Page 50 - Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2011

“BUT I SAY UNTO YOU WHO HEAR: LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU,
BLESS THOSE WHO CURSE YOU, AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SPITEFULLY USE YOU…

THEREFORE, BE MERCIFUL,
JUST AS YOUR FATHER ALSO IS MERCIFUL.”

Luke 6:27-28,36

If we are going to respond properly to this mandate from God to be merciful, we must first understand
how it is that God Himself is merciful. Where is this trait of a merciful God to be placed in the overall
character of God as expressed in His Word? The answer is, “Right at the top.” For example, let us
consider Moses’ request to be able to see God’s glory:

“SO THE LORD SAID TO MOSES,"I WILL ALSO DO THIS THING THAT YOU
HAVE SPOKEN; FOR YOU HAVE FOUND GRACE IN MY SIGHT,
AND I KNOW YOU BY NAME."
AND MOSES SAID,

‘PLEASE, SHOW ME YOUR GLORY.’

THEN HE SAID, ‘I WILL MAKE ALL MY GOODNESS PASS BEFORE YOU,
AND I WILL PROCLAIM THE NAME OF THE LORD BEFORE YOU. I WILL BE
GRACIOUS TO WHOM I WILL BE GRACIOUS, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION
ON WHOM I WILL HAVE COMPASSION.’ BUT HE SAID, ‘YOU CANNOT SEE MY
FACE; FOR NO MAN SHALL SEE ME, AND LIVE.’ AND THE LORD SAID, ‘HERE IS
A PLACE BY ME, AND YOU SHALL STAND ON THE ROCK. SO IT SHALL BE,
WHILE MY GLORY PASSES BY, THAT I WILL PUT YOU IN THE CLEFT OF THE

ROCK, AND WILL COVER YOU WITH MY HAND WHILE I PASS BY.
THEN I WILL TAKE AWAY MY HAND, AND YOU SHALL SEE MY BACK;

BUT MY FACE SHALL NOT BE SEEN.’” Ex. 33:17-23

Two important things are to be noted from the magnitude of the revelation God gives to Moses about
Himself: (1) God is going to make all His goodness pass before Moses, and (2) He will proclaim the
name of the Lord as He passes by. Let us look at what God shows Moses as His glory, His goodness
and His name:

“NOW THE LORD DESCENDED IN THE CLOUD AND STOOD WITH HIM
THERE, AND PROCLAIMED THE NAME OF THE LORD.

AND THE LORD PASSED BEFORE HIM AND PROCLAIMED,
‘THE LORD, THE LORD GOD,

AND GRACIOUS, LONGSUFFERING,
AND ABOUNDING IN GOODNESS AND TRUTH,

KEEPING

FOR THOUSANDS,
FORGIVING INIQUITY AND TRANSGRESSION AND SIN,

BY NO MEANS CLEARING THE GUILTY…’”

Ex 34:5-7

The first thing out of God’s mouth in proclaiming His goodness as well as His name is the attribute
of being merciful. Notice He did not proclaim “His Sovereignty” in describing what constitutes His
glory, His goodness or His name. Today’s erroneous Calvinistic doctrines exalt God’s Sovereignty
as supreme, but God exalts His Mercy above all His attributes.
If you think this is an isolated event in Scripture than consider these other examples as well: