Justice for you, Mercy for me?

“He struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck down of all the people, 50,070 men, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter.” 1 Samuel 6:19

Saint Augustine of Hippo made famous the theological concept that the Old Testament is Jesus concealed, and the New Testament is Jesus revealed (my paraphrase). Many Christians tend to linger in the New Testament believing that the Old Testament is ancient stuff for ancient people or maybe just a bunch of Laws that we no longer have to adhere to. But here is the thing, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” This means that there is not a single verse in the Word of God that does not have value and purpose. And if I believe John 1:3, “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made,” which refers to Jesus Christ, then I must conclude that every good thing points to Jesus, is held together by Jesus and serves the purpose of exalting Jesus. By accepting these Biblical truths, it stands to reason that all Biblical text is saturated with Christ. Like a soaked sponge, every bit is dripping with the same substance, which is Jesus Christ.

“And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” (Matthew 13:52) This verse constantly comes to mind as I traverse through the Old Testament and the Holy Spirit reveals Christ in the most seemingly obscure texts. I was a bit stunned this morning as I read about golden hemoirroids and ornamental rats being sent on their way via nursing momma cows, with no drivers, back to the Israelites so that the Philistines could avoid the abovementioned ailments. Sound absurd? Read the full story in 1 Samuel 6.

I want to zero in on verse 19 today. Momma cows walked themsleves right into an Israelites field upon Divine direction, returning the Ark of the Covenent to God's people, after they lost it, whilst confirming that it was, in fact, God's hand that was against the Philistines. What happened next? Well, the men used the wood of the cart and the cows to sacrifice unto the Lord in praise. So far, so good. Then, the men just HAD to take a peek and make sure that the enemy did not remove the cherished tablets of the 10 Commendments from the golden box. Shockingly (to us) 50, 070 men were slain by God as a result. And I was like, “whaaaat?!” And here is where a good commentary is so valuable. In Jon Courson's Application Commentary, he explains that this is exactly what happens to us when we remove the Mercy Seat from the Law.

You see, the lid of the Ark was the “Mercy Seat,” the place where the Lord met with His people, where the sacrificial blood was sprinkled and the sins of the people were atoned. Romans 3:19-20 says, “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” (Emphasis mine.) Seems like bad news. And it is. But as my good friend used to say, you cannot appreciate the Good News until you fully grasp the Bad News. The Law condemns us, kills us, destroys us, shows us our depravity and demands justice that no human being can deliver. But God...

But God in His MERCY gave us Christ, Jesus Christ and all His mercy becomes ours in faith. He received the punishment for our sins and therefore fulfills the justice that is required for the payment of our sin.

The Mercy Seat IS Jesus Christ.

When the Isrealites were given the Law, they were also given hundreds of years to try and follow it and in this time many received the God-given wisdom to understand that it was not in them to be able to perfectly follow the Law. Although, many Pharisees were under self-righteous dilussion that they could somehow arrive at perfection, even adding to the impossible 613 Laws of Moses via the Talmud. Those who have an accurate understanding of their ability to follow God's Law perfectly will, at some point, conclude that they are, in fact, incapable.

Enter the Good News.

In the KJV, Galatians 3:24 explains that, “Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” The Law was expertly and Divinly designed to show us that we cannot do it on our own. It is Christ and Christ alone that can absorb the full cost of our sin and free us from the penalty of sin and death. He contained it, fulfilled the demand for justice, by putting a lid on it. Praise God for His unbelievable mercy.

I love mercy, I need mercy. I want mercy.

But as a human being with a sinful, flesh nature, I tend to want mercy for me and justice for others. I pull out my little Law book, removing the Mercy Seat and I go through the checklist to see how others have failed me, where they have fallen short. And it is easy to believe that I have good reason to hold them accountable, because, according to the Law, they should be. According to the Law, justice demands it. I want to be validated in holding others to the Law, but I want mercy for myself. When I do this, it causes death. The Law without mercy requires atonement with a life, with blood, ie death.

When these men removed the Mercy Seat, when they removed Jesus Christ from the justice-demanding-Law of God, they caused their own deaths, “a great slaughter.” What a powerful reminder to us. The Law shows us our sin, but if that was all there was, we would remain condemned. It is because of what Christ did on the cross that we are able to dwell in the presence of God, to come boldly before the Throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16) and we have been emancipated, no longer slaves to sin and death, but instead, we are called children of God (1 John 3:1). So be careful Christian, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 'Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.'”

Beware of removing the lid, the Mercy Seat, from the Law when you look at your brother or sister, and even yourself. The Law MUST come with the Mercy Seat lest we all perish. Praise God that He did not withhold that which is good from us “while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8).