God’s mercy is a central theme throughout the Bible. This profound statement in Exodus 33:19 offers insight into how God dispenses His mercy. When God says “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,” He is declaring His divine sovereignty and freedom to show compassion to whomever He chooses.
What does this mean and why does God operate this way? A 9000 word examination of this topic provides illumination.
First, we must understand what mercy means. In the original Hebrew, the word translated as “mercy” is checed and conveys goodness, kindness, faithfulness and love. God’s mercy reflects His benevolent disposition toward mankind.
The Old Testament speaks frequently about God showing checed. After the Israelites worshipped the golden calf, God threatened to destroy them. But Moses appealed to God saying, “Turn from your fierce wrath; relent and do not bring disaster on your people…because of your great checed” (Exodus 32:12,14). God then relented from the calamity He planned to unleash. This illustrates God extending mercy.
The Psalms also emphasize God’s abundant checed. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing checed” (Psalm 51:1). “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in checed…He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:8-10).
These passages reveal key aspects about God’s mercy:
1. It springs from His graceful, compassionate nature. Mercy is intrinsic to who God is.
2. God does not give people what they deserve. We all deserve condemnation for our sin. But God withholds punishment by extending mercy.
3. His abundant checed exceeds the scope of human understanding. It surpasses what anyone can imagine.
4. He abounds in “slowness to anger”, meaning God is patient, long-suffering and quick to show mercy.
The New Testament continues this theme, applying the concept of mercy to Christ’s work on the cross. Jesus referenced Hosea 6:6 saying, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13). Here Jesus equates His mission with exemplifying God’s mercy.
Paul the Apostle frequently incorporated mercy into his letters. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). Writing to the Ephesians, Paul stated, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).
These verses reveal key truths about God’s mercy:
1. It is intimately tied to Christ’s atoning sacrifice which enables God to pardon sinners.
2. His exceeding mercy leads to regeneration, new life and salvation by grace.
3. Mercy springs from God’s incomprehensible love. It is not merely pity or compassion, but a redemptive act flowing from His extravagant love.
4. Mercy accomplishes what we cannot do for ourselves. Dead in sin, we are helpless and hopeless without God’s intervention.
So in summary, the biblical concept of mercy recognizes human helplessness and sinfulness while emphasizing God’s loving kindness and compassion in providing atonement. This lays the groundwork for understanding Exodus 33:19.
To properly interpret this verse, we must grasp the context. In Exodus 32, the Israelites commit idolatry with the golden calf. God threatens to “consume them” but relents after Moses intercedes (Exodus 32:10). Afterwards in chapter 33, God promises to send His Angel with them to the Promised Land, prompting Moses to plead, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here” (Exodus 33:15).
Then Moses requests, “Now show me your glory.” And God replies, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you…But, you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:18-20). God then proclaims His name and nature saying:
“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7).
It is immediately after this that God declares, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy” (Exodus 33:19). The surrounding context indicates God is describing His divine prerogative to dispense mercy according to His will and good pleasure.
Now we can examine 4 key points regarding what God means by this profound statement:
1. God’s mercy is directed by His divine will, not human merits.
The declaration “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy” signifies God’s sovereignty. He alone decides who receives His mercy. His compassion does not depend on human desires or what people deserve.
This refutes the notion that obtaining God’s mercy involves qualifying for it or earning it through religious rituals or works of righteousness. Scripture adamantly rejects this idea:
“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:5).
“God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” (1 Corinthians 1:9)
Salvation rests on God’s faithfulness to show mercy as He purposes, not on human achievements.
2. God may dispense mercy to whomever He wishes, even those deemed undeserving.
The Old Testament contains examples of God showing mercy to people who might be considered unworthy:
Rahab – A Canaanite prostitute who hid the Israelite spies and turned to God in faith (Joshua 2). Yet Deut 23:17-18 forbade Israel from bringing the earnings of a prostitute into the house of the Lord.
Ruth – A Moabite woman outside the covenant with Israel. Yet God included her in the lineage of Christ (Ruth 4:18-22).
Nebuchadnezzar – The pagan Babylonian king who destroyed Judah. But God restored his sanity “that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:34-37).
God bypassed the “unworthy” status of these individuals to reveal His mercy according to His will. The recipients of His mercy were unlikely by human standards. But by extending compassion, God displayed His divine prerogative.
This explains Jesus freely associating with tax collectors and sinners to the dismay of the religious elite. When confronted, Jesus replied, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). Sinners were drawn by His mercy to receive forgiveness.
3. God’s mercy is always anchored in His justice and holiness. It never violates His righteousness.
Critics sometimes accuse God’s freedom to show mercy as being capricious, random or unfair. Does God arbitrarily choose favorites or wink at sin? Scripture answers with an emphatic no:
“Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25).
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.” (Psalm 89:14).
Though expressed freely, God’s mercy operates in harmony with His justice. He maintains moral consistency in all His decisions and actions.
Additionally, God’s mercy never sets aside His holiness. Some portray God’s mercy as tolerance of sin, compromising righteousness to be benevolent. But Scripture states:
“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong” (Habakkuk 1:13).
“There is no injustice with God” (Romans 9:14).
God detests sin and will ultimately judge all unrighteousness. This is why His mercy pardons people only through the redemptive work of Christ, propitiating God’s wrath against sin (Rom 3:25).
So God dispenses mercy according to His will, but not in violation of His character. His righteousness and justice guide how He shows compassion.
4. God’s mercy serves His ultimate plan of glorifying Himself through redemption.
Why does God express mercy? Why grant pardon to sinners instead of just judgment? Paul addresses this in Romans 9-11 when examining God’s dealings with Israel:
“What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath – prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory…” (Rom 9:22-23).
Paul reveals God’s overarching purpose – that His mercy highlights His glorious riches. By patiently enduring vessels prepared for destruction, God magnifies His mercy toward people He prepared for glory.
God summed this up through Moses:
“I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Ex 33:19).
In other words, God decides who receives His mercy and compassion. Why? To accentuate the glory of His grace. By granting mercy, God puts His majestic attributes on display. His glory shines most brilliantly against the backdrop of human sin, judgement, and despair.
In summary, this examination of Exodus 33:19 yields the following conclusions:
1) God’s mercy flows from His divine will, not human initiative.
2) God may extend mercy to anyone aligned with His purposes.
3) His mercy upholds justice and righteousness.
4) It gloriously magnifies His grace and redemptive power.
What are the key lessons for us?
1) Salvation depends wholly on God’s mercy, not our works or worthiness.
2) No one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy. There is hope for anyone open to His call.
3) God’s mercy prompts awe and thankfulness, not presumption or entitlement.
4) We become conduits of God’s mercy by extending compassion to others.
In closing, God’s mercy provides comfort, assurance and hope. It springs from His goodness and redemptive purposes. Exodus 33:19 offers perspective on God’s unconditional, unmerited compassion that completely transforms the lives of all who receive it. What a blessing that through His Son Jesus Christ, God makes His wondrous mercy available to whosoever believes.
