Full of compassion, and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy and truth The term "gracious," as applied to God, brings in ideas of tenderness, gentleness, considerateness, in dealing with those who are frail and weak. It is like "pitiful," but does not imply conditions of special poverty or distress. "Gracious" fits into God's ordinary ways with ordinary people. If we used the term of our fellow men, we should single out those who were sympathetic and sweet mannered and gentle toned. It brings in a somewhat fresh, and a very attractive, view of God, thus to associate the word "gracious" with him. The precise shades of meaning that may be attached to the term will come to view upon a study of the following passages:
Exodus 22:27, "And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious;"
Exodus 34:6, "And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious;"
2 Samuel 12:22, "Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live?"
Nehemiah 9:17, "A God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful;"
Psalm 4:1, margin, "Be gracious unto me, and hear my prayer;"
Isaiah 30:18, "And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you;"
Jonah 4:2, "For I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil." Evidently the term is used to express God's relations with
sinners, as distinct from his relations with
sin; and it especially describes the Divine response to
penitent sinners. "Grace," as favour, mercy, was the highest blessing under the Old Testament dispensation. Joseph, in the fulness of his feelings on seeing his brother Benjamin, cried, "God be gracious to thee, my son!" The synonyms of the term "gracious" may be found suggestive - kindly, beneficent, benignant, condescending, pleasing. Bring out the point that not only does God save and sanctify, but he saves and sanctifies in a gentle, considerate, and delightful way. Put into a figure, he never "breaks the bruised reed, or quenches the smoking flax." - R.T.
Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell
A plan has lately been proposed and successfully employed for raising the cargoes of sunken vessels. A huge electro-magnet, operated from the deck of a vessel, is lowered to the submerged cargo; and if it be of a character subject to the influence of magnetism, it is attracted and lifted by this power, and thus easily saved. There is a power from on high which came to seek and save that which was lost. Down in the murky depths of the waters of sin, this magnet of love draws to itself sinful souls, and lifts them by its power to the bright sunlight and pure air above. Not by any virtue or power of their own — simply by the love that passeth understanding and the saving power of the Divine Redeemer — they are uplifted from the depths and made to stand among the rescued ones of the Lord.
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People
David,
Korah,
PsalmistPlaces
JerusalemTopics
Favour, Gracious, Grant, Handmaid, Maidservant, Mercy, O, Oh, Pity, Salvation, Save, Servant, Strength, TurnOutline
1. David strengthens his prayer by the consciousness of his religion5. By the goodness and power of God11. He desires the continuance of former grace14. Complaining of the proud, he craves some token of God's goodnessDictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 86:15-16 6688 mercy, demonstration of God's
Library
A Sheaf of Prayer Arrows
'Bow down Thine ear, O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy. 2. Preserve my soul, for I am holy: O Thou my God, save Thy servant that trusteth in Thee. 3. Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto Thee daily. 4. Rejoice the soul of Thy servant: for unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5. For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee.'--PSALM lxxxvi. 1-5. We have here a sheaf of arrows out of a good man's quiver, shot into heaven. …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureMy Savior Whose Infinite Grace
"Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee." -- Psalm 86:5. My Savior whose infinite grace Most kindly encompasses me, Whose goodness more brightly I trace, The more of my life that I see. -- The sins that I mournfully own, Thy meekness and mercy exalt, -- And sweet is the voice from Thy throne, That tenderly shows me a fault. Even now, while my praises arise, A sorrowful spirit is mine; A spirit Thou wilt not despise, For O! it is mourning …
Miss A. L. Waring—Hymns and Meditations
That it is Profitable to Communicate Often
The Voice of the Disciple Behold I come unto Thee, O Lord, that I may be blessed through Thy gift, and be made joyful in Thy holy feast which Thou, O God, of Thy goodness hast prepared for the poor.(1) Behold in Thee is all that I can and ought to desire, Thou art my salvation and redemption, my hope and strength, my honour and glory. Therefore rejoice the soul of Thy servant this day, for unto Thee, O Lord Jesus, do I lift up my soul.(2) I long now to receive Thee devoutly and reverently, I desire …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ
The Truth of God
The next attribute is God's truth. A God of truth and without iniquity; just and right is he.' Deut 32:4. For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.' Psa 57:10. Plenteous in truth.' Psa 86:15. I. God is the truth. He is true in a physical sense; true in his being: he has a real subsistence, and gives a being to others. He is true in a moral sense; he is true sine errore, without errors; et sine fallacia, without deceit. God is prima veritas, the pattern and prototype …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity
Sermons of St. Bernard on the Passing of Malachy
Sermon I (November 2, 1148.)[1005] 1. A certain abundant blessing, dearly beloved, has been sent by the counsel of heaven to you this day; and if it were not faithfully divided, you would suffer loss, and I, to whom of a surety this office seems to have been committed, would incur danger. I fear therefore your loss, I fear my own damnation,[1006] if perchance it be said, The young children ask bread, and no man offereth it unto them.[1007] For I know how necessary for you is the consolation which …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh
The Mercy of God
The next attribute is God's goodness or mercy. Mercy is the result and effect of God's goodness. Psa 33:5. So then this is the next attribute, God's goodness or mercy. The most learned of the heathens thought they gave their god Jupiter two golden characters when they styled him good and great. Both these meet in God, goodness and greatness, majesty and mercy. God is essentially good in himself and relatively good to us. They are both put together in Psa 119:98. Thou art good, and doest good.' This …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity
The Third Commandment
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.' Exod 20: 7. This commandment has two parts: 1. A negative expressed, that we must not take God's name in vain; that is, cast any reflections and dishonour on his name. 2. An affirmative implied. That we should take care to reverence and honour his name. Of this latter I shall speak more fully, under the first petition in the Lord's Prayer, Hallowed be thy name.' I shall …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments
Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament
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