Proverbs Pt. 49 The Merciful Man

Today we learn about another ideal person set before us by King Solomon. This is the merciful man. This man is the male counterpart to the gracious woman we studied in the last post. 

The Merciful Man

Proverbs 11:17  The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh. 18) The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward. 19) As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death. 20) They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight. 21) Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. 

King Solomon introduced the merciful man to his son. The merciful man stands in contrast to the wicked, evil, froward man and as such, the merciful man is set forth as an ideal man that all men should desire to be like. He does good to his own soul, which is the idea of finding satisfaction in loving and serving God and his neighbors. 

The merciful man has received the righteousness of God which is by faith in Christ. He receives the sure reward of eternal life and a home in heaven. The merciful man tends to life, which is the idea of choosing to live for the glory of God and to love his neighbors. The merciful man is a delight to the One, True God of heaven. He will experience the ultimate deliverance that Jesus Christ brings to the repentant sinner and his eternal density is secure in Christ.  

Mercy & Grace: The beauty of Salvation is all of God!

Mercy and grace are two beautiful sides of salvation and both are on display in the following text.

Ephesians 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6)  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7)  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9) Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

God is rich in mercy. He has an inexhaustible supply and He will always extend mercy to those of humble hearts and contrite spirits. He loved us even when we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). When we were dead in sins God imparted spiritual life into our souls when we turned in repentant faith, to Jesus Christ. Salvation is grace based not works based.

The benefits of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ are eternal in scope. The Father raises up each believer together with all born again believers and we are with Christ in heaven. God promises to lavishly shower the riches of His grace upon us throughout the ages to come. In addition, we learn that God has a plan for us to walk in, to pursue and be involved with good works that glorify Christ as long as we live in the physical here and now. 

Grace is the tender love of God that was willing to sacrifice His Son, Jesus Christ in our place. Grace means that God made His Son the perfect Lamb of God to pay for all mankind's sins. Grace means that God is satisfied with Christ's work on the cross and the enmity between man and God has been put aside. Grace means that the Father will save all who come to Him through faith is Jesus Christ. Grace then, is God granting us salvation not by works, that we do not deserve and cannot possibly earn. Salvation is the free gift of God offered to all mankind through His grace.

Mercy & Grace flow from the Father to all who trust Christ. 

Psalm 103:8-13  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9) He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10) He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11) For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13) Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 

Jehovah is slow to anger and this is how the believer should be in responding to those who sin against him. The Father is full of mercy and grace and these traits should be evident in our attitude toward others. Notice the text tells us that God has not dealt with us according to what we deserve for our sins. This is mercy. He removes our sins from us as far as the East is removed from the West. This is mercy and grace.

Mercy is when God treats each repentant sinner far better than he or she deserves. The Father forgives repentant sinners because He is merciful. The Father is willing to forgive us because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He is the one offended by our sin and yet He will forgive us because of Christ. 

Mercy is when the guilt and death penalty that we rightfully deserve for all our sins, is wiped out, taken away and removed. In the courtroom of heaven, the Father pronounces the repentant sinner to be washed clean through the blood of Christ, and He imputes the righteousness of His Son to our account. 

Mercy means that God provided the permanent, final covering for our sins and that He will confer eternal life on the believer. Mercy is God withholding the punishment that we rightfully deserve because He has adopted us into His family through the new birth. 

The sinner troubles his own flesh which means he will reap the sin that he sows in this life. He will suffer from the consequences of his own sins and transgressions. He will ruin whatever relationships with others that he has. He will stand at the judgment seat of Christ dead in trespasses and sins. 

The wicked do not want to change their trajectory of life. They will pursue their evil ways until they die. They are full of lies and deception and they have ungovernable hearts. God's Word declares that such wicked people will be punished for their sins.  

Thoughts to Ponder...

Matthew 5:7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 

Luke 6:35-36  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36) Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 

The merciful man is one who is keenly aware of how tenderly and wonderfully God treats him through salvation by Jesus Christ. The merciful man is that way because he received mercy from God. 

Christ takes this further and tells us to love our enemies. Why? Because the Father loved us while we were dead in sins and were still His enemies. Therefore, we are to be merciful to others, even our enemies, even as the Father is merciful to us.  

The ideal of a gracious woman and a merciful man are in the scripture so that we might learn and follow the example set before us. 

Do we forgive those who trespass against us?

Do we forgive our enemies?

Do we show mercy toward those who do not show mercy toward us? 

These questions show us that when we fully understand the grace and mercy of man, it will have a powerful impact upon the way that we live. 

May the God of all grace help us see how blessed we are to receive His grace and mercy and may He fill our hearts with this truth, so that we respond with grace and mercy even to our enemies. 

Bob