Your Mercy Reaches Unto the Heavens

Psalms - Weekly Lesson

2024 Quarter 1 Lesson 07 - Your Mercy Reaches Unto the Heavens

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Psalms

Jan · Feb · Mar 2024

2024

Quarter 1 Lesson 07 Q1 Lesson 07

Feb 10 - Feb 16

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study

Psalm 136, Psalm 51, Psalm 130, Psalm 113, Psalm 123.

Memory Text:

“I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, and Your truth unto the clouds” (Psalm 57:9, 10, NKJV).

The psalmists realize that they are spiritually poor and have nothing good to offer to God; that is, they have nothing in and of themselves that would recommend them before God’s holy throne (Ps. 40:17). They understand that they, as do all of us, need grace, God’s grace.

In short, they need the gospel.

The Psalms stress the fact that people are fully dependent on God’s mercy. Fortunately, God’s mercy is everlasting, as evidenced in both God’s creation and the history of God’s people (Psalm 136). Before the everlasting God, human life is as transient as grass, but God pities humans and renews their strength (Ps. 103:3, 5, 15), and in Him they have the promise of eternity.

God’s people take comfort in the fact that the Lord is faithful to His covenant. The people’s appeals, no matter how pressing at times, are often filled with hope because they are directed to their compassionate heavenly Father (Ps. 103:13, Ps. 68:5, Ps. 89:26). Fresh experiences of God’s grace and love strengthen their resolve to worship and serve God and no one or nothing else.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 17.

Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White

I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me; thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God. Psalm 40:17.
Do not let your great need discourage you. The Saviour of sinners, the Friend of the friendless, with compassion infinitely greater than that of a tender mother for a loved and afflicted child, is inviting, “Look unto me, and be ye saved” (Isaiah 45:22). “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
There is danger of not making Christ’s teachings a personal matter, of not receiving them as though they were addressed to us personally. In His words of instruction Jesus means me. I may appropriate to myself His merits, His death, His cleansing blood, as fully as though there were not another sinner in the world for whom Christ died.—That I May Know Him, p. 280.

Be constantly learning of Jesus, constantly increasing in faith and growing in grace and the knowledge of the truth. . . . [T]he Lord is our Helper, the Lord is our Shield. He will not leave nor forsake us. Angels of God are engaged in this work of proclaiming the message of warning for the world. Of ourselves we can do nothing. We are as weak as water without the Spirit of the Lord. Our strength is in hiding in Jesus. Let Christ appear as the One altogether lovely, and the chief among ten thousand.—This Day With God, p. 60.

You must not sink down discouraged. The fainthearted will be made strong; the desponding will be made to hope. God has a tender care for His people. His ear is open unto their cry. I have no fears for God’s cause. He will take care of His own cause. Our duty is to fill our lot and place, live humble at the foot of the cross, and live faithful, holy lives before Him. While we do this we shall not be ashamed, but our souls will confide in God with holy boldness. . . .
My heart is fixed, trusting in God. We have a whole Saviour. We can rejoice in His rich fullness. I long to be more devoted to God, more consecrated to Him. This world is too dark for me. Jesus said He would go away and prepare mansions for us, that where He is we may be also. Praise God for this. My heart leaps with joy at the cheering prospect.
. . . [W]hile we feel and realize the wondrous love of God, we shall not hold our peace, we shall sacrifice to God with the voice of thanksgiving and make melody to Him with our hearts and voices. Let us plant our feet upon the Rock of Ages and then we will have abiding support and consolation. Our soul will repose in God with unshaken confidence.—Reflecting Christ, p. 351.

Sunday ↑

11th of February

His Mercy Endures Forever

Read Psalm 136. What thought predominates in this psalm? Where does the psalmist find evidence for his prevalent claim?

Psalm 136 summons God’s people to praise the Lord for His mercy as revealed in creation (Ps. 136:4−9) and in Israel’s history (Ps. 136:10−22). “Mercy” (Hebrew khesed, “steadfast love”) conveys God’s goodness and loyalty to His creation and to His covenant with Israel. The psalm shows that God’s immense power and magnificence are grounded in His steadfast love.

The Lord is “the God of gods” and “the Lord of lords,” which is a Hebrew idiom that means “the greatest God” (Ps. 136:1–3), not that there are other gods but that He is the only God.

The Lord’s great wonders, which cannot be replicated by anyone else, are the undeniable demonstration of His dominion (Ps. 136:4). God created the heavens, the earth, and the heavenly bodies, which are worshiped by the pagans (Deut. 4:19). The Psalms, however, strip the pagan gods, and by extent every human-based source of confidence, of their authority. They are mere products of the creation. They are merely created things—not the Creator, a crucial distinction.

The image of the Lord’s strong hand and outstretched arm (Ps. 136:12) stresses the efficacy of God’s power and the far-reaching domain of His mercy.

God’s mercy in creation and history should inspire His people to trust in Him and to remain faithful to His covenant. The refrain “For His mercy endures forever” is repeated 26 times in Psalm 136, thus reassuring the worshipers that the Lord does not change and will repeat His past favors to each new generation. God remembers His people (Ps. 136:23) and is faithful to His covenant of grace. The belief in the Lord’s enduring mercy is at the core of biblical faith, which includes joyous worship and confidence, as well as reticence and repentance.

Psalm 136 closes with God’s universal care of the world (Ps. 136:23–25). God’s mercy is extended not only to Israel but to all creation. The psalm thus speaks of the universality of God’s saving grace and exhorts the whole world to join Israel’s praise of the Lord (see also Luke 2:10, John 3:16, and Acts 15:17).

How does the image of Jesus on the cross, dying as a Substitute for our sins, most powerfully reveal the great truth about God, that “His love endures forever”?

Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White

This morning my soul is filled with praise and thanksgiving to God from whom come all our mercies and blessings. The Lord is good, and His mercies endure forever. I will praise Him who is the light of my countenance and my God. He is the source of all efficiency and power. Why do we not praise Him by speaking words of hope and comfort to others? Why are our lips so silent? Speech is a gift of Heaven, and it should be used in sounding forth the praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
O how much good would be accomplished were God honored by all who profess to be Christians! The Light of the world is shining upon men in richest blessing. Every provision has been made for the supplying of our temporal and spiritual needs. Yet how little thanksgiving the Giver receives!—That I May Know Him, p. 219.

God intended to show the Israelites that the conquest of Canaan was not to be ascribed to them. The Captain of the Lord’s host overcame Jericho. He and His angels were engaged in the conquest. Christ commanded the armies of heaven to throw down the walls of Jericho and prepare an entrance for Joshua and the armies of Israel. God, in this wonderful miracle, not only strengthened the faith of His people in His power to subdue their enemies, but rebuked their former unbelief.
Jericho had defied the armies of Israel and the God of heaven. And as they beheld the host of Israel marching around their city once each day, they were alarmed; but they looked at their strong defenses, their firm and high walls, and felt sure that they could resist any attack. But when their firm walls suddenly tottered and fell with a stunning crash, like peals of loudest thunder, they were paralyzed with terror and could offer no resistance.—The Story of Redemption, p. 181.

The psalmist says: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:1-3). . . . All these wonders in the heavens are only doing the work appointed them. They are the Lord’s agencies. God is the superintendent, as well as the Creator, of all things. The Divine Being is engaged in upholding the things that He has created. The same hand that holds the mountains and balances them in position, guides the worlds in their mysterious march around the sun.
There is scarcely an operation of nature to which we may not find reference in the Word of God. The Word declares that “he maketh his sun to rise,” and the rain to descend (Matthew 5:45). He “maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.” “He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. He casteth forth his ice like morsels” (Psalm 147:8).—Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 293, 294.

Monday ↑

12th of February

Create in Me a Clean Heart

Read Psalm 51:1–5. Why does the psalmist appeal to God’s mercy?

King David pours out his heart before the Lord, asking for the forgiveness of sin during the spiritually darkest moments in his life (2 Samuel 12). Forgiveness is God’s extraordinary gift of grace, the result of the “multitude of Your tender mercies” (Ps. 51:1, NKJV). King David appeals to God to deal with him not in accordance with what his sin deserves (Ps. 103:10) but in accordance with His divine character, namely His mercy, faithfulness, and compassion (Ps. 51:1; Exod. 34:6, 7).

Read Psalm 51:6–19. How is forgiveness of sin portrayed here? What is the goal of divine forgiveness?

Divine forgiveness involves more than a legal proclamation of innocence. It produces a profound change that reaches the most inner parts of human self (Ps. 51:6, Heb. 4:12). It brings about a new creation (Ps. 51:10, John 3:3–8). The Hebrew verb bara’, translated “create,” depicts divine creative power (Gen. 1:1). Only God can bara’; only God can produce a radical and lasting change in the repentant person’s heart (2 Cor. 4:6).

David asks for cleansing with hyssop (Lev. 14:2–8, Ps. 51:7). He feels that his guilt keeps him banned from the Lord’s presence in the same way as the leper is banned from the community while the state of uncleanness lasts (Ps. 51:11). He fears that sacrifices cannot restore him fully because there was no sacrifice that could atone for his premeditated sins of adultery and murder (Exod. 21:14, Lev. 20:10).

Only unconditional divine grace could accept David’s “broken and contrite heart” as a sacrifice and restore David back into harmony with God (Ps. 51:16, 17). By asking for cleansing with hyssop, he wants to return to God’s presence.

If God can forgive David for adultery, deception, and murder, what hope exists for you?

Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White

David’s repentance was sincere and deep. There was no effort to palliate his crime. No desire to escape the judgments threatened, inspired his prayer. But he saw the enormity of his transgression against God; he saw the defilement of his soul; he loathed his sin. It was not for pardon only that he prayed, but for purity of heart. David did not in despair give over the struggle. In the promises of God to repentant sinners he saw the evidence of his pardon and acceptance. . . .
This passage in David’s history is full of significance to the repenting sinner. It is one of the most forcible illustrations given us of the struggles and temptations of humanity, and of genuine repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Through all the ages it has proved a source of encouragement to souls that, having fallen into sin, were struggling under the burden of their guilt. Thousands of the children of God, who have been betrayed into sin, when ready to give up to despair have remembered how David’s sincere repentance and confession were accepted by God, notwithstanding he suffered for his transgression; and they also have taken courage to repent and try again to walk in the way of God’s commandments.
Whoever under the reproof of God will humble the soul with confession and repentance, as did David, may be sure that there is hope for him. Whoever will in faith accept God’s promises, will find pardon. The Lord will never cast away one truly repentant soul.—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 725, 726.

We should remember that all make mistakes; even men and women who have had years of experience sometimes err; but God does not cast them off because of their errors; to every erring son and daughter of Adam He gives the privilege of another trial.
Jesus loves to have us come to Him just as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent. We may come with all our weakness, our folly, our sinfulness, and fall at His feet in penitence. It is His glory to encircle us in the arms of His love, and to bind up our wounds, to cleanse us from all impurity.
Here is where thousands fail: they do not believe that Jesus pardons them personally, individually. They do not take God at His word. It is the privilege of all who comply with the conditions to know for themselves that pardon is freely extended for every sin. Put away the suspicion that God’s promises are not meant for you. They are for every repentant transgressor. Strength and grace have been provided through Christ to be brought by ministering angels to every believing soul. None are so sinful that they cannot find strength, purity, and righteousness in Jesus, who died for them. He is waiting to strip them of their garments stained and polluted with sin, and to put upon them the white robes of righteousness; He bids them live and not die.—The Faith I Live By, p. 134.

Tuesday ↑

13th of February

“If You, Lord, Should Mark Iniquities”

Read Psalm 130. How are the gravity of sin and hope for sinners portrayed?

The psalmist’s great affliction is related to his own and his people’s sins (Ps. 130:3, 8). The people’s sins are so grave that they threaten to separate the people from God forever (Ps. 130:3). Scripture speaks of the records of sins that are being kept for the Judgment Day (Dan. 7:10, Rev. 20:12) and of sinners’ names being removed from the book of life (Exod. 32:32, Ps. 69:28, Rev. 13:8).

The psalmist thus appeals to God’s forgiveness, which will eradicate the record of sins (Ps. 51:1, 9; Jer. 31:34; Mic. 7:19). He knows that “God is not angry by nature. His love is everlasting. His ‘anger’ is aroused only by man’s failure to appreciate His love. . . . The purpose of His anger is not to wound, but rather to heal man; not to destroy but to save His covenant people (see Hos. 6:1, 2).”—Hans K. LaRondelle, Deliverance in the Psalms (Berrien Springs, MI: First Impressions, 1983), pp. 180, 181. Remarkably, it is God’s readiness to forgive sins, and not to punish them, that inspires reverence of God (Ps. 130:4, Rom. 2:4). Genuine worship is built on admiration of God’s character of love, not on fear of punishment.

God’s children are called to wait on the Lord (Ps. 27:14, Ps. 37:34). The Hebrew qawah, “wait,” literally means “to stretch,” and is the root of the Hebrew word for “hope.” Thus, waiting for the Lord is not a passive surrender to miserable circumstances but rather a hopeful “stretching” or eager anticipation of the Lord’s intervention. The psalmist’s hope is grounded not in his personal optimism but in God’s Word (Ps. 130:5). Faithful waiting on the Lord is not in vain because after the dark night, the morning of divine deliverance comes.

See how the psalmist’s personal plea becomes that of the entire community (Ps. 130:7, 8). The individual’s well-being is inseparable from that of the whole people. Thus, one prays not only for himself but for the community. As believers, we are part of a community, and what impacts one part of the community impacts everyone.

Think about the question, “If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” _(Ps. 130:3, NKJV)_. What does that mean to you personally? Where would you be if the Lord marked your iniquities?

Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White

If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. Psalm 130:3, 4.
To those who have made strange paths for their feet, the Lord offers words of encouragement. He will accept their prayers, if they will repent and be converted. Through the infinite sacrifice of Christ, and through faith in His name, they may receive the promises of God. The sons of Adam may become sons of God. O how full of thankfulness we should be that by the act of Christ in assuming humanity, fallen men are granted a second trial! Christ places them on vantage ground. Through connection with Him they may be laborers together with God. Through the grace given daily by Christ, they may be elevated and ennobled to become the sons and daughters of God. Such love is without parallel.—This Day With God, p. 255.

Men may say, “I forgive all the injuries you have done to me,” but their forgiveness would not blot out one sin. But the Voice sounding from Calvary—“My son, my daughter, thy sins be forgiven thee”—is all-efficacious. That word alone has power and awakens the gratitude in the grateful heart. We have a Mediator. There is but one channel of forgiveness and that channel is ever open, and through that channel a rich flood of divine mercy and forgiveness comes pouring down to us. . . .
Many have expressed wonder that God demanded so many slain victims in sacrificial offerings of the Jews, but it was to rivet in their minds the great and solemn truth that without shedding of blood there was no remission of sins. . . .
Never shall we see and comprehend the intense anguish of the sufferings of the spotless Lamb of God until we feel how deep is the pit from which we have been delivered, how grievous the sin of which humanity is guilty, and by faith grasp the full and entire pardon.—The Upward Look, p. 219.

If you make a mistake, turn your defeat into victory.
The lessons that God sends will always, if well learned, bring help in due time. Put your trust in God. Pray much, and believe. Trusting, hoping, believing, holding fast the hand of Infinite Power, you will be more than conquerors.
True workers walk and work by faith. Sometimes they grow weary with watching the slow advance of the work when the battle wages strong between the powers of good and evil. But if they refuse to fail or be discouraged they will see the clouds breaking away and the promise of deliverance fulfilling. Through the mist with which Satan has surrounded them, they will see the shining of the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness.
Wait, not in fretful anxiety, but in undaunted faith and unshaken trust.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, pp. 244, 245.

Wednesday ↑

14th of February

Praise to the Majestic and Merciful God

Read Psalms 113 and 123. What two different aspects of God’s character are depicted in these psalms?

Psalms 113 and 123 praise both the majesty and mercy of the Lord. The Lord’s majesty is revealed in the greatness of His name and in the exalted place of His throne, which is above all nations and above the heavens (Ps. 113:4, 5; Ps. 123:1). “Who is like the Lord our God” (Ps. 113:5, NKJV) is a statement of faith that no power within or outside of the world can challenge the God of Israel.

The unapproachable heights where the Lord dwells are illustrated through the fact that the Lord is willing to “humble Himself” or “stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth” (see Ps. 113:6, NIV; emphasis supplied). God’s abiding on high does not prevent Him from seeing what is occurring here below. The Lord’s mercy is manifested in His gracious readiness to be involved with the world and to save the needy and poor from their troubles. His generous hand is obviously not hidden from His servants though His dwelling place is in the distant heavens.

God’s greatness and care, which cannot be fully discerned in God’s amazing transcendence, becomes explicit in God’s deeds of mercy and compassion. The needy, the poor, and the oppressed might experience firsthand God’s sovereign power in the remarkable reversals that He can perform in their favor. The exalted God manifests His greatness by using His power to exalt the downcast. The people are free to approach the Lord because His sovereign majesty and supremacy do not change the fact that He is their gracious Creator and Sustainer and that the people are His servants, His beloved children.

Worship is, thus, motivated, not only by God’s magnificence but also by His goodness. Praise is not limited by time and space (Ps. 113:2, 3). God’s greatness and mercy are best manifested in Jesus Christ, who was willing to stoop down from heaven and be brought as low as death on the cross in order to lift up fallen humanity (Phil. 2:6−8). Here, in the Cross, we have the greatest reasons possible to worship and praise God for what He had done for us.

Dwell on the Cross and what happened there for you personally. What has Jesus saved you from? Why is it so important to keep the Cross foremost in your mind?

Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White

It is not the manifestation of [God’s] great and awful majesty and unparalleled power that will leave us without excuse if we refuse Him our love and obedience. It is the love, the compassion, the patience, the long-suffering that He has shown which will witness against those who do not offer Him the willing service of their lives. Those who turn to God with heart and soul and mind will find in Him peaceful security.—Sons and Daughters of God, p. 19.

We need to praise God more “for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men.” Psalm 107:8. . . . We are the constant recipients of God’s mercies, and yet how little gratitude we express, how little we praise Him for what He has done for us. . . .
Our God is a tender, merciful Father. . . . God would not have His children, for whom so great salvation has been provided, act as if He were a hard, exacting taskmaster. He is their best friend; and when they worship Him, He expects to be with them, to bless and comfort them, filling their hearts with joy and love. The Lord desires His children to take comfort in His service and to find more pleasure than hardship in His work. He desires that those who come to worship Him shall carry away with them precious thoughts of His care and love, that they may be cheered in all the employments of daily life, that they may have grace to deal honestly and faithfully in all things.
We must gather about the cross. Christ and Him crucified should be the theme of contemplation, of conversation, and of our most joyful emotion. We should keep in our thoughts every blessing we receive from God, and when we realize His great love we should be willing to trust everything to the hand that was nailed to the cross for us.—Steps to Christ, pp. 102, 103.

“The hour cometh,” [Jesus] said, “and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” . . .
Religion is not to be confined to external forms and ceremonies. The religion that comes from God is the only religion that will lead to God. In order to serve Him aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the mind, giving us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us a willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship. It is the fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit every sincere prayer is indited, and such prayer is acceptable to God. Wherever a soul reaches out after God, there the Spirit’s working is manifest, and God will reveal Himself to that soul. For such worshipers He is seeking. He waits to receive them, and to make them His sons and daughters.—The Desire of Ages, p. 189.

Thursday ↑

15th of February

Forget Not All His Benefits

Read Psalms 103. How is God’s mercy portrayed here?

Psalm 103 enumerates the Lord’s manifold blessings. The blessings include “all his benefits” (Ps. 103:2) for a flourishing life (Ps. 103:3−6). These blessings are grounded in God’s gracious character and in His faithfulness to His covenant with Israel (Ps. 103:7−18). The Lord “remembers” human frailty and transience and has compassion on His people (see Ps. 103:13–17).

Remembering is more than mere cognitive activity. It involves a commitment that is expressed in action: God delivers and sustains His people (Ps. 103:3−13). The powerful images in Psalm 103:11−16 illustrate the immeasurable greatness of God’s grace, which can be compared only to the infinite vastness of the heavens (Isa. 55:9).

How, then, should people respond to God’s loving-kindness?

First, by blessing the Lord (Ps. 103:1, 2).

Blessing is generally understood as an act of bestowing material and spiritual benefits upon someone (Gen. 49:25, Ps. 5:12). Because God is the Source of all blessings, how can human beings bless God? An inferior can bless a superior as a means of thanking or praising him (1 Kings 8:66, Job 29:13). God blesses people by conferring good on them, and people bless God by praising the good in Him; that is, by revering Him for His gracious character.

Second, by remembering all His benefits and His covenant (Ps. 103:2, 18–22), just as the Lord remembers the feeble human condition and His covenant with His people (Ps. 103:3–13). Remembering is a crucial aspect of the relationship between God and His people. Just as God remembers His promises to the people, so the people are indebted to remember God’s faithfulness and respond to God with love and obedience.

With this idea in mind, these famous words of Ellen G. White are so appropriate: “It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 83.

Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White

“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies.” Psalm 103:1-4.
God has given us the gift of speech that we may recite to others His dealing with us, that His love and compassion may touch other hearts, and that praise may arise from other souls also to Him who has called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. The Lord has said, “Ye are My witnesses.” Isaiah 43:10. But all who are called to be witnesses for Christ must learn of Him, that they may be efficient witnesses. As children of the heavenly King, they should educate themselves to bear testimony in a clear, distinct voice and in such a manner that no one may receive the impression that they are reluctant to tell of the mercies of the Lord.—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, pp. 242, 243.

For us He endured the agony of the Garden of Gethsemane. . . . Oh, why was all this suffering, this ignominy, and torturing agony? It was that by this sacrifice of Himself His love might stand revealed, that He might woo men from the ways of sin. After man has cost so much, will He leave him now? Oh no, no! He is faithful that has promised; His arms are outstretched to clasp the repentant, believing ones to His heart of love, with all the tenderness of divine affection. In Jesus we have an enduring, unchanging friend, and though all earthly prospects should fail and every earthly friend prove treacherous, yet He is faithful still.
His servants are as dear to Him as the apple of the eye. In trial, in want, in perplexity and distress, we are not alone; at every step, in tones of assurance, He bids us, “Follow Me.” “I will never leave nor forsake thee.”—Manuscript Releases, vol. 12, p. 115.

Bible history stays the fainting heart with the hope of God’s mercy. We need not despair when we see that others have struggled through discouragements like our own, have fallen into temptations even as we have done, and yet have recovered their ground and been blessed of God. The words of inspiration comfort and cheer the erring soul. Although the patriarchs and apostles were subject to human frailties, yet through faith they obtained a good report, fought their battles in the strength of the Lord, and conquered gloriously. Thus may we trust in the virtue of the atoning sacrifice and be overcomers in the name of Jesus. Humanity is humanity the world over from the time of Adam down to the present generation, and the love of God through all ages is without a parallel.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 15.

Friday ↑

16th of February

Further Thought

Read Ellen G. White, “The Sinner’s Need of Christ,” pp. 17–22, in Steps to Christ.

In the Psalms, the voices of God’s people join as one in repeating the chorus “His mercy endures forever” in celebration of God’s eternal love (Ps. 106:1, NKJV; Ps. 107:1, NKJV; Ps. 118:1–4, 29, NKJV; Psalm 136, NKJV). “Not to praise God would mean to forget all His benefits, not to appreciate God’s gifts. Only those who praise do not forget. Thinking and speaking about God is not yet praising Him. Praise begins when one acknowledges God’s majesty and works and responds with adoration of His goodness, mercy, and wisdom.”—Hans LaRondelle, Deliverance in the Psalms, p. 178.

The significance of the solemn confession of God’s enduring mercy gains even deeper significance when we remember that God’s khesed—namely His covenantal loving-kindness and faithfulness—stands firm and unchanging amid human sin and rebellion against God.

“We have sinned against Him, and are undeserving of His favor; yet He Himself has put into our lips that most wonderful of pleas, ‘Do not abhor us, for Thy name’s sake; do not disgrace the throne of Thy glory; remember, break not Thy covenant with us.’ Jer. 14:21. When we come to Him confessing our unworthiness and sin, He has pledged Himself to give heed to our cry. The honor of His throne is staked for the fulfillment of His word unto us.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 148.

Experiencing God’s graciousness to him (Ps. 103:2) encourages the psalmist to say that “the Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed” (Ps. 103:6, NKJV; emphasis supplied). Thus, the final aim of the psalmist’s personal testimony, and praise of God’s mercy in his life, is to reassure others of God’s loving-kindness so that they, too, can open their hearts to God and receive His saving grace and praise God (Ps. 9:11, 12; Ps. 22:22–27; Ps. 66:16).

Discussion Questions

What are the practical implications of the fact that God’s mercy is everlasting for the people’s salvation? Why does this not mean that one can continue sinning because God’s mercy is forever?
How do we reconcile God’s forgiveness of our sins with the idea of God’s judgment on sin?
How do the expressions of God’s mercy in the New Testament fit with those in the Psalms (Eph. 2:4, 5; 1 Tim. 1:16; Titus 3:5; Heb. 4:16)?

Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White

The Upward Look, “The Results of Inner Renewal,” p. 30;
Selected Messages, book 1, “Let Christ Appear,” pp. 155, 156.

Inside Story ↑

By Andrew McChesney

Sekule

Burden Is Lifted: Part 3

On a Friday evening, Sekule was waiting outside the boys’ dormitory at his high school in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was waiting for a boy who had insulted him, and he planned to beat him up.

As he waited, a friend offered him cognac. He drank and, after many more drinks, passed out in a drunken stupor. In the morning, he knew that his friends would tease him mercilessly for not getting revenge. He decided to hide for the day. But where? Then he remembered the invitation from his Adventist teacher to go to church. It was Sabbath morning.

Sekule’s hair was long and greasy. He hadn’t washed it for a month. His breath reeked. But he went to church. When he arrived, he looked carefully for a place to sit. He had heard that Adventists celebrated “Sweet Sabbath” orgies every week, and he didn’t want to be found sitting next to a grandmother. Spotting an attractive young woman, he sat down near her.

When the church pastor began to preach, Sekule’s mouth dropped open in surprise. The pastor was giving Bible answers to his questions about God and hell. A huge burden was lifted from his heart as he heard that God, indeed, is love (1 John 4:8), desires to save every sinner (Luke 19:10), and will cast no one into an eternal hell (Malachi 4:1, 3; Psalm 37:10, 11).

After the sermon, someone invited Sekule to evangelistic meetings, and he went. At the end of the meetings, he asked the church pastor, “Tell me, please, what am I allowed to do, and what am I not allowed to do?”

“You can do whatever you want,” the pastor said.

“Don’t talk that way,” Sekule said. “Tell me what I can and cannot do.”

“You cannot work on Sabbath anymore,” the pastor said.

“OK, done.”

“You cannot go to school on Sabbath anymore.”

“OK, done.”

“You cannot fight anymore.”

“OK, done.”

“You cannot eat unclean meat.”

“OK. I won’t eat unclean meat.”

“Actually, we suggest that you not eat any meat at all.”

“OK, I won’t eat meat anymore.”

From that day, Sekule never worked or went to school on Sabbath. He never fought, and he never ate meat. He was baptized six months later, at the age of 18. But he accepted Adventist teachings on the spot—all because his questions of God and hell had been answered from the Bible.

Sekule Sekuli´c is an affluent entrepreneur and faithful Seventh-day Adventist in Montenegro. Read more of his story next week. Thank you for your Sabbath School mission offerings that help spread the good news of Jesus’ soon coming in Montenegro and around the world.

End of Lesson