Exodus: Bondage, Deliverance, and Passover: As Yet

God Does Not Owe You Anything

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2017-01-10

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver expounds Psalm 136 to teach that God's mercy endures forever, yet He owes nothing to anyone. He warns that taking God's mercies for granted can lead to their withdrawal, as seen in Israel's history. The sermon calls for continual gratitude, recognition of our unworthiness, and a life that reflects God's mercy toward others.

[John Weaver] Psalm 136. There's only 26 verses there, so we're going to read all of them. The title of the message is, God Does Not Owe You Anything.

[John Weaver] Notice Psalm 136. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks unto the God of gods, for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his mercy endureth forever. To him who alone doeth great wonders, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that by wisdom made the heavens, for his mercy endureth forever. To Him that stretched out the earth above the waters, for His mercy endureth forever. To Him that made great lights, for His mercy endureth forever. The sun to rule by day, for His mercy endureth forever. The moon and the stars to rule by night, for His mercy endureth forever. To Him that smote Egypt in their firstborn, for His mercy endureth forever. And brought out Israel from among them, for His mercy endureth forever, with a strong hand, with a stretched out arm, for His mercy endureth forever. To Him which divided the Red Sea into parts, for His mercy endureth forever, and made Israel to pass through the midst of it, for His mercy endureth forever.

[John Weaver] But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for His mercy endureth forever. To Him which led His people through the wilderness, for His mercy endureth forever. to him which smote great kings, for his mercy endureth forever, and slew famous kings, for his mercy endureth forever, Sihon king of the Amorites, for his mercy endureth forever, and Og the king of Bashan, for his mercy endureth forever, and gave their land for an heritage, for his mercy endureth forever, even an heritage unto Israel his servant, for his mercy endureth forever, who remembered us in our lowest state, His mercy endureth forever. And hath redeemed us from our enemies, for His mercy endureth forever. Who giveth food to all flesh, for His mercy endureth forever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven, for His mercy endureth forever."

[John Weaver] Obviously I think you can tell by this passage that God is indeed merciful. In fact the scripture says repeatedly that that His mercy endures forever."

[John Weaver] Now this psalm is absolutely wonderful and it emphasizes the mercies of God in every verse. Evidently this psalm, although there is no title to it, and no name ascribed to it, was written by David. Because the Bible tells us in 1 Chronicles 16, verses 41-43, And with them Heman, and Juduthun, and the rest were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks unto the LORD, because His mercy endureth forever. And with them Heman, and Juduthun, with trumpets and cymbals, for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God, the sons of Judith and were porters and all the people departed every man to his house and David Returned to bless his own house. So David evidently wrote this Psalm and And it was a psalm of course to praise the Lord for His infinite mercy.

[John Weaver] Solomon his son used this same truth in dedicating the Temple. For instance in 2 Chronicles 7 verse 3 the Bible says, And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good, His mercy endureth forever." And then again in verse 6, And the priests waited on their offices, the Levites also with instruments of music of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the Lord, because His mercy endureth forever.

[John Weaver] So, you will find these verses spread throughout all of Scripture. Interestingly, King Jehoshaphat applied the mercies of God to warfare. In fact, it was King Jehoshaphat who consulted with the people and appointed singers to go out before the army. to sing praises before the Lord. In fact in 2 Chronicles 20 and verse 21 the Bible says this, And when he, that is Jehoshaphat, had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, that should praise the beauty of his holiness, as they went out before the army, to say, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth forever. I can see that on the battlefield, a bunch of musicians going out first and praising the Lord and saying, His mercy endureth forever. There are so many verses in the Bible that refer to God's mercies, it would be impossible to quote them all in one message. confessing his sins, in Psalm 51 and verse 1 said this,"'Have mercy upon me, O Lord, according to the multitude, according to Thy lovingkindness, and according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.'"

[John Weaver] So, obviously David wanted God's mercies as well. And the truth is His mercies are indeed multitudinous. There's absolutely no way that any of us could name all of God's mercies Or even name all of God's mercies to ourselves I'll point out a little bit later, most of the time we take them for granted anyhow, and we don't even think of them. But may I point out that God is specifically referred to as the Father of mercies in 2 Corinthians 1 and verse 3. The Apostle Paul said, blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. So anytime anyone receives any mercies God is the originator, God is the source. There are no mercies except originally and initially from Him. Now the truth of God's mercies happens to be prominent not only in the Old Testament but in the New Testament as well. Let me just give you two verses in the Old Testament. The first one is Exodus 34 and verse 6 where Moses wanted to see the glory of God.

[John Weaver] And the Bible tells us, and the Lord passed before him and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth. So part of God's glory is indeed His mercy. And then in Deuteronomy 4 in verse 31, for the Lord our God is a merciful God. He will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of our fathers which He sware unto them. When you look at Psalm 136 it has been one of my favorite psalms for a long time. But every time I read this psalm I envision a pastor with a clear, distinct, deep voice reading the first part of each verse and then a choir standing behind him finishing the verse in unison saying, for His mercy endureth forever. So you can read it like that where one would say, oh give thanks unto the Lord for He is good. Then the choir saying for his mercy endureth forever Every time there is a verse in Psalm 136 the refrain is for his mercy endureth forever So here's a question for you to consider Have you ever paused and contemplated upon the mercies of God in your daily life?

[John Weaver] Have you ever paused just to think how God has provided for you and how he's protected you, how he's preserved you, and how he's been gracious to you in his providence. Years ago, we had a man in our church by the name of Wayne Coulter. He was an older man, and he liked to play golf. And I went with him several times, not that I cared anything about golf, but I did appreciate the fellowship and the fact that I got a little bit of exercise as I walked with him. And he was driving his car and we were going to the golf course in Folkston, Georgia. And right before you get to that golf course, you have to cross over a railroad track. Of course, there were no arms at that particular time. And so he pulled up to the railroad track and slowed down and the car was still rolling just a little. And I saw Wayne look to the left. And when he did that, I immediately looked to the right.

[John Weaver] And what I saw was a train barreling and I said somehow very calmly, you better woe or go. And thankfully all he heard was woe and he slammed on brakes and when he did the train went right by. And it was a long, I just sat there when the train went by and we could go. I looked at Brother Coulter and I said, what do you say we just sit here for a few minutes and thank God He said, I believe that would be appropriate.

[John Weaver] All of a sudden I think he had kind of lost his taste for golf at that particular time as well. But I could multiply illustrations in my life how God has been so merciful to me. And I stand amazed at the mercies that God has given to me through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that I am a sinner. I know that I have sinned. I know that the penalty and the wages of sin happens to be death. And I understand that as a sinner I do not deserve anything but judgment. And yet God in His grace and mercy has not only saved me but He called me into the ministry. He has given me the opportunity to preach and to teach His Word. Given me a wonderful wife and family and friends. I mean when you just stop and think gracious God has been unto you."

[John Weaver] And when you begin to read a passage like Psalm 113 verse 3 where the scripture says, if thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? So if God took His divine pen and began to scribble down every one of our iniquities and God marked them down the question is who could stand? Now, when you stop and think about this, the question that comes to your mind, if God marked down all of these sins, if God marked down all of these iniquities against us, when He asked who should stand, you have to ask how many times in your life should God have rightly, legitimately, and

[John Weaver] lawfully, and justly killed you? And yet He did not. He's a merciful God." So I cannot ever read this passage or even deal with this subject without thinking of Lamentations 3, verses 22 and 23. I should have adopted those verses as my life verses because I try to quote them every day and I quote them so often. Jeremiah wrote, it is the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because thy compassions they fail not, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness. Have you ever stopped to think about this? God not only gives us sleep and rest during the night, He also gives us mercies and compassions that are renewed every morning. The only reason we did not die during the night is because of God's mercies and God's compassion. And so when you awaken every morning, the first thing I want to do is to thank Him for allowing us to awaken. A lot of people go to sleep and never wake up. My mother went to sleep and never woke up. John Battelle went to sleep one night with no problems and never woke up.

[John Weaver] John Cain, who was just praying for his family, went to sleep on Saturday, never woke up. So I'm just simply saying, if you are able to open your eyes, you ought to be thanking God that you're still alive. And the only reason you're still alive is because of His mercies and His compassions. The problem that we have is this, so often We have been blessed with God's mercies that we take them for granted We assume that they're going to always be there.

[John Weaver] I want you to hold Psalm 136 but look in your Bibles to Luke chapter 17 Luke chapter 17 and let's begin reading there with verse 11 Luke 17 and verse 11 and And let me show you where we are basically today in our lives. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the third book in the New Testament, Luke 17. Notice if you would please verse 11. The Bible says, and it came to pass as he went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

[John Weaver] And as he entered into a certain village there met him ten men that were lepers which stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said to them, go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks.

[John Weaver] Watch, for he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that return to give glory to God save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise and go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole. Evidently the other nine were Israelites. This one was a Samaritan whom our Lord designated as a stranger, that is, as a foreigner, as an alien. And he's the only one that really, genuinely appreciated the mercies of God. Just stop and think about how many times you have been sick and God has healed you. You've gotten well. You've recovered. Or think about the individuals who have been sick seemingly all of their lives and yet at the same time God has kept them alive. It's absolutely astounding when you pause to think of the mercies of God.

[John Weaver] We have become so accustomed to God's mercies that we have taken a position where we assume that they're always going to be there. In fact, oftentimes we develop an attitude that God owes us. In fact, we tend to take the lesser mercies of God for granted. Oftentimes we are aware of the greater mercies, but it's the lesser ones that we just overlook. What do I mean by the lesser mercies?

[John Weaver] Well, let's look at our Bible, so Psalm 145. Let me show you several passages right quickly. We'll come right back to Psalm 136. But look in Psalm 145 and notice verse 9. Here's a statement, a truth. Psalm 145 verse 9. The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works. The Lord is good to all. Now I want you to turn to Psalm 136 and look in verse 25.

[John Weaver] Here he says, Who giveth food to all flesh, for His mercy endureth forever. Now, go back to Psalm 145 and look at verses 15 and 16. Psalm 145, verse 15, The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand and Satisfy the desire of every living thing note the eyes of all wait upon thee and I'll give us them their meat in due season Now if you want to know what it means the eyes of all wait upon thee you just have a puppy you have a dog and you feed him often from your hand and sometimes they'll just sit there and just look and waiting, they are expecting something from your hand. That is exactly what it means, the eyes of all wait upon thee. God has fed us so often that we just simply wait for Him to hand it to us. Look if you would in Psalm 147 verse 9, here the scripture says, He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.

[John Weaver] Now, you know the problem is this, even as children we They always look to mom and dad. Mom and daddy will feed us. Mom and daddy will clothe us. Mom and daddy will buy this for us. Even as kids, we never stop to think, where does mother and dad receive their breath? Where do they receive their ability? Where do they receive their intellect? Where do they receive all of their blessings? We never even stop to think about that. And so many times today, oh, You know, we have eaten so much and enjoyed so much, most of the time we don't ever think about thanking God for our food. You know, the Bible says in Acts 14 and verse 17, the Apostle Paul says, nevertheless, God left not himself without witness in that he did good and he gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. So God in His providence does indeed supply all of our needs. Stop and think about this.

[John Weaver] The most wicked and the most vile sinner, even the worst in this world, all taste of God's mercy. Even those wicked, vile individuals who fight against God and hate God eat at His table of mercy. Because it's God who gives them life. It's God who gives them the ability to eat. It's God who gives them the ability to even fight the strength. All God has to do is withhold or restrain their breath and they just simply die. So even the wicked get the crumbs of God's mercies.

[John Weaver] That's why the Bible said earlier, the Lord is good to all. The dew that drops upon the flowers also drops upon the weeds as well. The sun shines upon the just and the unjust. Pharaoh, Pharaoh's head was crowned although his heart was hardened. Many who spurn and hate the grace of God still drink of God's mercies because without them they would not live.

[John Weaver] Now let me offer something for your consideration. Have you considered that one of the reasons for our sinfulness, one of the reasons for our disobedience and our rebellion is simply that we forget all that God has done for us. What do I mean that we forget? Well, like I said earlier, we assume we take for granted. But I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 106 and look if you would please at verse 7. Psalm 106 and verse 7.

[John Weaver] Then I'm going to show you an illustration of it. Psalm 106 verse 7. Look what the psalmist said. Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt. They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies. but provoked Him at the sea, even at the Red Sea. So the fathers did not really understand the impact and the implication of all those miracles and all those wonders in Egypt. And even though God delivered them miraculously, they remembered not the multitude of His mercies. So since they were forgetful of all of His mercies, What did they do? They provoked him at the sea, even at the Red Sea. Not only did they provoke him at the Red Sea, they provoked him all through the wilderness. You know, it's amazing to me, it's amazing to me how people could see God smite Egypt with those ten plagues, deliver them miraculously, Open the waters of the Red Sea let them walk across on dry ground And then turn around and see Pharaoh and his hosts drowned in the sea and then get

[John Weaver] in the wilderness and say to God You brought us out here to die. You hated us How can you do that the only way you can do that is that you forget God's mercies you don't even think about them So let me show you turn in your Bible. So Jeremiah chapter 5. I Jeremiah chapter 5 Now I want to read verses 7 through 9 you don't matter people who forgot God's mercies and Perverted them here. It is Jeremiah 5 verse 7 God asked How shall I pardon thee for this?

[John Weaver] Now look what he says my children have forgotten me and I've sworn by them that are no gods and Look what he did. When I fed them to the full, then they committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlot's houses. They were as fed horses in the morning. Everyone neighed after his neighbor's wife. Shall I not visit for these things, said the Lord, and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? Wow.

[John Weaver] So what did God do? He blessed these people. He fed them. What did they do? They turned around and used his blessings to commit idolatry, adultery, fornication, any and everything their hearts chose. Is it not the height of ungratefulness, unthankfulness, and dishonor to take the blessings of God and turn them into sin and into rebellion and idolatry? Is it not the height of wickedness to take the gifts and the mercies of God and turn around and use them as strength and energy to rebel against God?

[John Weaver] So the point I'm trying to make is this. We take advantage of God and we use his blessings to sin against him. So that brings me to another thought. And I'm going to say, in my estimation, it is a tremendous thought, as well as a very important question. God asks in Jeremiah 5, verse 7, how shall I pardon thee for this? And then he says in verse 9, he asks, shall I not visit for these things? That is, shall I not judge for these things?

[John Weaver] And shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? So here's the thought and here's the question. In light of Jeremiah chapter 5 verses 7 through 9, in fact all of Jeremiah chapter 5, is it possible that we may abuse the mercies of God in such a way that He ultimately withholds them from us? Stop and think about that. Is it possible that we abuse the mercies of God in such a way that he will ultimately withhold those mercies from us?

[John Weaver] Let me try to answer that by showing you several passages. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Proverbs 3 and verse 3. Then we'll go to the book of Isaiah. We'll look in Proverbs 3 and verse 3. Notice if you would, Proverbs 3, in fact let's read the first three verses. He says, My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments.

[John Weaver] For a length of days and long life and peace shall they add to thee. Now look at verse 3. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee. bind them about thy neck, write them upon the table of thine heart." So he says, let not mercy and truth forsake thee. If he tells us, let not mercy and truth forsake us, that means it is possible that mercy and truth may forsake us. If you would look in Isaiah chapter 63 and verse 15, Isaiah 63, verse 15 look what Isaiah says Isaiah 63 verse 15 look down from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies

[John Weaver] toward me are they restrained to restrain is to hold back. So he's asking, are your mercies being held back? Look in Isaiah chapter 47. Isaiah 47 and verse 6. Look what God did. Isaiah 47 and verse 6. He said, I was wroth with my people. I have polluted mine inheritance and give them into thine hand, that is in the hand of the Chaldeans. Thou did show them no mercy upon the ancient has thou very heavily laid thy yoke God said I deliver him unto you and you showed them no mercy if you would look in Psalm 77 and verse 9 David asked a very important question here Psalm 77 in verse 9 David asked forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?"

[John Weaver] And then he says, Selah. You know what the word Selah means? It literally means to pause, stop, and think about it. So the question is, watch it now, hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? So when you pause and think about that, you have to understand that, yes, God could, in His righteous anger, withhold His mercies. That is why in Psalm 40 and verse 11, just turn there very quickly, Psalm 40 and verse 11, look at David's prayer request. Psalm 40 verse 11, David prays, and this is his prayer request,"...withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord. Let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me." So David is recognizing that God could lawfully, justly, and rightly withhold his tender mercies. So this request in Psalm 40 and verse 11 indeed teaches us that God may righteously withhold His blessings and His mercies. So let me put it to you very plainly, very bluntly, God does not owe us anything. God does not owe any individual anything.

[John Weaver] He does not owe any family anything. He does not owe any church anything. He does not owe any society anything He does not owe any culture anything. He does not owe any nation anything God is sovereign and God cannot be brought into obligation So let me ask you this If God restrain his mercies if God can withhold his mercies if God according scripture can shut up his mercies have you ever wondered what it would be like in a society in a culture or in a nation where God actually did that If you've never really wondered what it would be like to live in a society or a nation where God had restrained or shut up or Withheld his mercies.

[John Weaver] I'll show you if you will turn in your Bibles to Jeremiah chapter 16 Jeremiah chapter 16 and I want us to read the first 13 verses Jeremiah 16 beginning there with verse 1 Jeremiah 16, verse 1, here it is, The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place. For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bear them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land, shall die of grievous deaths, and they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried, but they shall be

[John Weaver] as dung upon the face of the earth, and they shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of heaven and for the beasts of the earth." Now watch For thus, saith the Lord, enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament or bemoan them. For I, that is God, for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, even loving kindness and mercies.

[John Weaver] Both the great and the small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried. Neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them. Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead. Neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or their mother. Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them, to eat and to drink. For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will constantly cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, this shall come to pass, when thou shalt show this people all these words, And they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us?

[John Weaver] Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God? Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law, and you have done worse than your fathers. Behold you walk everyone after the imagination of his evil heart that they may not hearken unto me Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that you know not Neither you nor your fathers and there shall you serve other gods day and night where I will show you no

[John Weaver] favor notice if you would please back in verse 5 and God says, for I have taken away my peace from this people, said the Lord, even loving kindness and mercy. And now in verse 13, God says, I will show them no favor.

[John Weaver] Now, it is not just individuals. It is not just families. It is not just churches that need the mercies of God. societies, cultures, and nations must receive the mercies of God or perish. Go back to Psalm 136. Look at our text. I will point something out in just a moment. It is true that God is a merciful God. It is true that his mercies endure forever But may I remind you of something? God does not owe anyone anything Okay, so look in verse 10 Psalm 136 verse 10 to him that smote Egypt in their firstborn For its mercy endureth forever Well, let me ask you a question Was God being merciful to Israel in judging Egypt? And what's the answer? Yes. But was He being merciful to the Egyptians? No. Look in verse 15. But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea for His mercy endureth forever. Was God being merciful to Israel in saving them? Yes. And if you think drowning in the Red Sea is an act of mercy, I don't want that kind of mercy.

[John Weaver] He was not merciful to them. He judged them. He did not owe them anything. He does not owe us anything. Look at Sihon and Og. Skip down to verse 17. We'll read through verse 22. Watch. To him which smote great kings for his mercy endureth forever. and slew famous kings for His mercy endureth forever. Now He names two, Sihon king of the Amorites for His mercy endureth forever, and Og the king of Bashan for His mercy endureth forever, and gave their land for an heritage for His mercy endureth forever, even an heritage unto Israel His servant for His mercy endureth forever.

[John Weaver] Now the question is did God owe Pharaoh mercies? No. Did He owe Egypt mercies? No. Did he owe Sihon mercies? No. Did he owe Og mercies? No. Did he owe their societies, their culture, their dominion mercy, their nations? No. And they did not receive mercy. God does not owe America mercy. God does not owe anyone anything. What did he say turn there turn in your Bible? So Romans chapter 9 I Can quote it, but I want you to see it look in Romans chapter 9 Notice if you would please Romans chapter 9 Verse 15 Paul is quoting what God said to Moses Romans 9 verse 15 for he saith to Moses that I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Let's read on down. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even with this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

[John Weaver] Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Did God owe Pharaoh anything he answers absolutely not While you're in the book of Romans turn if you would please to Romans chapter 11 Romans 11 and let's begin reading with verse 33 here the last three verses in Romans and you should be absolutely familiar with these verses But look at them Romans 11 verse 33. Oh the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God Han searchable or his judgments and his ways past finding out verse 34 for who has known the mind of the Lord no one there would have been his counselor no one or who have first given to him a shall

[John Weaver] be recompensed unto him again. For off him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." Now go back to verse 35, and it shall be recompensed unto him." The reason you cannot bring God into your obligation is you cannot first give to God. You say, well, I can give Him praise. You might give Him praise, but He gave you breath, He gave you life, He gave you being. You say, well, I can tithe. Well, wonderful, but everything you tithe, God already gave you. No one can first give to God. It is impossible to bring God into obligation. No. Now, here's the thing.

[John Weaver] We can grasp these facts when we apply them to the heathen. We can grasp these facts when we apply them to people who hate God and who are fighting against Him. But, What about applying them to his professed people? So here's my question. Is it possible for God to withhold his mercies from his professing people? And the answer is yes. And in his faithfulness, when he judges us, he always reserves to himself a remnant. Let me show you.

[John Weaver] Turn in your Bibles to the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah chapter 9. Nehemiah chapter 9. And we're going to begin reading with verse 21. read through verse 31 Watch if you would and this applies to God's people now Watch carefully Nehemiah 9 verse 21 Yea, 40 years to self sustain them in the wilderness so that they lack nothing Their clothes wax not old and their feet swell not so God provided protected preserved and Verse 22, Moreover

[John Weaver] thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners. So they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. Their children also multiplies thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land concerning which thou hast promised their fathers, that they should go in to possess it. So the children went in possessed the land and thou subduest before them the inhabitants of the land the Canaanites and Gave them into their hands with their kings and the people of the land that they might do with them as they would And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed

[John Weaver] houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance. So they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness. Nevertheless, watch, after all those blessings and mercies, nevertheless, they were disobedient. and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets, which testified against them, to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations. Therefore thou delivers them into the hand of their enemies, who vex them, and in the time of their trouble, When they cried unto thee, thou harnessed them from heaven, and according to thy manifold mercies, there it is, and according to thy manifold mercies, thou gavest them saviors, or judges, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee. Therefore leftest thou them into the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them. Yet when they returned and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven, and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies.

[John Weaver] Now watch, and testifiest against them, that thou mightest bring them again into thy law. Yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments. Which if a man do, he shall live in them, and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear. Yet in many years didst thou forbear them, and testify against them by thy spirit in the prophets. Yet would they not give ear, or watch? Therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the land. Nevertheless, for thy great mercy's sake, thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them, for thou art a gracious and merciful God. Now what did God do to his people? He judged them. He destroyed them.

[John Weaver] But he saved a remnant. You remember how Elijah said, I only am left? And what did God say to Elijah? I've reserved to myself 7,000 that have not bowed the knee to Baal. Here's something, the interesting thing we can apply is this, the very fact that God has not consumed us, the very fact that He has not destroyed us, the very fact that He has not annihilated us is proof positive of His tender mercies. God does not know or owe us anything and yet We're not destroyed. God is still merciful. When we cry to him, begging for help, we must do so begging for his mercies, for he does not owe us anything. You can't come to God and say, well, Lord, I've done this for you, now you need to do this for me. God is not in your debt. When we come to him, we beg him for his mercies through Jesus Christ. What God does for us is based upon his grace and mercy in Christ.

[John Weaver] That's why David prayed in Psalm 44 and verse 26, arise for our help and redeem us for thy mercy's sake. not because we've done good or not because we are your people or not because of no no you redeem us for your mercies sake God does not owe us anything and yet his tender mercies endure forever and the very fact that we're not consumed is evidence of his mercies now let me make a couple of applications.

[John Weaver] The first one is this, we must acknowledge with Jacob the truth of our undeserving character. Jacob said this in Genesis 32 in verse 10, I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies and of all thy truth which thou hast shown unto thy servant. What did Jacob say? Lord I am not deserving of anything. Oh, how God protected Jacob. How God provided for Jacob. How God preserved Jacob.

[John Weaver] It's a miraculous life that he lived. And yet he confessed, I'm not worthy of the least of thy mercies and of all thy truth which you've showed me. Do you understand that any and everything we receive outside of judgment and justice is mercy? Let me show you. Look back in your Bible. So Psalm 136. you really contemplate this, if you really comprehend this, then you ought to really be applying verse 26 of Psalm 136. If you understand that anything that we receive of God outside of justice and judgment is mercy, look in verse 26,"'Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, or unto the God of heaven, for His mercy endureth forever.'" How often should we be thanking Him because of His mercy? Actually, we could thank him not just every day not just every hour not just every minute But every second and every moment and every millisecond Because it's only his mercy that allows us to live So if we really understand his mercies we ought to be continually Giving him. Thanks. Here's the second application We need to learn if we want to receive mercy We need to learn to show mercy In the book of James chapter 2 in verse 13 the Bible says for he shall have judgment without mercy that has showed no mercy and Mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

[John Weaver] So God said if you want just judgment You don't show any mercy Because God said if you don't show any mercy, I won't show you any mercy I don't have time to go back and tell you about you remember the man who owed his king so great a price and the king said throw him in prison till he pays the uttermost farthing and And the man said have mercy Oh king. I'll pay thee all and the king forgave him and Then he went out and found Another servant that owed him ten pence which is very minor and he grabbed him by the throat And said pay me that thou owest he fell at his feet and said have mercy and I'll pay thee everything But he would not and he threw him into prison and when the king heard what he had done to someone else He brought him back And so I'll do the same to you So if you and I want God's mercy we must learn to show mercy Here's another thought.

[John Weaver] I don't know that if you have put two and two together in Psalm 136 But you have to understand that when God shows mercy to his people He destroys their enemies When God showed mercy to Israel he destroyed Egypt when God showed mercy to lot He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah When God showed mercy to Joshua and those people, he destroyed all the inhabitants of the land. You really and truly cannot have mercy without judgment. Mercy and judgment go together. Someone says, well, I don't know that much about judgment, but I'm just going to pray the Lord's prayer.

[John Weaver] Our Father, who are in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Stop. When you pray, thy kingdom come, you're praying for the destruction of all the other kingdoms. The kingdoms of man, the kingdom of Satan, And when you're praying, Thy will be done on earth, what are you saying? God, Your will, not the will of the New World Order, not the will of George Soros, not the will of the Illuminati, not the will of all of these reprobates. No, no. Your will be done. You cannot even pray the Lord's Prayer without praying judgment against His enemies. So mercy and judgment go together.

[John Weaver] I want to emphasize this. You need to learn to thank God as often as possible for every mercy that God has given to you. God, in his mercy, has allowed us to live. The one hobby, if you would call it a hobby, and it's not really a hobby. The one thing that I do, outside of preaching and studying and whatever else I have to do, is I enjoy hunting.

[John Weaver] But my wife can tell you, I deer hunt, but I don't shoot babies. I don't shoot little spikes. I don't shoot does. And if anybody comes to my place and goes hunting, I say, well, you just do not shoot a little one. Why? Well, here it is. God has been merciful and gracious to me and allowed me to grow old and mature. And you know, I would think that little deer would like to experience life as well. Any animal like that. Do you see how, if you understand God's mercies, how it's going to apply to every area of your life. In fact the Bible says the righteous man regarded the life of his beast but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. And when you begin to see how God has given you truth and God has given you grace and God has allowed you to live and God has allowed your children to live and to prosper and God has given you family and God has given you His truth.

[John Weaver] You ought to really be applying verse 26. Oh, give thanks unto the God of heaven for his mercy endureth forever. And God does not owe us anything, but thankfully he's merciful and he gives. Father in the name of Jesus Christ. We bow to thee this day. We thank you for your mercy We thank you for your truth. We ask father that you would make us more thankful more grateful and more appreciative of Everything that you've done for us.

[John Weaver] We pray for these on the prayer list We pray for Heath we pray for Steve We pray for John Cain's family. We pray for Effie's family. We pray for David's family today Lord We pray for each one and ask that you would undertake for them. Thank you for sparing us and giving us life and health. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] so so

God Does Not Owe You Anything

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	E-3QG0Yy2Ms
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Exodus: Bondage, Deliverance, and Passover: As Yet
Genre	Sermon
Date	2017-01-10
Dictation Name
Book	Book 079: Exodus: Bondage, Deliverance, and Passover - Volume 2 — Chapter 28
Source Timed Segments	63

Formatted Transcript

Introduction to Psalm 136 and God's Mercy

The psalm emphasizes God's enduring mercy in every verse, likely written by David for temple worship.

Psalm 136. There's only 26 verses there, so we're going to read all of them. The title of the message is, "God Does Not Owe You Anything."

Notice Psalm 136.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 136:1-26

"O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks unto the God of gods, for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his mercy endureth forever. To him who alone doeth great wonders, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that by wisdom made the heavens, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that made great lights, for his mercy endureth forever. The sun to rule by day, for his mercy endureth forever. The moon and the stars to rule by night, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn, for his mercy endureth forever. And brought out Israel from among them, for his mercy endureth forever, with a strong hand, with a stretched out arm, for his mercy endureth forever. To him which divided the Red Sea into parts, for his mercy endureth forever, and made Israel to pass through the midst of it, for his mercy endureth forever." "But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his mercy endureth forever. To him which led his people through the wilderness, for his mercy endureth forever. To him which smote great kings, for his mercy endureth forever, and slew famous kings, for his mercy endureth forever, Sihon king of the Amorites, for his mercy endureth forever, and Og the king of Bashan, for his mercy endureth forever, and gave their land for an heritage, for his mercy endureth forever, even an heritage unto Israel his servant, for his mercy endureth forever, who remembered us in our lowest state, for his mercy endureth forever. And hath redeemed us from our enemies, for his mercy endureth forever. Who giveth food to all flesh, for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven, for his mercy endureth forever."

Obviously I think you can tell by this passage that God is indeed merciful. In fact the scripture says repeatedly that his mercy endures forever. Now this psalm is absolutely wonderful and it emphasizes the mercies of God in every verse. Evidently this psalm, although there is no title to it, and no name ascribed to it, was written by David. Because the Bible tells us in 1 Chronicles 16, verses 41-43,

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 16:41-43

"And with them Heman, and Jeduthun, and the rest were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks unto the Lord, because his mercy endureth forever. And with them Heman, and Jeduthun, with trumpets and cymbals, for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God, the sons of Jeduthun were porters. And all the people departed every man to his house, and David returned to bless his own house."

So David evidently wrote this psalm, and it was a psalm of course to praise the Lord for His infinite mercy.

Solomon his son used this same truth in dedicating the Temple. For instance in 2 Chronicles 7 verse 3 the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 7:3,6

"And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good, his mercy endureth forever."

And then again in verse 6, "And the priests waited on their offices, the Levites also with instruments of music of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth forever."

The Multitude of God's Mercies

God's mercies are innumerable and originate from Him as the Father of mercies; they are prominent throughout Scripture.

So, you will find these verses spread throughout all of Scripture. Interestingly, King Jehoshaphat applied the mercies of God to warfare. In fact, it was King Jehoshaphat who consulted with the people and appointed singers to go out before the army to sing praises before the Lord. In fact in 2 Chronicles 20 and verse 21 the Bible says this,

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 20:21

"And when he, that is Jehoshaphat, had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, that should praise the beauty of his holiness, as they went out before the army, to say, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth forever."

I can see that on the battlefield, a bunch of musicians going out first and praising the Lord and saying, "His mercy endureth forever." There are so many verses in the Bible that refer to God's mercies, it would be impossible to quote them all in one message. David, confessing his sins, in Psalm 51 and verse 1 said this, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord, according to thy lovingkindness, and according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions."

So, obviously David wanted God's mercies as well. And the truth is His mercies are indeed multitudinous. There's absolutely no way that any of us could name all of God's mercies, or even name all of God's mercies to ourselves. I'll point out a little bit later, most of the time we take them for granted anyhow, and we don't even think of them. But may I point out that God is specifically referred to as the Father of mercies in 2 Corinthians 1 and verse 3. The Apostle Paul said, "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort." So anytime anyone receives any mercies, God is the originator, God is the source. There are no mercies except originally and initially from Him. Now the truth of God's mercies happens to be prominent not only in the Old Testament but in the New Testament as well. Let me just give you two verses in the Old Testament. The first one is Exodus 34 and verse 6 where Moses wanted to see the glory of God.

And the Bible tells us, "And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth." So part of God's glory is indeed His mercy. And then in Deuteronomy 4 in verse 31, "For the Lord our God is a merciful God. He will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of our fathers which he sware unto them." When you look at Psalm 136 it has been one of my favorite psalms for a long time. But every time I read this psalm I envision a pastor with a clear, distinct, deep voice reading the first part of each verse and then a choir standing behind him finishing the verse in unison saying, "For his mercy endureth forever." So you can read it like that where one would say, "O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good." Then the choir saying, "For his mercy endureth forever." Every time there is a verse in Psalm 136 the refrain is "For his mercy endureth forever." So here's a question for you to consider: Have you ever paused and contemplated upon the mercies of God in your daily life?

Taking Mercies for Granted

People often overlook God's daily mercies, assuming they will always continue, and develop an attitude that God owes them.

Have you ever paused just to think how God has provided for you and how he's protected you, how he's preserved you, and how he's been gracious to you in his providence? Years ago, we had a man in our church by the name of Wayne Coulter. He was an older man, and he liked to play golf. And I went with him several times, not that I cared anything about golf, but I did appreciate the fellowship and the fact that I got a little bit of exercise as I walked with him. And he was driving his car and we were going to the golf course in Folkston, Georgia. And right before you get to that golf course, you have to cross over a railroad track. Of course, there were no arms at that particular time. And so he pulled up to the railroad track and slowed down and the car was still rolling just a little. And I saw Wayne look to the left. And when he did that, I immediately looked to the right.

And what I saw was a train barreling and I said somehow very calmly, "You better woe or go." And thankfully all he heard was "woe" and he slammed on brakes and when he did the train went right by. And it was a long—I just sat there when the train went by and we could go. I looked at Brother Coulter and I said, "What do you say we just sit here for a few minutes and thank God?" He said, "I believe that would be appropriate." All of a sudden I think he had kind of lost his taste for golf at that particular time as well. But I could multiply illustrations in my life how God has been so merciful to me. And I stand amazed at the mercies that God has given to me through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that I am a sinner. I know that I have sinned. I know that the penalty and the wages of sin happens to be death. And I understand that as a sinner I do not deserve anything but judgment. And yet God in His grace and mercy has not only saved me but He called me into the ministry. He has given me the opportunity to preach and to teach His Word. Given me a wonderful wife and family and friends. I mean when you just stop and think how gracious God has been unto you.

And when you begin to read a passage like Psalm 113 verse 3 where the scripture says, "If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" So if God took His divine pen and began to scribble down every one of our iniquities and God marked them down, the question is who could stand? Now, when you stop and think about this, the question that comes to your mind, if God marked down all of these sins, if God marked down all of these iniquities against us, when He asked who should stand, you have to ask how many times in your life should God have rightly, legitimately, and lawfully, and justly killed you? And yet He did not. He's a merciful God. So I cannot ever read this passage or even deal with this subject without thinking of Lamentations 3, verses 22 and 23. I should have adopted those verses as my life verses because I try to quote them every day and I quote them so often. Jeremiah wrote,

Scripture Reading — Lamentations 3:22-23

"It is the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because thy compassions they fail not, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness."

Have you ever stopped to think about this? God not only gives us sleep and rest during the night, He also gives us mercies and compassions that are renewed every morning. The only reason we did not die during the night is because of God's mercies and God's compassion. And so when you awaken every morning, the first thing I want to do is to thank Him for allowing us to awaken. A lot of people go to sleep and never wake up. My mother went to sleep and never woke up. John Battelle went to sleep one night with no problems and never woke up.

John Cain, who was just praying for his family, went to sleep on Saturday, never woke up. So I'm just simply saying, if you are able to open your eyes, you ought to be thanking God that you're still alive. And the only reason you're still alive is because of His mercies and His compassions. The problem that we have is this, so often we have been blessed with God's mercies that we take them for granted. We assume that they're going to always be there. I want you to hold Psalm 136 but look in your Bibles to Luke chapter 17. Luke chapter 17 and let's begin reading there with verse 11. Luke 17 and verse 11. And let me show you where we are basically today in our lives. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the third book in the New Testament, Luke 17. Notice if you would please verse 11. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Luke 17:11-19

"And it came to pass as he went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee."

"And as he entered into a certain village there met him ten men that were lepers which stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said to them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks." Watch, "for he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that return to give glory to God save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise and go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole." Evidently the other nine were Israelites. This one was a Samaritan whom our Lord designated as a stranger, that is, as a foreigner, as an alien. And he's the only one that really, genuinely appreciated the mercies of God. Just stop and think about how many times you have been sick and God has healed you. You've gotten well. You've recovered. Or think about the individuals who have been sick seemingly all of their lives and yet at the same time God has kept them alive. It's absolutely astounding when you pause to think of the mercies of God.

We have become so accustomed to God's mercies that we have taken a position where we assume that they're always going to be there. In fact, oftentimes we develop an attitude that God owes us. In fact, we tend to take the lesser mercies of God for granted. Oftentimes we are aware of the greater mercies, but it's the lesser ones that we just overlook. What do I mean by the lesser mercies? Well, let's look at our Bible, so Psalm 145. Let me show you several passages right quickly. We'll come right back to Psalm 136. But look in Psalm 145 and notice verse 9. Here's a statement, a truth. Psalm 145 verse 9.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 145:9,15-16

"The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works."

The Lord is good to all. Now I want you to turn to Psalm 136 and look in verse 25. Here he says, "Who giveth food to all flesh, for his mercy endureth forever." Now, go back to Psalm 145 and look at verses 15 and 16. Psalm 145, verse 15, "The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." Note "the eyes of all wait upon thee" and "thou givest them their meat in due season." Now if you want to know what it means "the eyes of all wait upon thee," you just have a puppy, you have a dog, and you feed him often from your hand, and sometimes they'll just sit there and just look and waiting, they are expecting something from your hand. That is exactly what it means, "the eyes of all wait upon thee." God has fed us so often that we just simply wait for Him to hand it to us. Look if you would in Psalm 147 verse 9, here the scripture says, "He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry."

God's Mercies to All Creation

God provides food and life to all, even the wicked, demonstrating His goodness to all without obligation.

Well, let's look at our Bible, so Psalm 145. Let me show you several passages right quickly. We'll come right back to Psalm 136. But look in Psalm 145 and notice verse 9. Here's a statement, a truth. Psalm 145 verse 9.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 145:9,15-16

"The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works."

Now, you know the problem is this, even as children they always look to mom and dad. Mom and daddy will feed us. Mom and daddy will clothe us. Mom and daddy will buy this for us. Even as kids, we never stop to think, where does mother and dad receive their breath? Where do they receive their ability? Where do they receive their intellect? Where do they receive all of their blessings? We never even stop to think about that. And so many times today, oh, you know, we have eaten so much and enjoyed so much, most of the time we don't ever think about thanking God for our food. You know, the Bible says in Acts 14 and verse 17, the Apostle Paul says, "Nevertheless, God left not himself without witness in that he did good and he gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." So God in His providence does indeed supply all of our needs. Stop and think about this.

The most wicked and the most vile sinner, even the worst in this world, all taste of God's mercy. Even those wicked, vile individuals who fight against God and hate God eat at His table of mercy. Because it's God who gives them life. It's God who gives them the ability to eat. It's God who gives them the ability to even fight the strength. All God has to do is withhold or restrain their breath and they just simply die. So even the wicked get the crumbs of God's mercies.

That's why the Bible said earlier, "The Lord is good to all." The dew that drops upon the flowers also drops upon the weeds as well. The sun shines upon the just and the unjust. Pharaoh's head was crowned although his heart was hardened. Many who spurn and hate the grace of God still drink of God's mercies because without them they would not live.

Forgetting Mercies Leads to Sin

Forgetting God's mercies leads to rebellion and using His blessings for sin, as Israel did in the wilderness.

Now let me offer something for your consideration. Have you considered that one of the reasons for our sinfulness, one of the reasons for our disobedience and our rebellion is simply that we forget all that God has done for us. What do I mean that we forget? Well, like I said earlier, we assume, we take for granted. But I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 106 and look if you would please at verse 7. Psalm 106 and verse 7.

Then I'm going to show you an illustration of it. Psalm 106 verse 7. Look what the psalmist said.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 106:7

"Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt. They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies, but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red Sea."

So the fathers did not really understand the impact and the implication of all those miracles and all those wonders in Egypt. And even though God delivered them miraculously, they remembered not the multitude of His mercies. So since they were forgetful of all of His mercies, what did they do? They provoked him at the sea, even at the Red Sea. Not only did they provoke him at the Red Sea, they provoked him all through the wilderness. You know, it's amazing to me how people could see God smite Egypt with those ten plagues, deliver them miraculously, open the waters of the Red Sea, let them walk across on dry ground, and then turn around and see Pharaoh and his hosts drowned in the sea, and then get

in the wilderness and say to God, "You brought us out here to die. You hated us." How can you do that? The only way you can do that is that you forget God's mercies. You don't even think about them. So let me show you. Turn in your Bible to Jeremiah chapter 5. Jeremiah chapter 5. Now I want to read verses 7 through 9. You don't matter people who forgot God's mercies and perverted them. Here it is. Jeremiah 5 verse 7. God asked, "How shall I pardon thee for this?"

Now look what he says. "My children have forgotten me and have sworn by them that are no gods." And look what he did. "When I fed them to the full, then they committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. They were as fed horses in the morning. Everyone neighed after his neighbor's wife. Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord, and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" Wow.

So what did God do? He blessed these people. He fed them. What did they do? They turned around and used his blessings to commit idolatry, adultery, fornication, any and everything their hearts chose. Is it not the height of ungratefulness, unthankfulness, and dishonor to take the blessings of God and turn them into sin and into rebellion and idolatry? Is it not the height of wickedness to take the gifts and the mercies of God and turn around and use them as strength and energy to rebel against God?

So the point I'm trying to make is this. We take advantage of God and we use his blessings to sin against him. So that brings me to another thought. And I'm going to say, in my estimation, it is a tremendous thought, as well as a very important question. God asks in Jeremiah 5, verse 7, "How shall I pardon thee for this?" And then he says in verse 9, he asks, "Shall I not visit for these things?" That is, shall I not judge for these things?

Can God Withhold His Mercies?

Scripture shows that God can righteously withhold mercy from individuals and nations who abuse it.

"And shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" So here's the thought and here's the question. In light of Jeremiah chapter 5 verses 7 through 9, in fact all of Jeremiah chapter 5, is it possible that we may abuse the mercies of God in such a way that He ultimately withholds them from us? Stop and think about that. Is it possible that we abuse the mercies of God in such a way that he will ultimately withhold those mercies from us? Let me try to answer that by showing you several passages. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Proverbs 3 and verse 3. Then we'll go to the book of Isaiah. We'll look in Proverbs 3 and verse 3. Notice if you would, Proverbs 3, in fact let's read the first three verses. He says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 3:1-3

"My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments."

"For a length of days and long life and peace shall they add to thee." Now look at verse 3. "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee. Bind them about thy neck, write them upon the table of thine heart." So he says, "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee." If he tells us, "Let not mercy and truth forsake us," that means it is possible that mercy and truth may forsake us. If you would look in Isaiah chapter 63 and verse 15, Isaiah 63, verse 15, look what Isaiah says. Isaiah 63 verse 15,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 63:15

"Look down from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory. Where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? Are they restrained?"

To restrain is to hold back. So he's asking, "Are your mercies being held back?" Look in Isaiah chapter 47. Isaiah 47 and verse 6. Look what God did. Isaiah 47 and verse 6. He said, "I was wroth with my people. I have polluted mine inheritance and give them into thine hand," that is in the hand of the Chaldeans. "Thou did show them no mercy. Upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke." God said, "I delivered him unto you and you showed them no mercy." If you would look in Psalm 77 and verse 9, David asked a very important question here. Psalm 77 in verse 9, David asked, "Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?"

And then he says, "Selah." You know what the word Selah means? It literally means to pause, stop, and think about it. So the question is, watch it now,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 77:9

"Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?"

So when you pause and think about that, you have to understand that, yes, God could, in His righteous anger, withhold His mercies. That is why in Psalm 40 and verse 11, just turn there very quickly, Psalm 40 and verse 11, look at David's prayer request. Psalm 40 verse 11, David prays, and this is his prayer request, "Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord. Let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me." So David is recognizing that God could lawfully, justly, and rightly withhold his tender mercies. So this request in Psalm 40 and verse 11 indeed teaches us that God may righteously withhold His blessings and His mercies. So let me put it to you very plainly, very bluntly, God does not owe us anything. God does not owe any individual anything.

He does not owe any family anything. He does not owe any church anything. He does not owe any society anything. He does not owe any culture anything. He does not owe any nation anything. God is sovereign and God cannot be brought into obligation. So let me ask you this. If God restrain his mercies, if God can withhold his mercies, if God according to scripture can shut up his mercies, have you ever wondered what it would be like in a society, in a culture, or in a nation where God actually did that? If you've never really wondered what it would be like to live in a society or a nation where God had restrained or shut up or withheld his mercies.

A Nation Without Mercy

Jeremiah 16 depicts a society where God removes peace, lovingkindness, and mercies, resulting in devastation.

I'll show you if you will turn in your Bibles to Jeremiah chapter 16. Jeremiah chapter 16 and I want us to read the first 13 verses. Jeremiah 16 beginning there with verse 1. Jeremiah 16, verse 1, here it is, "The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place. For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bear them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land, they shall die of grievous deaths, and they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried, but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth, and they shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of heaven and for the beasts of the earth." Now watch. "For thus saith the Lord, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament or bemoan them. For I, that is God, for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, even lovingkindness and mercies."

"Both the great and the small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried. Neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them. Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead. Neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or their mother. Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them, to eat and to drink. For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. This shall come to pass, when thou shalt show this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us?"

"Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God? Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law, and you have done worse than your fathers. Behold you walk everyone after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me. Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that you know not, neither you nor your fathers, and there shall you serve other gods day and night, where I will show you no favor." Notice if you would please back in verse 5, and God says, "For I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, even lovingkindness and mercy." And now in verse 13, God says, "I will show them no favor."

God's Sovereignty in Mercy

God shows mercy on whom He wills; He owes no one, as seen in His judgment on Egypt, Sihon, and Og.

Now, it is not just individuals. It is not just families. It is not just churches that need the mercies of God. Societies, cultures, and nations must receive the mercies of God or perish. Go back to Psalm 136. Look at our text. I will point something out in just a moment. It is true that God is a merciful God. It is true that his mercies endure forever. But may I remind you of something? God does not owe anyone anything. Okay, so look in verse 10. Psalm 136 verse 10, "To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn, for his mercy endureth forever." Well, let me ask you a question. Was God being merciful to Israel in judging Egypt? And what's the answer? Yes. But was He being merciful to the Egyptians? No. Look in verse 15. "But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his mercy endureth forever." Was God being merciful to Israel in saving them? Yes. And if you think drowning in the Red Sea is an act of mercy, I don't want that kind of mercy.

He was not merciful to them. He judged them. He did not owe them anything. He does not owe us anything. Look at Sihon and Og. Skip down to verse 17. We'll read through verse 22. Watch. "To him which smote great kings, for his mercy endureth forever, and slew famous kings, for his mercy endureth forever." Now He names two, "Sihon king of the Amorites, for his mercy endureth forever, and Og the king of Bashan, for his mercy endureth forever, and gave their land for an heritage, for his mercy endureth forever, even an heritage unto Israel his servant, for his mercy endureth forever."

Now the question is, did God owe Pharaoh mercies? No. Did He owe Egypt mercies? No. Did he owe Sihon mercies? No. Did he owe Og mercies? No. Did he owe their societies, their culture, their dominion mercy, their nations? No. And they did not receive mercy. God does not owe America mercy. God does not owe anyone anything. What did he say? Turn there, turn in your Bible to Romans chapter 9. I can quote it, but I want you to see it. Look in Romans chapter 9. Notice if you would please Romans chapter 9 verse 15. Paul is quoting what God said to Moses. Romans 9 verse 15, "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy." Let's read on down. "For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even with this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth."

"Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." Did God owe Pharaoh anything? He answers absolutely not. While you're in the book of Romans, turn if you would please to Romans chapter 11. Romans 11 and let's begin reading with verse 33. Here the last three verses in Romans and you should be absolutely familiar with these verses. But look at them. Romans 11 verse 33. "Oh the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" Verse 34, "For who has known the mind of the Lord?" No one. "Or who hath been his counselor?" No one. "Or who hath first given to him, and it shall

be recompensed unto him again. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." Now go back to verse 35, "and it shall be recompensed unto him." The reason you cannot bring God into your obligation is you cannot first give to God. You say, "Well, I can give Him praise." You might give Him praise, but He gave you breath, He gave you life, He gave you being. You say, "Well, I can tithe." Well, wonderful, but everything you tithe, God already gave you. No one can first give to God. It is impossible to bring God into obligation. No. Now, here's the thing.

Mercy and Judgment for God's People

God may judge His professing people but always preserves a remnant; mercy and judgment are inseparable.

We can grasp these facts when we apply them to the heathen. We can grasp these facts when we apply them to people who hate God and who are fighting against Him. But, what about applying them to his professed people? So here's my question. Is it possible for God to withhold his mercies from his professing people? And the answer is yes. And in his faithfulness, when he judges us, he always reserves to himself a remnant. Let me show you.

Turn in your Bibles to the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah chapter 9. Nehemiah chapter 9. And we're going to begin reading with verse 21. Read through verse 31. Watch if you would and this applies to God's people now. Watch carefully. Nehemiah 9 verse 21, "Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing. Their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not." So God provided, protected, preserved. And verse 22, "Moreover

thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners. So they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land concerning which thou hast promised their fathers, that they should go in to possess it. So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would. And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance. So they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness. Nevertheless, watch, after all those blessings and mercies, nevertheless, they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets, which testified against them, to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations. Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them, and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven, and according to thy manifold mercies, there it is, and according to thy manifold mercies, thou gavest them saviors, or judges, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee. Therefore leftest thou them into the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them. Yet when they returned and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven, and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies.

Now watch, "and testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again into thy law. Yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them, and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear. Yet in many years didst thou forbear them, and testify against them by thy spirit in the prophets. Yet would they not give ear, or watch? Therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the land. Nevertheless, for thy great mercy's sake, thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them, for thou art a gracious and merciful God." Now what did God do to his people? He judged them. He destroyed them.

But he saved a remnant. You remember how Elijah said, "I only am left"? And what did God say to Elijah? "I've reserved to myself 7,000 that have not bowed the knee to Baal." Here's something, the interesting thing we can apply is this, the very fact that God has not consumed us, the very fact that He has not destroyed us, the very fact that He has not annihilated us is proof positive of His tender mercies. God does not owe us anything and yet we're not destroyed. God is still merciful. When we cry to him, begging for help, we must do so begging for his mercies, for he does not owe us anything. You can't come to God and say, "Well, Lord, I've done this for you, now you need to do this for me." God is not in your debt. When we come to him, we beg him for his mercies through Jesus Christ. What God does for us is based upon his grace and mercy in Christ.

Applications: Gratitude and Showing Mercy

We must acknowledge our unworthiness, give continual thanks, and show mercy to others to receive mercy.

That's why David prayed in Psalm 44 and verse 26, "Arise for our help and redeem us for thy mercy's sake," not because we've done good or not because we are your people or not because of—no, no, you redeem us for your mercies' sake. God does not owe us anything and yet his tender mercies endure forever and the very fact that we're not consumed is evidence of his mercies. Now let me make a couple of applications. The first one is this, we must acknowledge with Jacob the truth of our undeserving character. Jacob said this in Genesis 32 in verse 10, "I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies and of all thy truth which thou hast shown unto thy servant." What did Jacob say? "Lord, I am not deserving of anything." Oh, how God protected Jacob. How God provided for Jacob. How God preserved Jacob.

It's a miraculous life that he lived. And yet he confessed, "I'm not worthy of the least of thy mercies and of all thy truth which you've showed me." Do you understand that any and everything we receive outside of judgment and justice is mercy? Let me show you. Look back in your Bible to Psalm 136. If you really contemplate this, if you really comprehend this, then you ought to really be applying verse 26 of Psalm 136. If you understand that anything that we receive of God outside of justice and judgment is mercy, look in verse 26, "O give thanks unto the Lord, or unto the God of heaven, for his mercy endureth forever." How often should we be thanking Him because of His mercy? Actually, we could thank him not just every day, not just every hour, not just every minute, but every second and every moment and every millisecond, because it's only his mercy that allows us to live. So if we really understand his mercies, we ought to be continually giving him thanks. Here's the second application. We need to learn, if we want to receive mercy, we need to learn to show mercy. In the book of James chapter 2 in verse 13 the Bible says, "For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against judgment."

So God said if you want just judgment, you don't show any mercy. Because God said if you don't show any mercy, I won't show you any mercy. I don't have time to go back and tell you about—you remember the man who owed his king so great a price and the king said, "Throw him in prison till he pays the uttermost farthing"? And the man said, "Have mercy, O king. I'll pay thee all," and the king forgave him. And then he went out and found another servant that owed him ten pence, which is very minor, and he grabbed him by the throat and said, "Pay me that thou owest." He fell at his feet and said, "Have mercy and I'll pay thee everything." But he would not and he threw him into prison. And when the king heard what he had done to someone else, he brought him back and said, "I'll do the same to you." So if you and I want God's mercy, we must learn to show mercy. Here's another thought.

Mercy and Judgment in the Lord's Prayer

Praying 'Thy kingdom come' invokes judgment on God's enemies; mercy and judgment go together.

I don't know that if you have put two and two together in Psalm 136, but you have to understand that when God shows mercy to his people, He destroys their enemies. When God showed mercy to Israel, he destroyed Egypt. When God showed mercy to Lot, He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. When God showed mercy to Joshua and those people, he destroyed all the inhabitants of the land. You really and truly cannot have mercy without judgment. Mercy and judgment go together. Someone says, "Well, I don't know that much about judgment, but I'm just going to pray the Lord's prayer."

"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Stop. When you pray, "Thy kingdom come," you're praying for the destruction of all the other kingdoms. The kingdoms of man, the kingdom of Satan. And when you're praying, "Thy will be done on earth," what are you saying? "God, Your will, not the will of the New World Order, not the will of George Soros, not the will of the Illuminati, not the will of all of these reprobates. No, no. Your will be done." You cannot even pray the Lord's Prayer without praying judgment against His enemies. So mercy and judgment go together.

Living in Light of God's Mercy

Understanding God's mercy should affect all areas of life, leading to gratitude and righteous treatment of creation.

I want to emphasize this. You need to learn to thank God as often as possible for every mercy that God has given to you. God, in his mercy, has allowed us to live. The one hobby, if you would call it a hobby, and it's not really a hobby. The one thing that I do, outside of preaching and studying and whatever else I have to do, is I enjoy hunting.

But my wife can tell you, I deer hunt, but I don't shoot babies. I don't shoot little spikes. I don't shoot does. And if anybody comes to my place and goes hunting, I say, "Well, you just do not shoot a little one." Why? Well, here it is. God has been merciful and gracious to me and allowed me to grow old and mature. And you know, I would think that little deer would like to experience life as well. Any animal like that. Do you see how, if you understand God's mercies, how it's going to apply to every area of your life? In fact the Bible says, "The righteous man regardeth the life of his beast, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." And when you begin to see how God has given you truth and God has given you grace and God has allowed you to live and God has allowed your children to live and to prosper and God has given you family and God has given you His truth.

You ought to really be applying verse 26. "O give thanks unto the God of heaven for his mercy endureth forever." And God does not owe us anything, but thankfully he's merciful and he gives. Father in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day. We thank you for your mercy. We thank you for your truth. We ask Father that you would make us more thankful, more grateful, and more appreciative of everything that you've done for us. We pray for these on the prayer list. We pray for Heath. We pray for Steve. We pray for John Cain's family. We pray for Effie's family. We pray for David's family today, Lord. We pray for each one and ask that you would undertake for them. Thank you for sparing us and giving us life and health. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

God's Mercy Endures Forever

Summary: Psalm 136 repeatedly declares that God's mercy is everlasting, demonstrated in creation, deliverance, and provision.

Evidence: The refrain 'for his mercy endureth forever' is repeated in every verse of Psalm 136.

God Owes Nothing to Anyone

Summary: God is sovereign and cannot be brought into obligation; He shows mercy according to His will, not human merit.

Evidence: Romans 9:15 says, 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,' and Romans 11:35 asks, 'Who hath first given to him?'

The Danger of Taking Mercies for Granted

Summary: People often assume God's blessings will continue, leading to ingratitude and using His gifts for sin.

Evidence: Jeremiah 5:7-9 describes how Israel, when fed to the full, committed adultery and idolatry.

God Can Withhold Mercy

Summary: Scripture warns that God may restrain or shut up His tender mercies in response to persistent rebellion.

Evidence: Psalm 77:9 asks, 'Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?' and Jeremiah 16:5 says God took away peace and mercy.

Mercy and Judgment Are Inseparable

Summary: God's mercy to His people often involves judgment on their enemies; one cannot exist without the other.

Evidence: Psalm 136 shows mercy to Israel through the destruction of Egypt, Sihon, and Og.

The Necessity of Gratitude

Summary: Recognizing our unworthiness should lead to continual thanksgiving for every mercy, as commanded in Psalm 136:26.

Evidence: Jacob said, 'I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies' (Genesis 32:10), and the psalm ends with 'O give thanks.'

Showing Mercy to Receive Mercy

Summary: Those who do not show mercy will face judgment without mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

Evidence: James 2:13 states, 'He shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no mercy.'

God's Mercies Are New Every Morning

Summary: Daily survival and awakening are evidence of God's renewed compassions, not human deserving.

Evidence: Lamentations 3:22-23 says mercies are new every morning; the speaker quotes it as a life verse.

Key Arguments

God's mercy is not owed but freely given

Summary: Because no one can first give to God, He is never in debt; His mercy is sovereign and unconditional.

Evidence: Romans 11:35: 'Who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?'

Forgetting mercies leads to rebellion

Summary: Israel's failure to remember God's wonders resulted in provoking Him, showing that ingratitude fuels sin.

Evidence: Psalm 106:7: 'They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies, but provoked him at the sea.'

Abusing blessings can cause God to withhold mercy

Summary: When people use God's gifts for idolatry and sin, He may righteously remove His peace and favor.

Evidence: Jeremiah 5:7-9 and 16:5 show God taking away peace and mercy due to unfaithfulness.

Mercy for some means judgment for others

Summary: God's deliverance of Israel involved the destruction of Egypt and Canaanite kings, illustrating that mercy and judgment coexist.

Evidence: Psalm 136:10-22 recounts smiting Egypt and slaying Sihon and Og as acts of mercy for Israel.

Even the wicked receive common mercies

Summary: God's goodness extends to all through life, food, and rain, but these are not a guarantee of saving mercy.

Evidence: Psalm 145:9: 'The Lord is good to all,' and Acts 14:17 speaks of rain and fruitful seasons.

Continual thanksgiving is the proper response

Summary: Understanding that every breath is mercy should lead to constant gratitude, as Psalm 136:26 commands.

Evidence: The speaker emphasizes thanking God every second because His mercy alone sustains life.

Showing mercy is a condition for receiving mercy

Summary: The parable of the unforgiving servant and James 2:13 teach that mercilessness invites divine judgment.

Evidence: James 2:13: 'He shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no mercy.'

God's mercy is the only reason we are not consumed

Summary: Daily preservation is not due to human goodness but to God's compassions that never fail.

Evidence: Lamentations 3:22: 'It is the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.'

Scripture References

Psalm 136:1-26

Context: The entire psalm is read, emphasizing God's enduring mercy in creation, deliverance, and provision.

1 Chronicles 16:41-43

Context: Used to suggest Davidic authorship of Psalm 136, as David appointed singers to praise God's enduring mercy.

2 Chronicles 7:3,6

Context: Solomon's temple dedication echoed the refrain 'his mercy endureth forever' when fire came down.

2 Chronicles 20:21

Context: Jehoshaphat appointed singers to praise God's mercy before the army, showing mercy in warfare.

Psalm 51:1

Context: David pleaded for mercy based on God's lovingkindness and tender mercies after his sin.

2 Corinthians 1:3

Context: God is called the Father of mercies, indicating He is the source of all mercy.

Exodus 34:6

Context: God proclaimed His name as merciful and gracious when Moses asked to see His glory.

Deuteronomy 4:31

Context: God is a merciful God who will not forsake His people or forget His covenant.

Psalm 113:3

Context: Quoted as 'If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?' to show human sinfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

Context: Mercies are new every morning; the speaker quotes this as a daily reminder of God's faithfulness.

Luke 17:11-19

Context: The healing of ten lepers, with only the Samaritan returning to give thanks, illustrates ingratitude.

Psalm 145:9,15-16

Context: God is good to all, giving food in due season; His tender mercies are over all His works.

Psalm 147:9

Context: God gives food to beasts and young ravens, showing His provision for all creatures.

Acts 14:17

Context: God gave rain and fruitful seasons, filling hearts with food and gladness as a witness.

Psalm 106:7

Context: Israel forgot God's mercies and provoked Him at the Red Sea, leading to rebellion.

Jeremiah 5:7-9

Context: When God fed Israel to the full, they committed adultery; God asks how He can pardon such sin.

Proverbs 3:1-3

Context: Commands not to let mercy and truth forsake you, implying they can be lost.

Isaiah 63:15

Context: Isaiah asks if God's mercies are restrained, suggesting they can be held back.

Isaiah 47:6

Context: God gave Israel into the hand of the Chaldeans who showed no mercy, as a judgment.

Psalm 77:9

Context: David asks if God has in anger shut up His tender mercies, with 'Selah' to pause and consider.

Historical References

Davidic authorship of Psalm 136

Context: The speaker argues from 1 Chronicles 16 that David wrote the psalm for temple worship.

Solomon's temple dedication

Context: 2 Chronicles 7 records the use of 'his mercy endureth forever' when fire came down.

Jehoshaphat's battle singers

Context: Jehoshaphat appointed singers to praise God's mercy before the army, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 20.

The ten lepers healed by Jesus

Context: Only the Samaritan returned to give thanks, illustrating ingratitude among the Israelites.

Israel's wilderness rebellion

Context: Despite miracles, Israel forgot God's mercies and provoked Him, as in Psalm 106 and Nehemiah 9.

Destruction of Egypt, Sihon, and Og

Context: Psalm 136 recounts these judgments as acts of mercy for Israel, showing mercy and judgment together.

Elijah and the 7,000 remnant

Context: God preserved a faithful remnant in Israel despite widespread apostasy, as told to Elijah.

The unforgiving servant parable

Context: Jesus taught that those who refuse mercy will face judgment, referenced in application.

Personal anecdotes of God's protection

Context: The speaker shares a near-miss with a train and the sudden deaths of acquaintances to illustrate daily mercy.

Important Quotes

God does not owe us anything.

Significance: Central thesis of the sermon, emphasizing God's sovereignty and human unworthiness.

It is the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because thy compassions they fail not, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.

Significance: Key verse the speaker quotes daily to remember that survival depends on God's mercy.

I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies and of all thy truth which thou hast shown unto thy servant.

Significance: Jacob's confession models the proper attitude of humility before God's mercies.

Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?

Significance: Rhetorical question highlighting the possibility that God may withhold mercy in judgment.

For I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, even lovingkindness and mercies.

Significance: Sobering declaration that God can remove mercy from a nation, leading to devastation.

I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Significance: Foundational text for God's sovereign freedom in dispensing mercy.

O give thanks unto the God of heaven, for his mercy endureth forever.

Significance: The concluding application of the psalm, calling for continual gratitude.

He shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no mercy.

Significance: Warning that receiving mercy is linked to showing mercy to others.

Discussion Questions

In what ways do we take God's daily mercies for granted, and how can we cultivate a habit of gratitude?

Context: The speaker notes that we often overlook lesser mercies like food and breath.

How does the truth that God owes us nothing change the way we pray and approach Him?

Context: The sermon emphasizes that we cannot obligate God; we must beg for mercy.

What are some modern examples of using God's blessings for sinful purposes, as described in Jeremiah 5?

Context: Israel used God's provision for idolatry and adultery; the speaker asks if we do similarly.

How should the possibility that God may withhold mercy from a nation affect our prayers for our country?

Context: Jeremiah 16 shows God removing peace and mercy; the speaker applies this to America.

Why is it difficult to accept that God's mercy to some involves judgment on others?

Context: Psalm 136 pairs mercy for Israel with destruction of enemies; the speaker says mercy and judgment go together.

In what practical ways can we show mercy to others, and why is this essential for receiving mercy?

Context: James 2:13 and the unforgiving servant parable are cited as warnings.

How does remembering that 'mercies are new every morning' impact your perspective on daily life and trials?

Context: The speaker quotes Lamentations 3:22-23 as a daily reminder of God's faithfulness.

What does Jacob's confession 'I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies' teach us about humility before God?

Context: Jacob acknowledged his unworthiness despite God's abundant protection and provision.

Applications

Cultivate continual thanksgiving

Summary: Because every moment of life is a mercy, believers should thank God constantly, not just at meals or in crises.

Evidence: The speaker urges applying Psalm 136:26 by thanking God every second for His sustaining mercy.

Acknowledge unworthiness

Summary: Like Jacob, confess that we deserve nothing and that all blessings are undeserved mercies.

Evidence: Jacob said, 'I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies' (Genesis 32:10).

Show mercy to others

Summary: To receive mercy, we must actively show mercy in our relationships, forgiving and helping others.

Evidence: James 2:13 warns of judgment without mercy for the unmerciful.

Do not presume upon God's mercy

Summary: Avoid the attitude that God owes continued blessings; repent of taking His gifts for granted.

Evidence: The sermon warns that abusing mercies can lead to their withdrawal, as in Jeremiah 5 and 16.

Pray with humility for mercy

Summary: Approach God begging for mercy through Christ, not demanding based on personal merit or service.

Evidence: David prayed, 'Redeem us for thy mercy's sake' (Psalm 44:26).

Recognize mercy in daily preservation

Summary: Each morning, thank God for awakening, as sleep could have been death; mercies are new every day.

Evidence: Lamentations 3:22-23 and personal stories of sudden deaths illustrate this.

Extend mercy to all creation

Summary: Understanding God's mercy should lead to compassionate treatment of animals and the environment.

Evidence: The speaker applies the principle by not shooting young deer, citing Proverbs 12:10.

Pray for God's kingdom, accepting judgment on evil

Summary: When praying the Lord's Prayer, recognize that 'Thy kingdom come' implies the overthrow of all opposing kingdoms.

Evidence: The speaker explains that praying for God's will involves judgment on the world's systems.

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Clean Transcript

God Does Not Owe You Anything

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Psalm 136. There's only 26 verses there, so we're going to read all of them. The title of the message is, "God Does Not Owe You Anything."
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Notice Psalm 136. "O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks unto the God of gods, for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his mercy endureth forever. To him who alone doeth great wonders, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that by wisdom made the heavens, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that made great lights, for his mercy endureth forever. The sun to rule by day, for his mercy endureth forever. The moon and the stars to rule by night, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn, for his mercy endureth forever. And brought out Israel from among them, for his mercy endureth forever, with a strong hand, with a stretched out arm, for his mercy endureth forever. To him which divided the Red Sea into parts, for his mercy endureth forever, and made Israel to pass through the midst of it, for his mercy endureth forever."
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"But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his mercy endureth forever. To him which led his people through the wilderness, for his mercy endureth forever. To him which smote great kings, for his mercy endureth forever, and slew famous kings, for his mercy endureth forever, Sihon king of the Amorites, for his mercy endureth forever, and Og the king of Bashan, for his mercy endureth forever, and gave their land for an heritage, for his mercy endureth forever, even an heritage unto Israel his servant, for his mercy endureth forever, who remembered us in our lowest state, for his mercy endureth forever. And hath redeemed us from our enemies, for his mercy endureth forever. Who giveth food to all flesh, for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven, for his mercy endureth forever."
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Obviously I think you can tell by this passage that God is indeed merciful. In fact the scripture says repeatedly that his mercy endures forever.
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Now this psalm is absolutely wonderful and it emphasizes the mercies of God in every verse. Evidently this psalm, although there is no title to it, and no name ascribed to it, was written by David. Because the Bible tells us in 1 Chronicles 16, verses 41-43, "And with them Heman, and Jeduthun, and the rest were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks unto the Lord, because his mercy endureth forever. And with them Heman, and Jeduthun, with trumpets and cymbals, for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God, the sons of Jeduthun were porters. And all the people departed every man to his house, and David returned to bless his own house." So David evidently wrote this psalm, and it was a psalm of course to praise the Lord for His infinite mercy.
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Solomon his son used this same truth in dedicating the Temple. For instance in 2 Chronicles 7 verse 3 the Bible says, "And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good, his mercy endureth forever." And then again in verse 6, "And the priests waited on their offices, the Levites also with instruments of music of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth forever."
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So, you will find these verses spread throughout all of Scripture. Interestingly, King Jehoshaphat applied the mercies of God to warfare. In fact, it was King Jehoshaphat who consulted with the people and appointed singers to go out before the army to sing praises before the Lord. In fact in 2 Chronicles 20 and verse 21 the Bible says this, "And when he, that is Jehoshaphat, had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, that should praise the beauty of his holiness, as they went out before the army, to say, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth forever." I can see that on the battlefield, a bunch of musicians going out first and praising the Lord and saying, "His mercy endureth forever." There are so many verses in the Bible that refer to God's mercies, it would be impossible to quote them all in one message. David, confessing his sins, in Psalm 51 and verse 1 said this, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord, according to thy lovingkindness, and according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions."
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So, obviously David wanted God's mercies as well. And the truth is His mercies are indeed multitudinous. There's absolutely no way that any of us could name all of God's mercies, or even name all of God's mercies to ourselves. I'll point out a little bit later, most of the time we take them for granted anyhow, and we don't even think of them. But may I point out that God is specifically referred to as the Father of mercies in 2 Corinthians 1 and verse 3. The Apostle Paul said, "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort." So anytime anyone receives any mercies, God is the originator, God is the source. There are no mercies except originally and initially from Him. Now the truth of God's mercies happens to be prominent not only in the Old Testament but in the New Testament as well. Let me just give you two verses in the Old Testament. The first one is Exodus 34 and verse 6 where Moses wanted to see the glory of God.
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And the Bible tells us, "And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth." So part of God's glory is indeed His mercy. And then in Deuteronomy 4 in verse 31, "For the Lord our God is a merciful God. He will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of our fathers which he sware unto them." When you look at Psalm 136 it has been one of my favorite psalms for a long time. But every time I read this psalm I envision a pastor with a clear, distinct, deep voice reading the first part of each verse and then a choir standing behind him finishing the verse in unison saying, "For his mercy endureth forever." So you can read it like that where one would say, "O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good." Then the choir saying, "For his mercy endureth forever." Every time there is a verse in Psalm 136 the refrain is "For his mercy endureth forever." So here's a question for you to consider: Have you ever paused and contemplated upon the mercies of God in your daily life?
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Have you ever paused just to think how God has provided for you and how he's protected you, how he's preserved you, and how he's been gracious to you in his providence? Years ago, we had a man in our church by the name of Wayne Coulter. He was an older man, and he liked to play golf. And I went with him several times, not that I cared anything about golf, but I did appreciate the fellowship and the fact that I got a little bit of exercise as I walked with him. And he was driving his car and we were going to the golf course in Folkston, Georgia. And right before you get to that golf course, you have to cross over a railroad track. Of course, there were no arms at that particular time. And so he pulled up to the railroad track and slowed down and the car was still rolling just a little. And I saw Wayne look to the left. And when he did that, I immediately looked to the right.
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And what I saw was a train barreling and I said somehow very calmly, "You better woe or go." And thankfully all he heard was "woe" and he slammed on brakes and when he did the train went right by. And it was a long—I just sat there when the train went by and we could go. I looked at Brother Coulter and I said, "What do you say we just sit here for a few minutes and thank God?" He said, "I believe that would be appropriate."
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All of a sudden I think he had kind of lost his taste for golf at that particular time as well. But I could multiply illustrations in my life how God has been so merciful to me. And I stand amazed at the mercies that God has given to me through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that I am a sinner. I know that I have sinned. I know that the penalty and the wages of sin happens to be death. And I understand that as a sinner I do not deserve anything but judgment. And yet God in His grace and mercy has not only saved me but He called me into the ministry. He has given me the opportunity to preach and to teach His Word. Given me a wonderful wife and family and friends. I mean when you just stop and think how gracious God has been unto you.
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And when you begin to read a passage like Psalm 113 verse 3 where the scripture says, "If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" So if God took His divine pen and began to scribble down every one of our iniquities and God marked them down, the question is who could stand? Now, when you stop and think about this, the question that comes to your mind, if God marked down all of these sins, if God marked down all of these iniquities against us, when He asked who should stand, you have to ask how many times in your life should God have rightly, legitimately, and
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lawfully, and justly killed you? And yet He did not. He's a merciful God. So I cannot ever read this passage or even deal with this subject without thinking of Lamentations 3, verses 22 and 23. I should have adopted those verses as my life verses because I try to quote them every day and I quote them so often. Jeremiah wrote, "It is the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because thy compassions they fail not, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness." Have you ever stopped to think about this? God not only gives us sleep and rest during the night, He also gives us mercies and compassions that are renewed every morning. The only reason we did not die during the night is because of God's mercies and God's compassion. And so when you awaken every morning, the first thing I want to do is to thank Him for allowing us to awaken. A lot of people go to sleep and never wake up. My mother went to sleep and never woke up. John Battelle went to sleep one night with no problems and never woke up.
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John Cain, who was just praying for his family, went to sleep on Saturday, never woke up. So I'm just simply saying, if you are able to open your eyes, you ought to be thanking God that you're still alive. And the only reason you're still alive is because of His mercies and His compassions. The problem that we have is this, so often we have been blessed with God's mercies that we take them for granted. We assume that they're going to always be there.
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I want you to hold Psalm 136 but look in your Bibles to Luke chapter 17. Luke chapter 17 and let's begin reading there with verse 11. Luke 17 and verse 11. And let me show you where we are basically today in our lives. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the third book in the New Testament, Luke 17. Notice if you would please verse 11. The Bible says, "And it came to pass as he went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee."
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"And as he entered into a certain village there met him ten men that were lepers which stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said to them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks."
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Watch, "for he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that return to give glory to God save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise and go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole." Evidently the other nine were Israelites. This one was a Samaritan whom our Lord designated as a stranger, that is, as a foreigner, as an alien. And he's the only one that really, genuinely appreciated the mercies of God. Just stop and think about how many times you have been sick and God has healed you. You've gotten well. You've recovered. Or think about the individuals who have been sick seemingly all of their lives and yet at the same time God has kept them alive. It's absolutely astounding when you pause to think of the mercies of God.
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We have become so accustomed to God's mercies that we have taken a position where we assume that they're always going to be there. In fact, oftentimes we develop an attitude that God owes us. In fact, we tend to take the lesser mercies of God for granted. Oftentimes we are aware of the greater mercies, but it's the lesser ones that we just overlook. What do I mean by the lesser mercies?
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Well, let's look at our Bible, so Psalm 145. Let me show you several passages right quickly. We'll come right back to Psalm 136. But look in Psalm 145 and notice verse 9. Here's a statement, a truth. Psalm 145 verse 9. "The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works." The Lord is good to all. Now I want you to turn to Psalm 136 and look in verse 25.
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Here he says, "Who giveth food to all flesh, for his mercy endureth forever." Now, go back to Psalm 145 and look at verses 15 and 16. Psalm 145, verse 15, "The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." Note "the eyes of all wait upon thee" and "thou givest them their meat in due season." Now if you want to know what it means "the eyes of all wait upon thee," you just have a puppy, you have a dog, and you feed him often from your hand, and sometimes they'll just sit there and just look and waiting, they are expecting something from your hand. That is exactly what it means, "the eyes of all wait upon thee." God has fed us so often that we just simply wait for Him to hand it to us. Look if you would in Psalm 147 verse 9, here the scripture says, "He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry."
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Now, you know the problem is this, even as children they always look to mom and dad. Mom and daddy will feed us. Mom and daddy will clothe us. Mom and daddy will buy this for us. Even as kids, we never stop to think, where does mother and dad receive their breath? Where do they receive their ability? Where do they receive their intellect? Where do they receive all of their blessings? We never even stop to think about that. And so many times today, oh, you know, we have eaten so much and enjoyed so much, most of the time we don't ever think about thanking God for our food. You know, the Bible says in Acts 14 and verse 17, the Apostle Paul says, "Nevertheless, God left not himself without witness in that he did good and he gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." So God in His providence does indeed supply all of our needs. Stop and think about this.
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The most wicked and the most vile sinner, even the worst in this world, all taste of God's mercy. Even those wicked, vile individuals who fight against God and hate God eat at His table of mercy. Because it's God who gives them life. It's God who gives them the ability to eat. It's God who gives them the ability to even fight the strength. All God has to do is withhold or restrain their breath and they just simply die. So even the wicked get the crumbs of God's mercies.
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That's why the Bible said earlier, "The Lord is good to all." The dew that drops upon the flowers also drops upon the weeds as well. The sun shines upon the just and the unjust. Pharaoh's head was crowned although his heart was hardened. Many who spurn and hate the grace of God still drink of God's mercies because without them they would not live.
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Now let me offer something for your consideration. Have you considered that one of the reasons for our sinfulness, one of the reasons for our disobedience and our rebellion is simply that we forget all that God has done for us. What do I mean that we forget? Well, like I said earlier, we assume, we take for granted. But I want you to turn in your Bibles to Psalm 106 and look if you would please at verse 7. Psalm 106 and verse 7.
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Then I'm going to show you an illustration of it. Psalm 106 verse 7. Look what the psalmist said. "Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt. They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies, but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red Sea." So the fathers did not really understand the impact and the implication of all those miracles and all those wonders in Egypt. And even though God delivered them miraculously, they remembered not the multitude of His mercies. So since they were forgetful of all of His mercies, what did they do? They provoked him at the sea, even at the Red Sea. Not only did they provoke him at the Red Sea, they provoked him all through the wilderness. You know, it's amazing to me how people could see God smite Egypt with those ten plagues, deliver them miraculously, open the waters of the Red Sea, let them walk across on dry ground, and then turn around and see Pharaoh and his hosts drowned in the sea, and then get
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in the wilderness and say to God, "You brought us out here to die. You hated us." How can you do that? The only way you can do that is that you forget God's mercies. You don't even think about them. So let me show you. Turn in your Bible to Jeremiah chapter 5. Jeremiah chapter 5. Now I want to read verses 7 through 9. You don't matter people who forgot God's mercies and perverted them. Here it is. Jeremiah 5 verse 7. God asked, "How shall I pardon thee for this?"
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Now look what he says. "My children have forgotten me and have sworn by them that are no gods." And look what he did. "When I fed them to the full, then they committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. They were as fed horses in the morning. Everyone neighed after his neighbor's wife. Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord, and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" Wow.
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So what did God do? He blessed these people. He fed them. What did they do? They turned around and used his blessings to commit idolatry, adultery, fornication, any and everything their hearts chose. Is it not the height of ungratefulness, unthankfulness, and dishonor to take the blessings of God and turn them into sin and into rebellion and idolatry? Is it not the height of wickedness to take the gifts and the mercies of God and turn around and use them as strength and energy to rebel against God?
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So the point I'm trying to make is this. We take advantage of God and we use his blessings to sin against him. So that brings me to another thought. And I'm going to say, in my estimation, it is a tremendous thought, as well as a very important question. God asks in Jeremiah 5, verse 7, "How shall I pardon thee for this?" And then he says in verse 9, he asks, "Shall I not visit for these things?" That is, shall I not judge for these things?
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"And shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" So here's the thought and here's the question. In light of Jeremiah chapter 5 verses 7 through 9, in fact all of Jeremiah chapter 5, is it possible that we may abuse the mercies of God in such a way that He ultimately withholds them from us? Stop and think about that. Is it possible that we abuse the mercies of God in such a way that he will ultimately withhold those mercies from us?
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Let me try to answer that by showing you several passages. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Proverbs 3 and verse 3. Then we'll go to the book of Isaiah. We'll look in Proverbs 3 and verse 3. Notice if you would, Proverbs 3, in fact let's read the first three verses. He says, "My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments."
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"For a length of days and long life and peace shall they add to thee." Now look at verse 3. "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee. Bind them about thy neck, write them upon the table of thine heart." So he says, "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee." If he tells us, "Let not mercy and truth forsake us," that means it is possible that mercy and truth may forsake us. If you would look in Isaiah chapter 63 and verse 15, Isaiah 63, verse 15, look what Isaiah says. Isaiah 63 verse 15, "Look down from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory. Where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies
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toward me? Are they restrained?" To restrain is to hold back. So he's asking, "Are your mercies being held back?" Look in Isaiah chapter 47. Isaiah 47 and verse 6. Look what God did. Isaiah 47 and verse 6. He said, "I was wroth with my people. I have polluted mine inheritance and give them into thine hand," that is in the hand of the Chaldeans. "Thou did show them no mercy. Upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke." God said, "I delivered him unto you and you showed them no mercy." If you would look in Psalm 77 and verse 9, David asked a very important question here. Psalm 77 in verse 9, David asked, "Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?"
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And then he says, "Selah." You know what the word Selah means? It literally means to pause, stop, and think about it. So the question is, watch it now, "Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?" So when you pause and think about that, you have to understand that, yes, God could, in His righteous anger, withhold His mercies. That is why in Psalm 40 and verse 11, just turn there very quickly, Psalm 40 and verse 11, look at David's prayer request. Psalm 40 verse 11, David prays, and this is his prayer request, "Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord. Let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me." So David is recognizing that God could lawfully, justly, and rightly withhold his tender mercies. So this request in Psalm 40 and verse 11 indeed teaches us that God may righteously withhold His blessings and His mercies. So let me put it to you very plainly, very bluntly, God does not owe us anything. God does not owe any individual anything.
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He does not owe any family anything. He does not owe any church anything. He does not owe any society anything. He does not owe any culture anything. He does not owe any nation anything. God is sovereign and God cannot be brought into obligation. So let me ask you this. If God restrain his mercies, if God can withhold his mercies, if God according to scripture can shut up his mercies, have you ever wondered what it would be like in a society, in a culture, or in a nation where God actually did that? If you've never really wondered what it would be like to live in a society or a nation where God had restrained or shut up or withheld his mercies.
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I'll show you if you will turn in your Bibles to Jeremiah chapter 16. Jeremiah chapter 16 and I want us to read the first 13 verses. Jeremiah 16 beginning there with verse 1. Jeremiah 16, verse 1, here it is, "The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place. For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bear them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land, they shall die of grievous deaths, and they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried, but they shall be
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as dung upon the face of the earth, and they shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of heaven and for the beasts of the earth." Now watch. "For thus saith the Lord, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament or bemoan them. For I, that is God, for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, even lovingkindness and mercies."
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"Both the great and the small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried. Neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them. Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead. Neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or their mother. Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them, to eat and to drink. For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. This shall come to pass, when thou shalt show this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us?"
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"Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God? Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law, and you have done worse than your fathers. Behold you walk everyone after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me. Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that you know not, neither you nor your fathers, and there shall you serve other gods day and night, where I will show you no
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favor." Notice if you would please back in verse 5, and God says, "For I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, even lovingkindness and mercy." And now in verse 13, God says, "I will show them no favor."
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Now, it is not just individuals. It is not just families. It is not just churches that need the mercies of God. Societies, cultures, and nations must receive the mercies of God or perish. Go back to Psalm 136. Look at our text. I will point something out in just a moment. It is true that God is a merciful God. It is true that his mercies endure forever. But may I remind you of something? God does not owe anyone anything. Okay, so look in verse 10. Psalm 136 verse 10, "To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn, for his mercy endureth forever." Well, let me ask you a question. Was God being merciful to Israel in judging Egypt? And what's the answer? Yes. But was He being merciful to the Egyptians? No. Look in verse 15. "But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his mercy endureth forever." Was God being merciful to Israel in saving them? Yes. And if you think drowning in the Red Sea is an act of mercy, I don't want that kind of mercy.
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He was not merciful to them. He judged them. He did not owe them anything. He does not owe us anything. Look at Sihon and Og. Skip down to verse 17. We'll read through verse 22. Watch. "To him which smote great kings, for his mercy endureth forever, and slew famous kings, for his mercy endureth forever." Now He names two, "Sihon king of the Amorites, for his mercy endureth forever, and Og the king of Bashan, for his mercy endureth forever, and gave their land for an heritage, for his mercy endureth forever, even an heritage unto Israel his servant, for his mercy endureth forever."
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Now the question is, did God owe Pharaoh mercies? No. Did He owe Egypt mercies? No. Did he owe Sihon mercies? No. Did he owe Og mercies? No. Did he owe their societies, their culture, their dominion mercy, their nations? No. And they did not receive mercy. God does not owe America mercy. God does not owe anyone anything. What did he say? Turn there, turn in your Bible to Romans chapter 9. I can quote it, but I want you to see it. Look in Romans chapter 9. Notice if you would please Romans chapter 9 verse 15. Paul is quoting what God said to Moses. Romans 9 verse 15, "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy." Let's read on down. "For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even with this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth."
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"Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." Did God owe Pharaoh anything? He answers absolutely not. While you're in the book of Romans, turn if you would please to Romans chapter 11. Romans 11 and let's begin reading with verse 33. Here the last three verses in Romans and you should be absolutely familiar with these verses. But look at them. Romans 11 verse 33. "Oh the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" Verse 34, "For who has known the mind of the Lord?" No one. "Or who hath been his counselor?" No one. "Or who hath first given to him, and it shall
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be recompensed unto him again. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." Now go back to verse 35, "and it shall be recompensed unto him." The reason you cannot bring God into your obligation is you cannot first give to God. You say, "Well, I can give Him praise." You might give Him praise, but He gave you breath, He gave you life, He gave you being. You say, "Well, I can tithe." Well, wonderful, but everything you tithe, God already gave you. No one can first give to God. It is impossible to bring God into obligation. No. Now, here's the thing.
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We can grasp these facts when we apply them to the heathen. We can grasp these facts when we apply them to people who hate God and who are fighting against Him. But, what about applying them to his professed people? So here's my question. Is it possible for God to withhold his mercies from his professing people? And the answer is yes. And in his faithfulness, when he judges us, he always reserves to himself a remnant. Let me show you.
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Turn in your Bibles to the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah chapter 9. Nehemiah chapter 9. And we're going to begin reading with verse 21. Read through verse 31. Watch if you would and this applies to God's people now. Watch carefully. Nehemiah 9 verse 21, "Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing. Their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not." So God provided, protected, preserved. And verse 22, "Moreover
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thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners. So they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land concerning which thou hast promised their fathers, that they should go in to possess it. So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would. And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed
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houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance. So they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness. Nevertheless, watch, after all those blessings and mercies, nevertheless, they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets, which testified against them, to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations. Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them, and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven, and according to thy manifold mercies, there it is, and according to thy manifold mercies, thou gavest them saviors, or judges, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee. Therefore leftest thou them into the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them. Yet when they returned and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven, and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies.
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Now watch, "and testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again into thy law. Yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them, and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear. Yet in many years didst thou forbear them, and testify against them by thy spirit in the prophets. Yet would they not give ear, or watch? Therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the land. Nevertheless, for thy great mercy's sake, thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them, for thou art a gracious and merciful God." Now what did God do to his people? He judged them. He destroyed them.
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But he saved a remnant. You remember how Elijah said, "I only am left"? And what did God say to Elijah? "I've reserved to myself 7,000 that have not bowed the knee to Baal." Here's something, the interesting thing we can apply is this, the very fact that God has not consumed us, the very fact that He has not destroyed us, the very fact that He has not annihilated us is proof positive of His tender mercies. God does not owe us anything and yet we're not destroyed. God is still merciful. When we cry to him, begging for help, we must do so begging for his mercies, for he does not owe us anything. You can't come to God and say, "Well, Lord, I've done this for you, now you need to do this for me." God is not in your debt. When we come to him, we beg him for his mercies through Jesus Christ. What God does for us is based upon his grace and mercy in Christ.
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That's why David prayed in Psalm 44 and verse 26, "Arise for our help and redeem us for thy mercy's sake," not because we've done good or not because we are your people or not because of—no, no, you redeem us for your mercies' sake. God does not owe us anything and yet his tender mercies endure forever and the very fact that we're not consumed is evidence of his mercies. Now let me make a couple of applications.
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The first one is this, we must acknowledge with Jacob the truth of our undeserving character. Jacob said this in Genesis 32 in verse 10, "I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies and of all thy truth which thou hast shown unto thy servant." What did Jacob say? "Lord, I am not deserving of anything." Oh, how God protected Jacob. How God provided for Jacob. How God preserved Jacob.
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It's a miraculous life that he lived. And yet he confessed, "I'm not worthy of the least of thy mercies and of all thy truth which you've showed me." Do you understand that any and everything we receive outside of judgment and justice is mercy? Let me show you. Look back in your Bible to Psalm 136. If you really contemplate this, if you really comprehend this, then you ought to really be applying verse 26 of Psalm 136. If you understand that anything that we receive of God outside of justice and judgment is mercy, look in verse 26, "O give thanks unto the Lord, or unto the God of heaven, for his mercy endureth forever." How often should we be thanking Him because of His mercy? Actually, we could thank him not just every day, not just every hour, not just every minute, but every second and every moment and every millisecond, because it's only his mercy that allows us to live. So if we really understand his mercies, we ought to be continually giving him thanks. Here's the second application. We need to learn, if we want to receive mercy, we need to learn to show mercy. In the book of James chapter 2 in verse 13 the Bible says, "For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against judgment."
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So God said if you want just judgment, you don't show any mercy. Because God said if you don't show any mercy, I won't show you any mercy. I don't have time to go back and tell you about—you remember the man who owed his king so great a price and the king said, "Throw him in prison till he pays the uttermost farthing"? And the man said, "Have mercy, O king. I'll pay thee all," and the king forgave him. And then he went out and found another servant that owed him ten pence, which is very minor, and he grabbed him by the throat and said, "Pay me that thou owest." He fell at his feet and said, "Have mercy and I'll pay thee everything." But he would not and he threw him into prison. And when the king heard what he had done to someone else, he brought him back and said, "I'll do the same to you." So if you and I want God's mercy, we must learn to show mercy. Here's another thought.
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I don't know that if you have put two and two together in Psalm 136, but you have to understand that when God shows mercy to his people, He destroys their enemies. When God showed mercy to Israel, he destroyed Egypt. When God showed mercy to Lot, He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. When God showed mercy to Joshua and those people, he destroyed all the inhabitants of the land. You really and truly cannot have mercy without judgment. Mercy and judgment go together. Someone says, "Well, I don't know that much about judgment, but I'm just going to pray the Lord's prayer."
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"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Stop. When you pray, "Thy kingdom come," you're praying for the destruction of all the other kingdoms. The kingdoms of man, the kingdom of Satan. And when you're praying, "Thy will be done on earth," what are you saying? "God, Your will, not the will of the New World Order, not the will of George Soros, not the will of the Illuminati, not the will of all of these reprobates. No, no. Your will be done." You cannot even pray the Lord's Prayer without praying judgment against His enemies. So mercy and judgment go together.
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I want to emphasize this. You need to learn to thank God as often as possible for every mercy that God has given to you. God, in his mercy, has allowed us to live. The one hobby, if you would call it a hobby, and it's not really a hobby. The one thing that I do, outside of preaching and studying and whatever else I have to do, is I enjoy hunting.
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But my wife can tell you, I deer hunt, but I don't shoot babies. I don't shoot little spikes. I don't shoot does. And if anybody comes to my place and goes hunting, I say, "Well, you just do not shoot a little one." Why? Well, here it is. God has been merciful and gracious to me and allowed me to grow old and mature. And you know, I would think that little deer would like to experience life as well. Any animal like that. Do you see how, if you understand God's mercies, how it's going to apply to every area of your life? In fact the Bible says, "The righteous man regardeth the life of his beast, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." And when you begin to see how God has given you truth and God has given you grace and God has allowed you to live and God has allowed your children to live and to prosper and God has given you family and God has given you His truth.
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You ought to really be applying verse 26. "O give thanks unto the God of heaven for his mercy endureth forever." And God does not owe us anything, but thankfully he's merciful and he gives. Father in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day. We thank you for your mercy. We thank you for your truth. We ask Father that you would make us more thankful, more grateful, and more appreciative of everything that you've done for us.
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We pray for these on the prayer list. We pray for Heath. We pray for Steve. We pray for John Cain's family. We pray for Effie's family. We pray for David's family today, Lord. We pray for each one and ask that you would undertake for them. Thank you for sparing us and giving us life and health. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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so so
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T14:58:04Z

God Does Not Owe You Anything

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver expounds Psalm 136 to teach that God's mercy endures forever, yet He owes nothing to anyone. He warns that taking God's mercies for granted can lead to their withdrawal, as seen in Israel's history. The sermon calls for continual gratitude, recognition of our unworthiness, and a life that reflects God's mercy toward others.

Introduction to Psalm 136 and God's Mercy

The psalm emphasizes God's enduring mercy in every verse, likely written by David for temple worship.

Psalm 136. There's only 26 verses there, so we're going to read all of them. The title of the message is, "God Does Not Owe You Anything."

Notice Psalm 136.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 136:1-26

"O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks unto the God of gods, for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his mercy endureth forever. To him who alone doeth great wonders, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that by wisdom made the heavens, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that made great lights, for his mercy endureth forever. The sun to rule by day, for his mercy endureth forever. The moon and the stars to rule by night, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn, for his mercy endureth forever. And brought out Israel from among them, for his mercy endureth forever, with a strong hand, with a stretched out arm, for his mercy endureth forever. To him which divided the Red Sea into parts, for his mercy endureth forever, and made Israel to pass through the midst of it, for his mercy endureth forever." "But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his mercy endureth forever. To him which led his people through the wilderness, for his mercy endureth forever. To him which smote great kings, for his mercy endureth forever, and slew famous kings, for his mercy endureth forever, Sihon king of the Amorites, for his mercy endureth forever, and Og the king of Bashan, for his mercy endureth forever, and gave their land for an heritage, for his mercy endureth forever, even an heritage unto Israel his servant, for his mercy endureth forever, who remembered us in our lowest state, for his mercy endureth forever. And hath redeemed us from our enemies, for his mercy endureth forever. Who giveth food to all flesh, for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven, for his mercy endureth forever."

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 16:41-43

"And with them Heman, and Jeduthun, and the rest were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks unto the Lord, because his mercy endureth forever. And with them Heman, and Jeduthun, with trumpets and cymbals, for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God, the sons of Jeduthun were porters. And all the people departed every man to his house, and David returned to bless his own house."

So David evidently wrote this psalm, and it was a psalm of course to praise the Lord for His infinite mercy.

Solomon his son used this same truth in dedicating the Temple. For instance in 2 Chronicles 7 verse 3 the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 7:3,6

"And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good, his mercy endureth forever."

The Multitude of God's Mercies

God's mercies are innumerable and originate from Him as the Father of mercies; they are prominent throughout Scripture.

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 20:21

"And when he, that is Jehoshaphat, had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, that should praise the beauty of his holiness, as they went out before the army, to say, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth forever."

Taking Mercies for Granted

People often overlook God's daily mercies, assuming they will always continue, and develop an attitude that God owes them.

Scripture Reading — Lamentations 3:22-23

"It is the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because thy compassions they fail not, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness."

Scripture Reading — Luke 17:11-19

"And it came to pass as he went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 145:9,15-16

"The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works."

God's Mercies to All Creation

God provides food and life to all, even the wicked, demonstrating His goodness to all without obligation.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 145:9,15-16

"The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works."

Forgetting Mercies Leads to Sin

Forgetting God's mercies leads to rebellion and using His blessings for sin, as Israel did in the wilderness.

Then I'm going to show you an illustration of it. Psalm 106 verse 7. Look what the psalmist said.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 106:7

"Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt. They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies, but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red Sea."

Can God Withhold His Mercies?

Scripture shows that God can righteously withhold mercy from individuals and nations who abuse it.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 3:1-3

"My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments."

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 63:15

"Look down from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory. Where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? Are they restrained?"

And then he says, "Selah." You know what the word Selah means? It literally means to pause, stop, and think about it. So the question is, watch it now,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 77:9

"Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?"

A Nation Without Mercy

Jeremiah 16 depicts a society where God removes peace, lovingkindness, and mercies, resulting in devastation.

God's Sovereignty in Mercy

God shows mercy on whom He wills; He owes no one, as seen in His judgment on Egypt, Sihon, and Og.

Mercy and Judgment for God's People

God may judge His professing people but always preserves a remnant; mercy and judgment are inseparable.

Applications: Gratitude and Showing Mercy

We must acknowledge our unworthiness, give continual thanks, and show mercy to others to receive mercy.

Mercy and Judgment in the Lord's Prayer

Praying 'Thy kingdom come' invokes judgment on God's enemies; mercy and judgment go together.

Living in Light of God's Mercy

Understanding God's mercy should affect all areas of life, leading to gratitude and righteous treatment of creation.

God Does Not Owe You Anything

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	E-3QG0Yy2Ms
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Exodus: Bondage, Deliverance, and Passover: As Yet
Genre	Sermon
Date	2017-01-10
Dictation Name
Book	Book 079: Exodus: Bondage, Deliverance, and Passover - Volume 2 — Chapter 28
Source Timed Segments	63

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction to Psalm 136 and God's Mercy: The psalm emphasizes God's enduring mercy in every verse, likely written by David for temple worship.
The Multitude of God's Mercies: God's mercies are innumerable and originate from Him as the Father of mercies; they are prominent throughout Scripture.
Taking Mercies for Granted: People often overlook God's daily mercies, assuming they will always continue, and develop an attitude that God owes them.
God's Mercies to All Creation: God provides food and life to all, even the wicked, demonstrating His goodness to all without obligation.
Forgetting Mercies Leads to Sin: Forgetting God's mercies leads to rebellion and using His blessings for sin, as Israel did in the wilderness.
Can God Withhold His Mercies?: Scripture shows that God can righteously withhold mercy from individuals and nations who abuse it.
A Nation Without Mercy: Jeremiah 16 depicts a society where God removes peace, lovingkindness, and mercies, resulting in devastation.
God's Sovereignty in Mercy: God shows mercy on whom He wills; He owes no one, as seen in His judgment on Egypt, Sihon, and Og.
Mercy and Judgment for God's People: God may judge His professing people but always preserves a remnant; mercy and judgment are inseparable.
Applications: Gratitude and Showing Mercy: We must acknowledge our unworthiness, give continual thanks, and show mercy to others to receive mercy.
Mercy and Judgment in the Lord's Prayer: Praying 'Thy kingdom come' invokes judgment on God's enemies; mercy and judgment go together.
Living in Light of God's Mercy: Understanding God's mercy should affect all areas of life, leading to gratitude and righteous treatment of creation.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

God's mercy is not owed but freely given

Because no one can first give to God, He is never in debt; His mercy is sovereign and unconditional.

Romans 11:35: 'Who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?'

Forgetting mercies leads to rebellion

Israel's failure to remember God's wonders resulted in provoking Him, showing that ingratitude fuels sin.

Psalm 106:7: 'They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies, but provoked him at the sea.'

Abusing blessings can cause God to withhold mercy

When people use God's gifts for idolatry and sin, He may righteously remove His peace and favor.

Jeremiah 5:7-9 and 16:5 show God taking away peace and mercy due to unfaithfulness.

Mercy for some means judgment for others

God's deliverance of Israel involved the destruction of Egypt and Canaanite kings, illustrating that mercy and judgment coexist.

Psalm 136:10-22 recounts smiting Egypt and slaying Sihon and Og as acts of mercy for Israel.

Even the wicked receive common mercies

God's goodness extends to all through life, food, and rain, but these are not a guarantee of saving mercy.

Psalm 145:9: 'The Lord is good to all,' and Acts 14:17 speaks of rain and fruitful seasons.

Continual thanksgiving is the proper response

Understanding that every breath is mercy should lead to constant gratitude, as Psalm 136:26 commands.

The speaker emphasizes thanking God every second because His mercy alone sustains life.

Showing mercy is a condition for receiving mercy

The parable of the unforgiving servant and James 2:13 teach that mercilessness invites divine judgment.

James 2:13: 'He shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no mercy.'

God's mercy is the only reason we are not consumed

Daily preservation is not due to human goodness but to God's compassions that never fail.

Lamentations 3:22: 'It is the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.'

Scripture References

Psalm 136:1-26: The entire psalm is read, emphasizing God's enduring mercy in creation, deliverance, and provision.
1 Chronicles 16:41-43: Used to suggest Davidic authorship of Psalm 136, as David appointed singers to praise God's enduring mercy.
2 Chronicles 7:3,6: Solomon's temple dedication echoed the refrain 'his mercy endureth forever' when fire came down.
2 Chronicles 20:21: Jehoshaphat appointed singers to praise God's mercy before the army, showing mercy in warfare.
Psalm 51:1: David pleaded for mercy based on God's lovingkindness and tender mercies after his sin.
2 Corinthians 1:3: God is called the Father of mercies, indicating He is the source of all mercy.
Exodus 34:6: God proclaimed His name as merciful and gracious when Moses asked to see His glory.
Deuteronomy 4:31: God is a merciful God who will not forsake His people or forget His covenant.
Psalm 113:3: Quoted as 'If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?' to show human sinfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23: Mercies are new every morning; the speaker quotes this as a daily reminder of God's faithfulness.
Luke 17:11-19: The healing of ten lepers, with only the Samaritan returning to give thanks, illustrates ingratitude.
Psalm 145:9,15-16: God is good to all, giving food in due season; His tender mercies are over all His works.
Psalm 147:9: God gives food to beasts and young ravens, showing His provision for all creatures.
Acts 14:17: God gave rain and fruitful seasons, filling hearts with food and gladness as a witness.
Psalm 106:7: Israel forgot God's mercies and provoked Him at the Red Sea, leading to rebellion.
Jeremiah 5:7-9: When God fed Israel to the full, they committed adultery; God asks how He can pardon such sin.
Proverbs 3:1-3: Commands not to let mercy and truth forsake you, implying they can be lost.
Isaiah 63:15: Isaiah asks if God's mercies are restrained, suggesting they can be held back.
Isaiah 47:6: God gave Israel into the hand of the Chaldeans who showed no mercy, as a judgment.
Psalm 77:9: David asks if God has in anger shut up His tender mercies, with 'Selah' to pause and consider.

Historical References

Davidic authorship of Psalm 136: The speaker argues from 1 Chronicles 16 that David wrote the psalm for temple worship.
Solomon's temple dedication: 2 Chronicles 7 records the use of 'his mercy endureth forever' when fire came down.
Jehoshaphat's battle singers: Jehoshaphat appointed singers to praise God's mercy before the army, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 20.
The ten lepers healed by Jesus: Only the Samaritan returned to give thanks, illustrating ingratitude among the Israelites.
Israel's wilderness rebellion: Despite miracles, Israel forgot God's mercies and provoked Him, as in Psalm 106 and Nehemiah 9.
Destruction of Egypt, Sihon, and Og: Psalm 136 recounts these judgments as acts of mercy for Israel, showing mercy and judgment together.
Elijah and the 7,000 remnant: God preserved a faithful remnant in Israel despite widespread apostasy, as told to Elijah.
The unforgiving servant parable: Jesus taught that those who refuse mercy will face judgment, referenced in application.
Personal anecdotes of God's protection: The speaker shares a near-miss with a train and the sudden deaths of acquaintances to illustrate daily mercy.

Important Quotes

God does not owe us anything.

Central thesis of the sermon, emphasizing God's sovereignty and human unworthiness.

It is the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because thy compassions they fail not, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.

Key verse the speaker quotes daily to remember that survival depends on God's mercy.

I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies and of all thy truth which thou hast shown unto thy servant.

Jacob's confession models the proper attitude of humility before God's mercies.

Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?

Rhetorical question highlighting the possibility that God may withhold mercy in judgment.

For I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, even lovingkindness and mercies.

Sobering declaration that God can remove mercy from a nation, leading to devastation.

I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Foundational text for God's sovereign freedom in dispensing mercy.

O give thanks unto the God of heaven, for his mercy endureth forever.

The concluding application of the psalm, calling for continual gratitude.

He shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no mercy.

Warning that receiving mercy is linked to showing mercy to others.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways do we take God's daily mercies for granted, and how can we cultivate a habit of gratitude?

[Context]

The speaker notes that we often overlook lesser mercies like food and breath.

[Question]

How does the truth that God owes us nothing change the way we pray and approach Him?

[Context]

The sermon emphasizes that we cannot obligate God; we must beg for mercy.

[Question]

What are some modern examples of using God's blessings for sinful purposes, as described in Jeremiah 5?

[Context]

Israel used God's provision for idolatry and adultery; the speaker asks if we do similarly.

[Question]

How should the possibility that God may withhold mercy from a nation affect our prayers for our country?

[Context]

Jeremiah 16 shows God removing peace and mercy; the speaker applies this to America.

[Question]

Why is it difficult to accept that God's mercy to some involves judgment on others?

[Context]

Psalm 136 pairs mercy for Israel with destruction of enemies; the speaker says mercy and judgment go together.

[Question]

In what practical ways can we show mercy to others, and why is this essential for receiving mercy?

[Context]

James 2:13 and the unforgiving servant parable are cited as warnings.

[Question]

How does remembering that 'mercies are new every morning' impact your perspective on daily life and trials?

[Context]

The speaker quotes Lamentations 3:22-23 as a daily reminder of God's faithfulness.

[Question]

What does Jacob's confession 'I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies' teach us about humility before God?

[Context]

Jacob acknowledged his unworthiness despite God's abundant protection and provision.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T03:40:58Z