40 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against His people
And He abhorred His [z]inheritance.
41 Then He gave them into the hand of the [aa]nations,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies also oppressed them,
And they were subdued under their [ab]power.
43 Many times He would deliver them;
They, however, were rebellious in their counsel,
And so sank down in their iniquity.44 Nevertheless He looked upon their distress
When He heard their cry;
45 And He remembered His covenant for their sake,
And [ac]relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness.
46 He also made them objects of compassion
In the presence of all their captors.47 Save us, O Lord our God,
And gather us from among the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name
And [ad]glory in Your praise.
48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen.”
[ae]Praise [af]the Lord!
For a bit more context, see the earlier portions of this psalm. We pick up in this passage, with God brining judgment on His people (Israel) for all their rebellion. And still, “Many times He would deliver them…” Then they would rebel again. The mercy of God is on full display here as the psalmist continues in v. 44. God looked upon their distress, heard their cry, remembered His covenant, and relented.
The mercy of God is amazing, yet it is not something we “take advantage of”. If/When we do that, it reveals our heart, and whether we have actually committed our lives to God. Too many folks have this idea that they can keep on sinning because God will always forgive them. Which is the entirely wrong attitude for someone committed to following Christ. Paul addressed this when he asked “what then, shall we keep on sinning, so that grace may abound even more?”
No, no we should not, that’s a foolish thing to say, and even more foolish to do. But for those whose hearts are pure–that is, not perfect, but honestly dedicated to God–His grace does abound. God grants forgiveness time and time again. Peter once asked Jesus how many times we should forgive those who wrong us. Maybe 7, he thought? Jesus shattered the norms of that day when he responded with “seventy times seven”. And why?
God has forgiven us so much more. How many times have you sinned against Him? I know I couldn’t count them, and it’s way more than 490. Yet He forgives when we truly repent. Just like the Israelites, when they came to their senses and realized their need for God once more, He didn’t hold back, but lavished His love and mercy upon them.
So it is for us, don’t wait–when you find yourself doing again what you know you shouldn’t, take it to Him. Let God’s forgiveness wash you clean once more, and ask Him for the strength and wisdom to follow Him better.