Greeting to all. Doing some seeking of God and His wisdom. With what I am currently studying, a distinction between mercy and grace appears to be relevant. So I thought I would entertain some outside thoughts on the matter.
It would seem that upon reflection, many make mercy and grace interchangeable in their speech. Possibly obscuring some pertinent lessons within scripture by doing so. It would seem, upon a cursory review that although similar, the two have these distinctions within scripture.
Mercy is: not giving someone what they do deserve, i.e., not getting what one deserves.
Grace is: giving of something to someone that they do not deserve, i.e., getting what one does not deserve.
Focusing on mercy for a second, Mercy seat: Within the Jewish Tabernacle there were three areas, (1) the courtyard, (2) the Holy place, and the (3) Holy of Holies. Within the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant, this chest contained the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. Upon the chest, that is the ark of the covenant, sat a covering for the chest, a lid, that was called the mercy seat (Heb 9:3-5). Therefore, the mercy seat was a covering, the lid, for the ark of the covenant, the container, for the Ten Commandments, the law.
On Top of the lid, that is the mercy seat, rested visible symbols of the divine presence, cloud. Here God was thought to be seated and from here God was thought to dispense mercy to mankind when the blood of the atonement was sprinkled upon it. In other words, the mercy seat “covered” the law; the ever-condemning judgement of the law.
One day a year the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of animals upon the mercy seat for the atonement of the sins of the Jewish people. The imagery here being that only the offering of blood could “cover” or “take away”, for the mercy seat was the covering of the law, the condemnation of the law. The Greek word for “mercy seat” found in Hebrews 9:5 is hilastērion, which is translated “mercy seat, propitiation”.
Mercy more frequently appears to pertain to the law.
Grace more frequently appears to pertain to some kind of unmerited favor.
Open to any thoughts on the distinction.
Keep seeking God's truth as if it were hidden treasure.
It would seem that upon reflection, many make mercy and grace interchangeable in their speech. Possibly obscuring some pertinent lessons within scripture by doing so. It would seem, upon a cursory review that although similar, the two have these distinctions within scripture.
Mercy is: not giving someone what they do deserve, i.e., not getting what one deserves.
Grace is: giving of something to someone that they do not deserve, i.e., getting what one does not deserve.
Focusing on mercy for a second, Mercy seat: Within the Jewish Tabernacle there were three areas, (1) the courtyard, (2) the Holy place, and the (3) Holy of Holies. Within the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant, this chest contained the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. Upon the chest, that is the ark of the covenant, sat a covering for the chest, a lid, that was called the mercy seat (Heb 9:3-5). Therefore, the mercy seat was a covering, the lid, for the ark of the covenant, the container, for the Ten Commandments, the law.
On Top of the lid, that is the mercy seat, rested visible symbols of the divine presence, cloud. Here God was thought to be seated and from here God was thought to dispense mercy to mankind when the blood of the atonement was sprinkled upon it. In other words, the mercy seat “covered” the law; the ever-condemning judgement of the law.
One day a year the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of animals upon the mercy seat for the atonement of the sins of the Jewish people. The imagery here being that only the offering of blood could “cover” or “take away”, for the mercy seat was the covering of the law, the condemnation of the law. The Greek word for “mercy seat” found in Hebrews 9:5 is hilastērion, which is translated “mercy seat, propitiation”.
Mercy more frequently appears to pertain to the law.
Grace more frequently appears to pertain to some kind of unmerited favor.
Open to any thoughts on the distinction.
Keep seeking God's truth as if it were hidden treasure.
