- Everlasting Mercy
Psalm 103:17, 18
But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
To such as keep his covenant,
And to those that remember his commandments to do them.
Life is short; our time on earth is fleeting and soon gone, like grass that grows in the morning and is gone by afternoon, but the mercy of the Lord is from eternity past (without beginning) to eternity future (without end). The length and extent of Mercy overwhelms and dwarfs the short time span of our life. So we can be sure that the mercy of the Lord does all the time cover every single sin of our entire life. Of all the great things in God’s universe the Mercy of God is greater (the universe has a beginning and an end, mercy not so much).
This is an amazing promise: His righteousness extends to succeeding generations. This gospel promise of righteousness prophesies, predicts, foreshadows and promises the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, that all who believe in Jesus are declared righteous before God for Christ’s sake, thus giving them access to heaven and to God and to eternal life.
The amazing part of the promise is that it extends to our grandchildren, with this proviso: it is for those who keep his covenant and do his commandments, which means believing in Jesus. The promise of mercy and righteousness is conditional: if you believe in Christ, then the mercy and righteousness of God covers and fills you, and your children.
Fearing the Lord, keeping His covenant, and remembering His commandments is all part of the same package of faith in Christ. When we have heard and believed the Gospel of Christ we have through that very message been given mercy and righteousness; after we have believed we live our daily lives hearing and repeating to our heart and conscience the words of God’s mercy and His gift of righteousness. Preach that gospel to yourself, your children and grandchildren.