Perhaps God, whose mercy is great, can extend mercy even beyond the finality of death?
Or does God’s great mercy extend only to that which is contained in a human’s lifespan?
Consider 2 Samuel 24.
To summarize:
God ‘causes’ David to take a census of Israel and Judah. David enacts on this ‘causing’ and takes a census then feels guilty for doing it. He tells God he has sinned and asks for forgiveness. God sends Gad, a prophet. (Almost like God in disguise. “Wait, who are you?” “Go . . . um, Gad.”) Gad, from God, tells David, from Jesse, you have three punishments to choose from. Whichever you choose, God inflicts on you. One, famine. Three years. Two, running from your enemies. Three months. Three, plague. Three days.
David realizes he’s in trouble, but he does recognize he has some control over his fate. He responds: “I’m in a desperate situation, but let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.” So, God, great in mercy, sends the plague for three days; 70,000 people died. I guess God chose for David?
Meanwhile, while God’s angel was doing His bidding inflicting plague, the angel arrived at Jerusalem. God ‘relented’ and told the angel to, “Stop!” Immediately the angel joined David who, on Gad’s, or God’s, orders was currently building an altar at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
David had a dispute with Araunah who, noticing David was king, wanted to give David the materials to build the altar. (He was also cool with David building the altar on his threshing floor too.) David wanted to have to pay for the materials and the use of the threshing floor. He’s king and so gets what he wants. He paid 50 pieces of silver.
This is apparently where the angel came in and David noticed, as one notices angels just showing up, and pleas with God, “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep – what have they done? Let your anger fall against me and my family.” David gave up his offering to God and God answered his prayer.
What a strange story.
I, for one, struggle to see God’s great mercy on display here. It seems God was behind this whole thing and David was just the pawn getting all the blame. God’s the bully, the mob boss; David’s hitting kids at the flag pole, whacking knee caps and dumping bodies. God was angry at Israel, God caused David to take the census, God caused David to feel guilty, God killed 70,000 people with a plague, and David is running around trying to make sense of it all. Great mercy indeed.
If we take the later of the two questions posed above as the extent of God’s great mercy, in this context and the context of the world around us, God’s mercy is neither great nor very merciful.
However, if we remove the limits placed on God’s great mercy, the limits of the human experience, the life we live and know, the lifespan of humanity, God’s great mercy suddenly becomes great. God’s great mercy suddenly becomes merciful.
David appealed to God’s great mercy. How was David shown mercy in that situation? How were the 70,000 who died from the plague shown mercy in that situation? It’s not evident immediately, but we’re given assurance from David and multiple other sources (Nehemiah 9:19, 27, 31; Psalm 119:156; 1 Peter 1:3 to name some) that His mercy is great. How? Where? When? Perhaps it is beyond our experience now to see how, where, and when?
I take great hope in God’s great mercy as I think many who proclaim some version of the Christian faith (actually, I’m sure many who proclaim some version of the Judeo-Christian God). I also take great hope that His great mercy is beyond what I see in front of me; death, disease, destruction, war, etc.
In light of recent events, in light of past events, and in light of future events, I hope we continue to plea for and give ourselves into God’s great mercy for the very reason that it goes and acts beyond what we experience, what we have experienced, and what we will experience.
