I believe we need to get to know
00:22:17.30\00:22:21.47
what God's mercy is
and how wonderful it is
00:22:21.50\00:22:25.11
and how available and
freely it is given in us
00:22:25.14\00:22:29.11
in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
00:22:29.14\00:22:31.28
That's why I appeal to
all of us to read the Psalms
00:22:31.31\00:22:35.05
and feed on them and
find God's mercy in them
00:22:35.08\00:22:39.22
and surround them--
00:22:39.25\00:22:40.72
surround ourselves
with His wonderful promises.
00:22:40.76\00:22:44.09
I would like to share, Eric,
00:22:44.13\00:22:45.63
one wonderful
quote that one author,
00:22:45.66\00:22:49.26
he puts it very
nicely, and he says,
00:22:49.30\00:22:52.23
"Not to praise God would mean
00:22:52.27\00:22:54.80
to forget all His benefits,
not to appreciate God's gifts."
00:22:54.84\00:23:00.14
In order to really
appreciate and have this mercy
00:23:00.18\00:23:03.68
in our lives, we
need to praise God more.
00:23:03.71\00:23:07.72
And many psalms invite
us, like Psalm 113, 123,
00:23:07.75\00:23:12.79
to praise God
in order to embrace
00:23:12.82\00:23:16.16
and appreciate His mercy.
00:23:16.19\00:23:18.53
And then this author continues:
00:23:18.56\00:23:21.20
"Only those who
praise do not forget."
00:23:21.23\00:23:24.80
Now, this is interesting.
00:23:24.83\00:23:26.47
"Thinking and speaking about
God is not yet praising Him.
00:23:26.50\00:23:33.14
"Praise begins
when [we] acknowledge
00:23:33.17\00:23:35.88
"God's majesty
and works and respond
00:23:35.91\00:23:39.15
"with adoration of His goodness,
00:23:39.18\00:23:41.25
mercy, and wisdom."
00:23:41.28\00:23:43.25
Therefore, to appreciate mercy,
00:23:43.28\00:23:45.25
we should not
just think about it.
00:23:45.29\00:23:47.92
We should speak about
it and share with others
00:23:47.96\00:23:51.66
the words of mercy, and
we see that in the Psalms.
00:23:51.69\00:23:55.50
It's very, very prominent:
00:23:55.53\00:23:57.10
"I shall tell my brothers
of how God was gracious to me."
00:23:57.13\00:24:01.70
Also what I like to do
is surround my living space
00:24:01.74\00:24:07.28
with reminders of God's mercy.
00:24:07.31\00:24:09.88
So there are so many
Psalms and verses in the Psalms
00:24:09.91\00:24:14.55
and the Bible
that speak about mercy.
00:24:14.58\00:24:17.65
I like to write them
down or print and I glue them
00:24:17.69\00:24:22.89
near my desk, at
my kitchen cabinet,
00:24:22.92\00:24:26.46
on my bathroom door or mirror.
00:24:26.49\00:24:29.73
And sometimes I
change so my family
00:24:29.76\00:24:32.57
always gets these new reminders
of God's mercy, surrounding,
00:24:32.60\00:24:38.04
praising God
more, sharing about it.
00:24:38.07\00:24:41.78
>>Eric: So,
experiencing God's mercy
00:24:41.81\00:24:43.65
is not just an
intellectual exercise.
00:24:43.68\00:24:47.28
It's not just going,
"Yes, I believe it exists."
00:24:47.32\00:24:50.15
But when we put--when our lives
practice that in tangible ways,
00:24:50.19\00:24:56.49
we receive more of the benefits,
00:24:56.52\00:24:58.43
and maybe I could
say we believe it more.
00:24:58.46\00:25:02.46
It becomes more real to us.
00:25:02.50\00:25:04.93
So, putting remembrances
up, notes and so forth,
00:25:04.97\00:25:08.17
sharing with others--
00:25:08.20\00:25:09.50
any other things that we can do
00:25:09.54\00:25:10.94
to kind of make
God's mercy more--
00:25:10.97\00:25:15.21
well, we don't
make it more real,
00:25:15.24\00:25:16.28
but we recognize its
reality a little more
00:25:16.31\00:25:19.25
in our day-to-day lives.
00:25:19.28\00:25:20.65
What are some other things that
we might do to reflect on that?
00:25:20.68\00:25:23.52
>>Dragoslava:
Yes, well, I would say
00:25:23.55\00:25:25.62
showing mercy to others
00:25:25.65\00:25:28.49
is also a way to cherish
God's mercy in our lives.
00:25:28.52\00:25:33.70
As Jesus would say,
00:25:33.73\00:25:35.26
"Do to others what
you would them do to you,"
00:25:35.30\00:25:40.07
but I would also say,
00:25:40.10\00:25:41.60
"Do to others what
God has done to you."
00:25:41.64\00:25:45.01
If God has shown
mercy to you in your life,
00:25:45.04\00:25:48.68
in order to glorify and
praise and celebrate this mercy,
00:25:48.71\00:25:53.72
we are called to show
mercy to others as well.
00:25:53.75\00:25:57.62
>>Eric: So take just a minute
or two and share with somebody
00:25:57.65\00:26:01.19
who's trying to think
of how they can experience
00:26:01.22\00:26:04.83
God's mercy more deeply.
00:26:04.86\00:26:06.66
They haven't felt the mercy;
they haven't experienced it.
00:26:06.70\00:26:09.90
What would you tell that person?
00:26:09.93\00:26:12.80
>>Dragoslava: Well, I
would like to remind you
00:26:12.83\00:26:15.00
of one wonderful
text in Matthew 10,
00:26:15.04\00:26:18.81
where Jesus said,
00:26:18.84\00:26:20.48
"But the very hairs of
your head are all numbered."
00:26:20.51\00:26:26.68
Now, Psalm 56
says another thing:
00:26:26.72\00:26:31.22
"You number"-- speaking of God--
00:26:31.25\00:26:33.96
"You number my wanderings;
00:26:33.99\00:26:36.22
"[You] put my
tears into Your bottle;
00:26:36.26\00:26:39.73
are they not in Your book?"
00:26:39.76\00:26:42.80
What I find here very inspiring,
that God's mercy is so deep
00:26:42.83\00:26:49.77
that it knows
everything about us.
00:26:49.80\00:26:52.74
It reaches
deeply into our being,
00:26:52.77\00:26:55.74
and these are wonderful,
heartwarming expressions
00:26:55.78\00:26:59.08
that even our
tears, God collects them,
00:26:59.11\00:27:01.85
that God knows them.
00:27:01.88\00:27:03.18
He sees all our wanderings.
00:27:03.22\00:27:05.95
In His mercy, He
sees you; He sees me.
00:27:05.99\00:27:10.16
We are called to trust in Him.
00:27:10.19\00:27:12.49
He's coming. He will
deliver us. He is there for us.
00:27:12.53\00:27:16.53
All our wanderings and
tears are noted in His book.
00:27:16.56\00:27:21.04
He will never, never forget us.
00:27:21.07\00:27:24.17
>>Eric: Slava, thank you
for helping us to understand
00:27:24.21\00:27:26.11
God's mercy just a
little bit better today.
00:27:26.14\00:27:28.74
And we hope that
you have experienced
00:27:28.78\00:27:31.08
God's mercy, and if you haven't,
00:27:31.11\00:27:32.71
we hope that you will
experience in a very real way
00:27:32.75\00:27:36.05
in the coming
weeks and months ahead.
00:27:36.08\00:27:38.19
And we will look
forward to seeing you again
00:27:38.22\00:27:40.12
next week as we continue
our study of the book of Psalms.
00:27:40.16\00:27:43.79
This has been "Sabbath School,"
00:27:43.83\00:27:45.13
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:27:45.16\00:27:46.80
¤¤¤
00:27:46.83\00:27:50.80
¤¤¤
00:28:23.97\00:28:26.94
[Captions provided by Aberdeen
Captioning www.abercap.com]
00:28:26.97\00:28:29.80