God's Consistent Mercy

“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 AV)

What a prayer request, huh?  Especially the underlined portion.  But when you need mercy, you need mercy.  This is for what the prophet prays.  It references the throne of God’s glory for two reasons.  In context, Jeremiah speaks of the covenants God made with Abraham and his descendants.  If God were to destroy Israel for their disobedience, it would reflect on the word of God to their ancestors.  Complete annihilation is not an option here or God’s word cannot be trusted.  Hence the last phase of the prayer request.  Secondly, the throne of God is known as a throne of grace.  The ark of the covenant bore on its top a mercy seat.  That mercy seat received blood once a year to atone for all of Israel’s sins.  The seat is known as the mercy seat because that is where one would go to find the mercy of God.  If God does not show mercy from His throne, then it would indeed be disgraced.  In essence, what the prophet is asking is God deals with Israel consistent with His character.  He is not asking for the absence of all rebuke.  Rather, for it to be applied in measure according to His faithfulness and mercy.

I have seen an unfortunate event occur more than I would like to admit.  It goes something like this.  A teenager rebels against his parents and runs away.  He doesn’t like the rules.  He doesn’t like the control.  So, he flees to a friend's house but it is no better there.  He ends up on the streets until he can get himself a place.  Barely eighteen, he finds a job and a room at the local YMCA.  They ask him no questions and he does not offer that he is underage.  Drugs enter the picture.  Before he knows it, he cannot pay the minimal rent the YMCA asks for, and finds himself living in his car.  However, a few months of addiction takes its toll and he has to sell his car to feed his habit.  Reduced to petty thefts and begging to get his fix, he sits on a street corner and rooms neighborhoods looking for anything profitable so he can buy his next dose.  A loving saint speaks with this young man and asks why he doesn’t call his dad to come to pick him up.  The young man doesn’t because he thinks he has done too much for his father to forgive him.  He has gone too far down the road of vagrancy for his parents to ever love him again.  He is mistaken.  His father hasn’t stopped looking for him.  His mother cries herself to sleep every night over their wayward child.  It remains so because this wayward child simply doesn’t believe in his father’s character.  He doesn’t believe his father will ever love him again.  The truth is, to not love your child is a disgrace to the privilege of parenthood.

We can do the same with God.  We can cut Him short when it comes to His character and faithfulness.  The prayer of the prophet is one that will be answered.  There are no ‘ifs’, ‘ands’, or ‘buts’ about it.  God is faithful.  God is merciful.  God will not forget His covenants with Israel.  God does love His children without hesitation or reserve.  He loves us unconditionally.  Sometimes we can get into something where we think God will cease to be gracious.  Not so.  That would disgrace His throne.  Sometimes we think we have fallen so far that God would never restore us.  Not so.  That would disgrace His throne.  Sometimes we think our situation is so hopeless that not even God can fix the mess we have created.  Not so.  To not restore the sinner to usefulness would disgrace His throne.  Jeremiah is asking for that which he knows he will receive.  God will show mercy to erring Israel.  God will keep His promises to the people of God.  To do otherwise would be to disgrace His own character and honor.