Participants:
Series Code: IIWSS
Program Code: IIWSS024007S
|
00:01 ♪♪♪
00:11 ♪♪♪ 00:15 >>Eric Flickinger: Welcome to "Sabbath School," 00:16 brought to you by It Is Written. 00:18 We're glad that you could join us again this week. 00:20 This is week number 7. We're looking this week at 00:23 "Your Mercy Reaches Unto the Heavens," 00:26 spending some time looking at God's mercy in the Psalms. 00:30 Let's begin today with prayer. 00:32 Father, thank You for Your mercy. 00:34 And as we spend time in the Psalms today, 00:37 we ask that You'll help us to understand 00:39 Your mercy more clearly: 00:40 what it is, and what it isn't, 00:42 and why we can be so grateful for it. 00:45 We thank You in Jesus' name, amen. 00:48 Well, we're happy once again to welcome 00:50 the author of this quarter's "Sabbath School" lesson, 00:53 Dr. Dragoslava Santrac. 00:54 She has a PhD in Old Testament and is incredibly passionate 00:59 about the book of Psalms and is generous enough 01:01 to share that passion with us here each week. 01:04 Slava, thank you for being with us again. 01:06 >>Dragoslava Santrac: I'm delighted to be here. 01:08 >>Eric: Now, this week, lesson 7, 01:09 we're taking a look at God's mercy. 01:11 Last week, we looked at God's judgment. 01:15 Is it by coincidence that we are looking at mercy 01:18 this week when we looked at judgment last week? 01:21 My guess is, probably not. 01:22 >>Dragoslava: Certainly not. 01:24 You see, when we speak about the judgment, 01:27 and although we stress the aspect 01:30 of the good news of it, 01:33 judgment as salvation and deliverance, 01:36 still the judgment has another side of the coin, 01:41 which is instilling in us the constant awareness 01:45 of God's holiness and His righteousness. 01:49 And like the psalmist, 01:51 we may feel, like in Psalm 143, verse 2, 01:57 that we do not want to appear at that judgment. 02:01 And look what the psalmist says: "Do not enter into judgment 02:06 "with Your servant, 02:07 for in Your sight no...living is righteous." 02:12 We realize, like the psalmist, that we have nothing good 02:16 living in us, that we have nothing 02:18 to offer to God as a prerogative 02:22 to make us have peace in the day of His judgment. 02:26 And that's why the message of the judgment in the Psalms 02:30 is always accompanied with the message of God's mercy, 02:35 because it is God's mercy that brings this hope 02:40 in God's judgments and makes it good news. 02:43 And some people may find this verse I just read 02:47 to be contradictory with some other texts 02:50 in the Psalms where the psalmist 02:53 welcomes God's scrutiny and judgment and tells God, 02:58 "Judge me," and claims his innocence. 03:01 Are these texts really contradictory? 03:04 Well, they speak about two aspects of the same thing. 03:08 The Psalms where the psalmists are confident in their innocence 03:13 and call on God to judge them are one side, 03:17 and the other side is this one 03:19 when we do not want to be judged, 03:21 because they underline the truth 03:24 that righteousness is not our prerogative, 03:28 our natural prerogative, 03:30 but it is the gift of God's mercy 03:33 that He gives to His child in a covenantal relationship. 03:38 So, yes, we can have innocence and righteousness, 03:42 but only as we receive that as the gift of God's mercy. 03:47 And that's why the message of mercy follows the judgment, 03:51 because in order to have peace and salvation 03:54 at the time of judgment, 03:56 we need to receive the gift of righteousness 03:59 by God's mercy and grace. 04:01 >>Eric: So God's mercy is a complement to His judgment 04:05 or His justice. 04:06 There would be no hope without the mercy. 04:09 We'd be looking at salvation by works, 04:11 and we would all fall far short in that department. 04:14 But there is God's mercy here and we see it, and that's, 04:17 this week, what we're delving into. 04:19 When we look at the Psalms, what exactly is God's mercy 04:23 'cause there are some people who describe God's mercy 04:25 as His compassion, His graciousness. 04:28 Is that accurate? 04:31 Is that all there is to God's mercy? 04:34 How would we describe God's mercy in the Psalms 04:37 as we see it there? 04:38 >>Dragoslava: Yes, God's mercy is certainly what you mentioned: 04:41 compassion, care, love, 04:44 taking pity on those who are weak and needy. 04:48 However, there is one aspect of God's mercy 04:53 that's highlighted in the Psalms and is very, very important. 04:57 In Psalm 136, for example, we will read that God's mercy 05:06 is actually His loyalty or His faithfulness. 05:11 I like the word "loyalty," that God is loyal 05:14 to His covenant and therefore to His children. 05:18 That's why He is a merciful God, and His mercy accompanies 05:23 His judgment because, 05:25 in the covenantal relationship with God, 05:27 we receive His loyalty with His mercy 05:31 that makes us withstand the judgment 05:34 and come out of that judgment victorious. 05:38 So, Psalm 136 has this wonderful verse: 05:45 "For His mercy endures forever." 05:48 It's a sort of a refrain or a chorus in this song, 05:53 and it's mentioned 26 times: "His mercy endures forever." 05:59 Now, we may ask, "How do we know that His mercy endures forever?" 06:03 And the psalmist tells us in the first nine verses: 06:07 Look at the Creation. 06:09 God created the world, but not just that. 06:13 He also sustains the world. 06:16 Last night, Eric, when we went to sleep, 06:18 we weren't aware of the world while dreaming or sleeping. 06:23 We were not aware, but then in the morning 06:26 we woke up, and awareness returned to us. 06:29 God is the one who restores each morning, 06:32 like the sun that He brings. He sustains the world; 06:35 therefore He's loyal to His works of creation. 06:39 Then from verses 10 maybe up to 22, 06:44 the psalmist shares various examples 06:49 of God's enduring mercy in history, 06:53 in His great acts of salvation, to various events, 06:58 starting with Exodus and the parting of the Red Sea 07:03 and other events that testify to God's people 07:07 of God's loyalty or mercy that endures in history. 07:12 And here are the evidences of that. 07:15 And then finally, in verse 23 and on, 07:19 "who remembered us in our lawless state." 07:24 So therefore, it is not just God of the past who helped them, 07:29 who was loyal to them, 07:30 but the Lord also remembers us in our state wherever we are. 07:37 And here is His loyalty to us as well. 07:40 Isn't His loyalty and mercy wonderful? 07:43 >>Eric: It is, and this helps us 07:44 to understand that a little bit more. 07:46 What He's done in the past in His creative works, 07:50 what He's done in the past historically, 07:53 and then connecting with us today. 07:57 It seems like there may be some people 07:59 who have a smaller idea of what God's mercy is, 08:03 but this really expands it to help us understand who He is, 08:07 and that mercy is a part of His character 08:10 and has been since, well, forever. 08:13 And that's a picture of a God who is a loving God, 08:18 a just God--we'd looked at judgment last time-- 08:22 but a merciful God. 08:24 And that mercy, the history of mercy, 08:27 should be a help to those who wonder, 08:30 and there are many today who wonder, 08:32 "How can I be saved? I've done this. 08:35 "I haven't done that that I should have done. 08:38 "I said this to someone. I did that to someone. 08:41 "How can I possibly-- how could God save me? 08:45 You know, I'm a terrible person." 08:47 Yeah, well, the truth is we're all terrible people. 08:50 We've all done those things. But this mercy, 08:53 these stories of mercy in the Psalms, 08:55 should give us hope. 08:57 Are there any other passages that you could think of 09:01 that might be encouraging to someone 09:03 who's going through something like that? 09:05 >>Dragoslava: Yes, well, I love the memory text for this week 09:09 in Psalm 57:9. "I will praise You, O Lord, 09:13 "among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. 09:17 "For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, 09:21 And Your truth unto the clouds." 09:24 "Your mercy reaches unto the heavens." 09:26 Is there a limit to the heavens? 09:30 There isn't. 09:32 There is no limit to God's mercy. 09:35 And that's a great, wonderful encouragement for us. 09:38 You mentioned people who worry about their salvation, 09:42 who worry about, "Haven't I done enough? 09:46 Have I forgotten to do something?" 09:49 These are not the questions that God wants us to ask ourselves. 09:54 I would tell people, "Ask yourself, 09:57 "'Have I done something to make my heart continue beating? 10:02 Have I done enough things to make my lungs breathe?'" 10:05 You see, breathing is something 10:07 that God gives us as His gift. Life is His gift. 10:13 His mercy, which is limitless, is His gift to us. 10:17 And the questions that we should ask instead 10:21 is, where do I look? Where do I turn in my life? 10:26 Do I look to self? 10:28 Do I look to other people, circumstances? 10:30 Or do I look up to God? 10:32 Do I search for the evidence of His greatness 10:36 and give Him the due glory that belongs to His name? 10:41 >>Eric: So the fact that we are alive, 10:43 the fact that we're breathing, 10:44 the fact that our heart is beating 10:46 is evidence of the grace of God because without His grace 10:51 we simply would not be; none of us would be. 10:55 And so, I'm alive; you're alive; 10:57 around the world there are people 10:59 who are living and breathing because of God's mercy 11:04 and God's grace. 11:05 And so, if we should find ourselves wondering 11:08 whether God loves us or wants to save us 11:11 or if we're heading in the right direction or not, 11:15 we can stop and just say, 11:16 well, A, I'm breathing; B, my heart is beating; 11:20 and C, I'm concerned. 11:23 And if I'm concerned, that means that God is at work in my heart, 11:26 in my mind and leading me, drawing me 11:29 through His Spirit in the right direction. 11:32 So if somebody's feeling that, sensing that, 11:34 how would you encourage them to keep moving forward? 11:37 >>Dragoslava: Yes, yes, to do exactly that. 11:40 As you said, if someone is concerned, 11:43 it means that God is working on your heart. 11:46 It means that God wants to draw you closer to Himself. 11:51 And that's why the Psalm 136 ends with, 11:56 "Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!" 12:00 So it is God who remembers us, 12:03 and our response is to take up the cup of salvation. 12:07 The psalmist says, "What shall I render"-- 12:09 what shall I give back--"to God 12:11 "for all His mercy and wonderful things? 12:13 I will take that cup of salvation"--meaning, 12:16 I will not refuse His mercy. 12:19 I will embrace it and allow God to do His work in me. 12:24 And my work will be to respond to Him 12:27 with giving thanks to God 12:30 and not to worry about things that are not in my power. 12:34 Because, frankly, there are so many 12:37 much simpler things that we cannot do for ourselves. 12:41 And God did not ask us 12:43 to take care of our own salvation. 12:46 He is the Savior. 12:48 Our responsibility is to take that cup and drink it, 12:53 embrace it, allow mercy to work its way in us, 12:58 according to God's will. 12:59 >>Eric: And those are encouraging words for all of us. 13:03 And if you are interested in hearing 13:04 some more encouraging words from the Psalms, 13:06 make sure that you pick up 13:08 the companion book 13:09 for this quarter's "Sabbath School" lesson. 13:11 It's, of course, on the book of Psalms. 13:13 You can find it at itiswritten.shop. 13:16 Again, that's itiswritten.shop. 13:18 The author is Dr. Martin Klingbeil, 13:21 and you will be blessed as you delve into the pages 13:23 of the companion book for this quarter's lesson. 13:26 We're going to be right back in just a moment or two 13:28 as we continue taking a look at this week's lesson. 13:32 We'll be right back. 13:33 ♪♪♪ 13:38 >>John Bradshaw: Many people believe 13:40 they'll never be good enough 13:41 to be saved from sin and go to heaven. 13:45 Jesus spoke to this during His time on earth, 13:47 often using seeds to explain the science of salvation. 13:52 Join me for "Seedtime and Harvest." 13:55 You'll gain rich insights 13:57 into the work of the grace of God 13:59 and how the principles of heaven work in your life. 14:03 You'll learn how tiny seeds can grow to become 14:05 some of the wonders of the natural world, 14:08 demonstrating that the seed of the Word of God 14:12 can grow into something truly remarkable in your life. 14:17 Join me as I travel to the Show-Me State. 14:20 I'll speak with experts and uncover the powerful principles 14:24 and promises of the Bible that will change your life. 14:29 "Seedtime and Harvest," 14:32 brought to you by It Is Written TV. 14:37 ♪♪♪ 14:41 >>Eric: Welcome back to "Sabbath School," 14:43 brought to you by It Is Written. 14:44 We're looking at God's grace here in lesson number 7. 14:49 Slava, let me ask you this question: 14:51 We hear of cheap mercy or cheap grace 14:55 that sometimes people, 14:57 they like to lean on God's grace when they are engaged 15:01 in some habitual sin, 15:03 something that they don't want to get rid of, 15:06 and they just say, "Oh well, God will forgive me." 15:09 Help us to understand the picture of grace 15:13 that we find in the Psalms. 15:14 Compare, contrast that 15:16 with what we might call "cheap grace." 15:18 How does this all fit together? Does it fit together? 15:21 Where do we draw this line in here? 15:24 >>Dragoslava: Yes, well, that's a very important question. 15:27 Though I believe that grace or mercy, 15:30 God's mercy, is always the same. 15:33 It is God's undeserving gift of grace, 15:37 which is limitless and which is undeserved, 15:42 as I said. So, God's mercy is always the same. 15:45 So when people think of cheap mercy, 15:48 they probably, as you pointed out, 15:52 think of people abusing this gift of grace. 15:55 So it has nothing to do with the grace itself. 15:59 It has everything to do with how people relate 16:03 to that gift and how they use it or, 16:05 I should say, abuse it in this case. 16:09 So there are many, many psalms 16:11 that can illustrate what the proper attitude 16:16 towards God's mercy is and should be. 16:19 And I'm thinking of Psalm 51 as a wonderful example 16:23 of someone who embraced God's mercy 16:28 in this proper way and allowed God's mercy 16:31 to do its intended work, because when we abuse it, 16:36 mercy will remain fruitless in our lives. 16:40 And that's such a pity when mercy in itself 16:43 is so powerful. 16:45 So here in Psalm 51, it is the psalm of David. 16:49 We see someone, David, embracing the mercy 16:54 in the right way and allowing it 16:56 to bring fruits of righteousness in his life. 17:00 Now, as a way of short introduction, 17:02 prior to praying this psalm and writing this psalm, 17:07 David committed some terrible things in his life. 17:11 He committed adultery, took another man's life, 17:15 and not just that but arranged circumstances 17:19 so that Bathsheba's, 17:20 the woman's, husband get killed in a battle 17:24 so he could cover up for his sin 17:27 once she became pregnant, 17:29 and therefore it was obvious that a sin was committed. 17:34 So coming out of these terrible sins 17:39 and experiences, now David has only one option. 17:43 In order to move forward, he needs to lean on God's mercy. 17:48 He needs to appeal to it. 17:50 And maybe if we think, "Well, David, you went too far. 17:54 How dare you appeal to God's mercy?" 17:58 Well, that's wrong. 17:59 God's mercy is greater than our sins, 18:04 greater than all the weaknesses that we have. 18:08 And it is precisely the task of the mercy to forgive, 18:14 cleanse, and transform, only if we will approach it, 18:19 if God wills us to approach. 18:21 And this psalm illustrates this in a wonderful way. 18:26 A motif that pervades this psalm is the motif of brokenness. 18:33 In verse 8 we read of the psalmist's broken bones, 18:39 meaning that he's so crushed by the burden of his sins 18:43 as if his bones are literally broken. 18:48 Then in verse 17, David speaks about his broken spirit. 18:55 So, in approaching and leaning to God's mercy, 18:59 his spirit is broken because he remembers 19:02 what brought him to God's throne of mercy. 19:06 And then verse 17, also he speaks of his broken heart. 19:11 So you see, one way to approach 19:13 God's mercy in a correct way 19:16 is this sense of humility and brokenness. 19:20 We come to God, crying out to be restored, 19:25 to be restored in order to be able again to bring glory 19:30 to His name because in the current state, 19:33 we cannot do that. 19:35 >>Eric: So it sounds like repentance is 19:37 a significant-- plays a significant role 19:40 in receiving that mercy. 19:43 If there's no repentance, if there's no brokenness, 19:46 if there's no sorrow, 19:47 then just calling out for the mercy, 19:50 it sounds like it's maybe slightly inappropriate. 19:54 I don't know if that's the right word to use, 19:56 but I'll use that word. 19:57 >>Dragoslava: Yes, it would be going 19:59 against God's own character and His integrity 20:03 and everything that God stands for, 20:05 and that would be so, so incorrect and improper. 20:09 And with this brokenness, it's interesting, 20:13 in verse 7 David says, 20:15 "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean." 20:19 Now, when we look in the Old Testament, 20:22 in the book of Leviticus, there was a ceremony 20:25 where the priest was-- 20:27 would use hyssop and a special water 20:31 prepared to cleanse, for example, 20:34 people suffering from skin diseases and leprosy. 20:40 And once they are healed, they were quarantined 20:43 and then upon the evidence of healing, 20:46 they would be cleansed with hyssop 20:49 and that would announce that they are now restored 20:51 and could be allowed back into the community of God's people, 20:56 back into the temple, et cetera. 20:58 Now, when we read this psalm, we wonder, 21:01 "Did David suffer from leprosy or some skin disease?" 21:05 No, he didn't, 21:07 but he felt that his sins were so disgusting, 21:13 as if he was a leper himself. 21:16 He was separated from God as a leper was separated 21:20 from the community and was unclean. 21:23 And that's why he ask for hyssop because no sacrifice-- 21:28 and he says that. 21:29 No sacrifice could be offered for the forgiveness 21:32 of murder and adultery. 21:35 But then he hopes that this hyssop 21:38 somehow would cleanse him of this leprosy of sin 21:42 and unite him back with God. 21:45 >>Eric: How can we be more appreciative of God's mercy 21:50 in our lives? It's there; it's available to us. 21:55 Maybe we don't always avail ourselves of it. 21:57 Sometimes we stew in our own juices, 22:00 as we might say, and we're in a downward spiral 22:03 of "Oh, woe is me." 22:05 But the mercy is there, and if we want to go, 22:08 as David did, it's available. 22:10 So how do we avail ourselves of that, 22:13 to reap the benefits that God wants us to reap? 22:17 >>Dragoslava: Yes, first of all, I believe we need to get to know 22:21 what God's mercy is and how wonderful it is 22:25 and how available and freely it is given in us 22:29 in our Savior, Jesus Christ. 22:31 That's why I appeal to all of us to read the Psalms 22:35 and feed on them and find God's mercy in them 22:39 and surround them-- 22:40 surround ourselves with His wonderful promises. 22:44 I would like to share, Eric, 22:45 one wonderful quote that one author, 22:49 he puts it very nicely, and he says, 22:52 "Not to praise God would mean 22:54 to forget all His benefits, not to appreciate God's gifts." 23:00 In order to really appreciate and have this mercy 23:03 in our lives, we need to praise God more. 23:07 And many psalms invite us, like Psalm 113, 123, 23:12 to praise God in order to embrace 23:16 and appreciate His mercy. 23:18 And then this author continues: 23:21 "Only those who praise do not forget." 23:24 Now, this is interesting. 23:26 "Thinking and speaking about God is not yet praising Him. 23:33 "Praise begins when [we] acknowledge 23:35 "God's majesty and works and respond 23:39 "with adoration of His goodness, 23:41 mercy, and wisdom." 23:43 Therefore, to appreciate mercy, 23:45 we should not just think about it. 23:47 We should speak about it and share with others 23:51 the words of mercy, and we see that in the Psalms. 23:55 It's very, very prominent: 23:57 "I shall tell my brothers of how God was gracious to me." 24:01 Also what I like to do is surround my living space 24:07 with reminders of God's mercy. 24:09 So there are so many Psalms and verses in the Psalms 24:14 and the Bible that speak about mercy. 24:17 I like to write them down or print and I glue them 24:22 near my desk, at my kitchen cabinet, 24:26 on my bathroom door or mirror. 24:29 And sometimes I change so my family 24:32 always gets these new reminders of God's mercy, surrounding, 24:38 praising God more, sharing about it. 24:41 >>Eric: So, experiencing God's mercy 24:43 is not just an intellectual exercise. 24:47 It's not just going, "Yes, I believe it exists." 24:50 But when we put--when our lives practice that in tangible ways, 24:56 we receive more of the benefits, 24:58 and maybe I could say we believe it more. 25:02 It becomes more real to us. 25:04 So, putting remembrances up, notes and so forth, 25:08 sharing with others-- 25:09 any other things that we can do 25:10 to kind of make God's mercy more-- 25:15 well, we don't make it more real, 25:16 but we recognize its reality a little more 25:19 in our day-to-day lives. 25:20 What are some other things that we might do to reflect on that? 25:23 >>Dragoslava: Yes, well, I would say 25:25 showing mercy to others 25:28 is also a way to cherish God's mercy in our lives. 25:33 As Jesus would say, 25:35 "Do to others what you would them do to you," 25:40 but I would also say, 25:41 "Do to others what God has done to you." 25:45 If God has shown mercy to you in your life, 25:48 in order to glorify and praise and celebrate this mercy, 25:53 we are called to show mercy to others as well. 25:57 >>Eric: So take just a minute or two and share with somebody 26:01 who's trying to think of how they can experience 26:04 God's mercy more deeply. 26:06 They haven't felt the mercy; they haven't experienced it. 26:09 What would you tell that person? 26:12 >>Dragoslava: Well, I would like to remind you 26:15 of one wonderful text in Matthew 10, 26:18 where Jesus said, 26:20 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." 26:26 Now, Psalm 56 says another thing: 26:31 "You number"-- speaking of God-- 26:33 "You number my wanderings; 26:36 "[You] put my tears into Your bottle; 26:39 are they not in Your book?" 26:42 What I find here very inspiring, that God's mercy is so deep 26:49 that it knows everything about us. 26:52 It reaches deeply into our being, 26:55 and these are wonderful, heartwarming expressions 26:59 that even our tears, God collects them, 27:01 that God knows them. 27:03 He sees all our wanderings. 27:05 In His mercy, He sees you; He sees me. 27:10 We are called to trust in Him. 27:12 He's coming. He will deliver us. He is there for us. 27:16 All our wanderings and tears are noted in His book. 27:21 He will never, never forget us. 27:24 >>Eric: Slava, thank you for helping us to understand 27:26 God's mercy just a little bit better today. 27:28 And we hope that you have experienced 27:31 God's mercy, and if you haven't, 27:32 we hope that you will experience in a very real way 27:36 in the coming weeks and months ahead. 27:38 And we will look forward to seeing you again 27:40 next week as we continue our study of the book of Psalms. 27:43 This has been "Sabbath School," 27:45 brought to you by It Is Written. 27:46 ♪♪♪ 28:23 ♪♪♪ 28:26 [Captions provided by Aberdeen Captioning www.abercap.com] |
Revised 2024-02-07