When Mercy Ends

“But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting

upon them that fear him,

and his righteousness unto children’s children:

To such as keep his commandments to do them.

The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens

and his kingdom ruleth over all.”

Psalm 103: 17-19, KJV

The weight of his crimes dropped onto his shoulders. His knees buckled. At the crack of the soldier’s whip, he righted himself under his burden. He had seen many victims raised between heaven and earth on the Roman’s cross. Each heavy step echoed his wrongdoing and carried him closer to his judgment. His accomplice in lawlessness, with muscles bulging under the crossbeam, marched in front of him as erect as his strength would carry him.

It was the man leading the death train who caught the first thief’s notice. He stumbled and finally fell. Movement stopped. Weeping filled the air. Then a shout as a soldier grabbed a bystander to carry the fallen man’s crossbeam.

We will return to the three men, but first, let’s talk about mercy, the lovingkindness of our God available to all but received by few.

“Incline your ear, and come unto me:

hear, and your soul shall live;

and I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

even the sure mercies of David.”

Isaiah 55: 3, KJV

Many people, both believers and nonbelievers, fail to see the mercy of God in the Old Testament writings.

They wonder at the world’s utter destruction by the Lord’s flood waters.
They see Sodom and Gomorrah wiped out in a fiery moment.
They hear the Lord God telling his people to completely annihilate a nation,
and hear the words of the author of Hebrews write—

“For our God is a consuming fire.” (12: 29)

Where is God’s mercy?

God’s mercy precedes God’s judgment.

From creation to the flood hundreds of years passed. Evil pervaded in the hearts and minds of every person—except Noah’s family, eight persons. God offered his mercy. For over a hundred years Noah preached and hammered, but none believed.

The righteous received mercy. The unrighteous received judgment. Their opportunity for mercy ended when God shut the ark’s door

Sodom and Gomorrah—existed an estimated hundred years or more before the Lord executed his judgment. In that time, the cities had dealings with Abraham, and Lot lived among them. Both were testimonies of the Lord God. They had opportunity to be of those who, fear the Lord.

For the unrighteous, mercy ended. For the righteous, they experienced the mercy of the Lord.

When entering the promised land, the Israelites were told to destroy the surrounding nations. One in particular, the Amorites, had been given over four hundred years to acknowledge and worship the one true God.

For over four hundred years God’s mercy delayed judgment until their cup of sin was full.* Mercy ended.

Now, we return to the three men agonizing between heaven and earth. A thief on the right, a thief on the left, and Mercy nailed to the tree in the middle.

Mercy forgave the ones who nailed him there, the ones who mocked him, and the ones hanging beside him.
Mercy offered himself to all.
Only one of those suffering with Mercy received the gift he extended, the gift he purchased with his own death.

“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him …

But the other answering rebuked him saying,

Dost not thou fear God,

seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

And we indeed justly;

for we receive the due reward of our deeds:

but this man hath done nothing amiss.

And he said unto Jesus,

Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

And Jesus said unto him,

Verily I say unto thee,

to day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23: 39-43, KJV

For three more hours life warred with death until Mercy died. Shortly, his companions in death succumbed to the tortures of their cross.

Mercy, embodied in Jesus Christ, carried one to paradise and delivered the other to judgment—where mercy ended.

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die,

but after this the judgment …

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations,

and to reserve the unjust

unto the day of judgment to be punished.”

Hebrews 9: 27; 2 Peter 2: 9, KJV

We are all born under the judgment of death as a result of our first parents’ sin. But praise God,

Mercy lives in the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He took our judgment.
His mercy is available to all who will receive it.
Mercy lives in the risen Christ,
and for those who fear him … to such as keep his commandments to do them, his mercy is from everlasting to everlasting.
We have no fear in judgment.

For those who do not receive the Lord’s mercy … mercy ends with your last breath, judgment awaits.

The Lord is the King of kings. His throne is in the heavens … and he rules over all. He has the final say. What will his words be to you?

*Genesis 15:16