(You can see how long it took to finish this entry)
* I know this verse in context refers to those who have the gift of mercy. However, I don’t believe God wants to limit each exhortation found in Romans 12:6-8 to only the gifted. The one without this gift cannot say, " I don't have this gift, so I don't have to show mercy." The one with this gift cannot say, “I don’t have to cheerful when being merciful, it is my duty.” I think Paul had in mind (and God of course) that when one is gifted, their ability and opportunity is heightened and it is easy for one to grow weary, disheartened, lax, hardened. They will do it out of obligation and not love.
Note how the Message paraphrases this passage:
The word “disadvantaged” may be too limiting here but what follows in the verse illustrates what I am saying.
The one not gifted still should follow this instruction when he/she shows mercy. Those gifted are examples for others to follow. If you read the rest of the chapter, you will see Paul making a broader application to all believers.
WORD:
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Ps 28:1-29:1
28 To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. 2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
NIV
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Ps 28
28 1 I pray to you, O Lord, my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die. 2 Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary
NLT
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Ps 28
A Psalm of David.
28 Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.
KJV
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Ps 28
28 To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. 2 Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
ESV
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I. Minor Key
A. Pleas (vv. 1- 3)
1. Hear Me! - v. 1
2. Have Mercy! – v. 2a
3. Help! – v. 2b
B. Imprecation (vv. 4-5)
II. Major Key
A. Praise (vv. 6-8)
B. Supplication (v. 9)
David’s Pleas:
1. Hear Me!
2. Have Mercy
We have looked at the character of David’s plea – humble and urgent and impassioned. That is how he prayed. Next, we need to look at what he prayed for. First, in general, and then the particulars.
This character is continued and contained in the word “supplications” (KJV, NASB, HCSB) or “mercy” (NIV, NLT, ESV). Supplications is a literal translation of the Hebrew Word taµ¦nûnîm.
Webster defines supplication as:
intransitive verb: to make a humble entreaty especially: to pray to God
transitive verb1: to ask humbly and earnestly of
2: to ask for earnestly and humbly
Synonyms: appeal (to), beg, beseech, besiege, entreat, implore, importune, petition, plead (to), pray, solicithttps://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supplicate
Translating it this way may give us the tone of his prayer, but is that all the word conveys?
If we consult a simple Hebrew dictionary like Strong’s, we might come away wondering why translations like the NIV, NLT, and ESV are different. Are they reading too much into the word?
OT:8469 /Wnj&T^ tachanuwn (takh-an-oon'); or (feminine) tachanuwnah (takh-an-oo-naw'); from OT:2603; earnest prayer:KJV - entreaty, supplication.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006, 2010 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
That’s why it is good to check other resources as well. Here are two more resources that give us some more insight into this word. They bear witness to the fact that David is not only earnestly praying, but earnestly praying for something. In this case, it is for mercy.
(OT:8469Wnj&T taµnûn: A masculine noun meaning supplication. The word refers to asking for favor and is used in a comparison of a rich man with a poor man. The rich man answers harshly, while the poor man pleads for mercy (Prov 18:23). Daniel used the word to indicate how he turned to the Lord in a prayer of petition, i.e., he pleaded with Him in prayers of petition with fasting and in sackcloth and ashes (Dan 9:3). He also called to God to hear the prayers and petitions of His servant (Dan 9:17). The noun was also used by the psalmist, who made a plea to God to hear his cry for mercy (Ps 28:2; 31:22[:23 ]; 86:6).(from The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament Copyright © 2003 by AMG Publishers. All rights reserved.)
t®µinnâ . supplication, mercy. The word occurs twenty-four times and means a prayer for grace on all but two occasions when it means "mercy." Half of all the occurrences appear in Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8-9; 2 Chron 6).
In Josh 11:20 t®µinnâ designates the "mercy" of the victor for the vanquished, and in Ezra 9:8 Yahweh's "grace" (KJV) or "mercy" (NAB) for the remnant of his people. In both cases the LXX has eleos "mercy."
taµ¦nûn. Always used in the plural taµ¦nûnîm . Supplications. Similar in general to the preceding but representing less a formal entreaty (used only once in 2 Chron 6:21 in Solomon's prayer) than the outpourings of a troubled soul; used in parallel to "weepings" in Jer 3:21; Jer 31:9. It is used seven times in the Psalms, all except once in the phrase qôl taµ¦nûnay "the voice of my supplications" (KJV), "my cry for mercy" (NEB).
(from Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Copyright © 1980 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)
Interestingly, the Septuagint (the Greek version of the OT) does not use the Greek word eleos (mercy) in this passage, but the word deesis which has more to do with entreaty or asking for help. Nevertheless, in this context, and in keeping with how this word is used throughout the Psalms, it would seem appropriate to translate it with the idea of mercy or favor.
Regardless of whether you prefer “supplications” or “mercy,” I believe the intensity of this word is well captured by the NIV’s “cry for mercy.” However, even better is the ESV’s “pleas for mercy.” This maintains the plurality and passion of the original Hebrew Word. It also tells us that this psalm was not David’s first go around with God on this matter.
When I was in Bible college, I heard that grace was getting what you don’t deserve, and mercy was not getting what you do deserve. This is true so far as it goes, but the distinction between the two is not so cut and dry. Often the distinction is not so clear.
Note what the Holman Bible Dictionary says under the heading of Mercy:
MERCY
It is difficult to draw precise distinctions between the various words used in the Old Testament for God's mercy and grace. Racham, chesed, and chanan all refer to the one gracious, forgiving, loving God who is forever faithful in reaching out to His people in their need. Nowhere is their interrelatedness more evident than in the following recurrent Old Testament liturgy which combines all three: "God is merciful (racham) and gracious (chana), slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (chesed) and faithfulness" (Ex 34:6; Num 14:18; Neh 9:17; Ps 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2).
(from Holman Bible Dictionary. Copyright © 1991 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.)
The word Chesed is often translated as mercy in the KJV. The Septuagint used the word eleos (mercy) when translating this word. Therefore, the distinction in the OT is not precise.
In the NT the words become more specific in their use. However, the distinction does not mean they are unrelated.
Again, I quote the Holman Bible Dictionary:
MERCY
As with the Old Testament, the New Testament treatment of God's mercy cannot be separated from His love, His grace, and His faithfulness. They are all part of the same fabric. The difference, of course, is that the New Testament writers had come to see the mercy of God in a much brighter light in the face of Jesus Christ.(from Holman Bible Dictionary. Copyright © 1991 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.)
In Berkhof’s Systematic Theology, he has grace and mercy under the heading of the Goodness of God, along with love and longsuffering. He defines these two words this way (the numbers and headings are mine):
1. Grace:
The Bible generally uses the word to denote the unmerited goodness or love of God to those who have forfeited it, and are by nature under a sentence of condemnation. The grace of God is the source of all spiritual blessings that are bestowed upon sinners.
2. Mercy:
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It may be defined as the goodness or love of God shown to those who are in misery or distress, irrespective of their deserts. In His mercy God reveals Himself as a compassionate God, who pities those who are in misery and is ever ready to relieve their distress.
(from Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2012 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
The depths of our misery can never fall below the depths of mercy. —Sibbes.
(from New Cyclopedia of Prose Illustrations. Biblesoft Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2015 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
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He distinguishes these two words this way:
If the grace of God contemplates man as guilty before God, and therefore in need of forgiveness, the mercy of God contemplates him as one who is bearing the consequences of sin, who is in a pitiable condition, and who therefore needs divine help.(from Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2012 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
We see these words used in the same passage in both the Old (see first note from HBD above) and the New Testament.
Ex 34:6
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness...
ESV
William A. VanGemeren references this verse when commenting on Psalm 28:2:
The word taµnûnay (“my supplication,” “my prayer for mercy”) is related to the word “gracious,” “merciful” (µannûn), one of the attributes of the Lord (cf. Exod 34:6)(The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 5, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Copyright 1991, p. 250)
Eph 2:4-6
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.
NIV
Perhaps then, we can say there is grace in mercy and mercy in grace. As with all of God’s moral attributes (or better – Perfections!), each one can be considered in themselves but work in unity with each other. So we can say that God is love and He is holy, and He loves with holy love. He is the truth, and He expresses His truth in love and holiness.
Therefore, David is crying out for mercy. He knows God is a gracious God and has demonstrated His steadfast love towards him in the past and being a faithful God will not abandon Him.
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Witness:
This is a season of crying out for God’s mercy.
My daughter’s back is hurting causing her to miss work. At my place of employment, I made a big blunder and forgot to charge someone for their fuel resulting in a shortage of $400. If I can’t recover it, I will be written up. Two of my sons are living with someone out of wedlock. My other daughter struggles with health issues and work issues. I am burdened in some ways for all my children. The depression from separation from my wife dogs me daily.
In all this I know I must praise Him, and give Him thanks!
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
1 Chron 16:34 KJV
His mercy! There is a twofold aspect of mercy in Scripture.
The first is vertical, and it is monodirectional.
It always flows down from God to us and never the other way around. Mercy is a gracious gift from our steadfast, unchanging Father.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17 NIV
Note: This truth is so pervasive in the Scriptures, I need not cite any specific one demonstrating this fact. One needs only to consult a Bible Concordance on the word “mercy” to see this truth.
The second aspect is horizontal and bidirectional.
It is the mercy we show towards each other in light of the mercy we have received from the Lord.
· It is a prominent aspect of the parable our Lord told in Matthew 18:21-35 about the unmerciful servant:
Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?
Matt 18:33 NIV
· It is required of His followers:
He has shown all you people what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Mic 6:8 TNIV
(See also Matt 9:13; 12:7; 23:23; Luke 10:37, James 1:27)
· It is done with joy:
showing mercy, with cheerfulness. *
Rom 12:8 HCSB
· It is filled with blessings:
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Matt 5:7 NIV
· It is fraught with warnings:
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
James 2:12-13 NIV
In all this, remember again that it is a gift of God.
· It is a product of wisdom that God gives:
Ø Which bears fruit in our lives –
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
James 3:17 NIV
Ø And results in worship –
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV
I close this long entry with a rather lengthy quote. Read it, then reread it. If you get nothing else out of what I’ve said remember what follows. Rejoice in it and be moved to live in light of it.
MERCY
Mercy is in the air which we breathe, the daily light which shines upon us, the gracious rain of God's inheritance. It is the public spring for all the thirsty, the common hospital for all the needy. All the streets of the church are paved with these stones. What would become of the children if there were not these breasts of consolation? It is mercy that takes us out of the womb, feeds us in the days of our pilgrimage, furnishes us with spiritual provision, closes our eyes in peace, and translates us to a secure resting-place. It is the first petitioner's suit, and the first believer's article, the contemplation of Enoch, the confidence of Abraham, the burden of the prophetic songs, and the glory of all the apostles, the plea of the penitent, the ecstasies of the reconciled, the believer's Hosanna, the angel's Hallelujah. Ordinances, oracles, altars, pulpits, the gates of the grave, and the gates of heaven, do all depend upon mercy. It is the load-star of the wandering, the ransom of the captive, the antidote of the tempted, the prophet of the living, and the effectual comfort of the dying: there would not be one regenerate saint upon earth, nor one glorified saint in heaven, if it were not for mercy.
(from New Cyclopedia of Prose Illustrations. Biblesoft Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2015 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Therefore, do not grow weary in pleading for mercy, nor faint in practicing it!
Note how the Message paraphrases this passage:
Rom 12:8
... if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
The word “disadvantaged” may be too limiting here but what follows in the verse illustrates what I am saying.
The one not gifted still should follow this instruction when he/she shows mercy. Those gifted are examples for others to follow. If you read the rest of the chapter, you will see Paul making a broader application to all believers.
Note also what Vines has to say about the word translated “cheerfully” (I show only the pertinent parts):
B. Adjectives.
2. hilaros (i(laro/$, NT:2431), from hileos, "propitious," signifies that readiness of mind, that joyousness, which is prompt to do anything; hence, "cheerful" (Eng., "hilarious"), 2 Cor 9:7, "God loveth a cheerful (hilarious) giver."
D. Noun.
hilarotes (i(laro/th$, NT:2432), "cheerfulness" (akin to B, No. 2), is used in Rom 12:8, in connection with showing mercy.(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Worship:
VERSE 1
O God, we come before Your throne
And in our weakness, we confess
We go astray and sin each day;
We cast ourselves upon Your grace
O Lord, have mercy on us,
Sinners in need of grace
Forgive us our transgressions
And lead us in Your righteous ways
God, lead us in Your righteous ways
VERSE 2
The blood You shed has paid our debts;
Jesus, You’ve washed our sins away
We trust Your grace, believe by faith
In You, we have all righteousness
O Lord, You’ve shown us mercy;
Sinners are washed as saints
You’ve shown Your loving-kindness;
Sons of disgrace are righteous made
Sons of disgrace are righteous made
VERSE 3
We fix our eyes on You, our prize
Jesus, the Author of our faith
Till You return or bring us home
You strengthen us to run the race
O Lord, forever faithful
All glory to Your Name!
We have no other Savior
Our great Redeemer, God, and King
Jesus, Redeemer, God, and King
Music by Marc Willerton, Words by Marc Willerton and Jordan Kauflin © 2017 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)/Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)
O God, we come before Your throne
And in our weakness, we confess
We go astray and sin each day;
We cast ourselves upon Your grace
O Lord, have mercy on us,
Sinners in need of grace
Forgive us our transgressions
And lead us in Your righteous ways
God, lead us in Your righteous ways
VERSE 2
The blood You shed has paid our debts;
Jesus, You’ve washed our sins away
We trust Your grace, believe by faith
In You, we have all righteousness
O Lord, You’ve shown us mercy;
Sinners are washed as saints
You’ve shown Your loving-kindness;
Sons of disgrace are righteous made
Sons of disgrace are righteous made
VERSE 3
We fix our eyes on You, our prize
Jesus, the Author of our faith
Till You return or bring us home
You strengthen us to run the race
O Lord, forever faithful
All glory to Your Name!
We have no other Savior
Our great Redeemer, God, and King
Jesus, Redeemer, God, and King
Music by Marc Willerton, Words by Marc Willerton and Jordan Kauflin © 2017 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)/Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)
Video: https://youtu.be/qgUzA9EuC9E
