His Mercy Endureth Forever

“His Mercy Endureth Forever”

Text: Psalm 136:1-10

I. God’s agenda is the salvation of mankind

a. The wickedness and stubbornness of mankind

i. The flood

1. God showed mercy to Noah by delivering Noah from an evil generation

ii. Nimrod starts a religion – confusion of languages

iii. God spare Sodom if 10 righteous (Gen. 18:26-32)

iv. II Kings 17 (10 tribes taken captive by Assyria)

1. 290 years with 19 wicked kings straight

b. God is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish

i. Our world is full of hate, violence and apostasy

ii. God continues to delay His day of wrath

iii. The Lord of the harvest sends laborers

1. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Mat 23:37)

II. In order to achieve that agenda judgment is necessary

a. God took the firstborn of Egypt in mercy

i. He mercifully revealed that He is God

ii. He mercifully ended the oppression of Israel

iii. God started with the sign of Moses’ rod turning to a serpent and then the sign of leprosy

1. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.(Exo 4:8-9)

iv. Each plague showed the futility of idolatry

1. Nile worship – water turned blood

2. Frog worship – plague of frogs

3. Insect-god – plague of lice

4. Beelzebub – fly plague

5. Cattle worship – cattle pestilence

6. Boil-preventing gods – boils

7. Water & fire worship – hail & fire

a. Some heeded the warning and sheltered themselves and their cattle

b. God always gives a warning

8. Locust-god – plague of locusts

9. Sun-god – plague of darkness

10. All gods of Egypt – firstborn slain

a. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. (Exo 12:12)

v. The Passover lamb was a type of Christ

1. God gave His firstborn Son to redeem man

b. Mercy to the repentant necessitates judgment upon the impenitent

i. Pharaoh was given several chances to repent

ii. God always chooses the most merciful option

iii. God governs everyone and cannot continually dispense mercy to one who hurts others

III. Still God’s mercy endureth forever

a. God will never cease to be merciful in His dealings

i. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, (Exo 34:6)

ii. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Heb 13:8)

iii. For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Mal 3:6)

b. The experience of long-suffering wickedness

i. And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. (Jon 4:2-3)

c. God displays His mercy through His people

i. 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. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. (Luk 6:35-36)

ii. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. (Mat 18:32-34)

iii. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. (Jam 2:13)

Conclusion:

I. God wants to save us all in mercy

II. You must choose to accept or reject His mercy

III. He wants you to accept