Remember Mercy
Habakkuk’s prayer (Habakkuk 3:2 bibrefhabakkuk3 bibrefhabakkuk3v2) should be someone’s motto, maybe for our post-2020 world, or in presidential election years: “in wrath remember mercy.” (Maybe to class it up in Latin: cum iratus, misericordiæ recordaberis.)
Most of us have some sort of story where affliction and blessing met, where sharp edges and warm comfort came together. But as good of a prayer as it is, the remembrance of mercy in wrath has been personalized. Nowhere has mercy been more alive amidst wrath than on Jesus on the cross.
God is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4 bibrefephesians2 bibrefephesians2v4). God gets glory for His mercy among the nations (Romans 15:9 bibrefromans15 bibrefromans15v9) in salvation. “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9 bibref1thessalonians5 bibref1thessalonians5v9), because Jesus was our propitiation.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:9–10 bibref1john4 bibref1john4v9 bibref1john4v10 ESV)
“It was the will of the LORD to crush him” (Isaiah 53:10 bibrefisaiah53 bibrefisaiah53v10 ESV) in remembrance of mercy. And “in the midst of the years” between the incarnation and establishing of His kingdom, we eat this bread and drink the cup to proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26 bibref1corinthians11 bibref1corinthians11v26).