Mercy's Store

"Depth of mercy! can there be mercy still reserved for me?

 Can my God His wrath forbear—me, the chief of sinners spare?"

-Charles Wesley, 1707–1788

I must admit though I sincerely agree with many of the things that Jeremiah Burroughs has said regarding our attitudes and assumptions in worship I experienced an uneasy feeling come over me at times while reading Gospel Worship. 

The fact that Nadab and Abihu were two appointed men of God, newly consecrated to the priestly office, sons of Aaron and in close relation to Moses and yet were struck down because of what seems to us at first perhaps a "minor" offense or a "particularity" of God that could've been glossed over or forgiven was quite frankly to me a little bit frightening. Burroughs warns us to "...take heed then of venturing, and do not think that any services that we have done heretofore can bear us out...how dare we poor worms venture upon the displeasure of God? (14)."

Burroughs reminds us that "God, in the treasury of His judgments, has more dreadful things than have ever been revealed in His Word (19)." Therefore, we must "...learn to tremble not only at what is revealed in God's word against your sin, but tremble at what there is in that infinite justice, power and wisdom of God to find out and execute upon sinners (19)." 

In the wake of this reading and as we study our immutable, ageless, and Holy God it is imperative that we reflect on the words that the Lord spoke through Isaiah--

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-9

When confronted with the strength and might and holiness of God it is very much our duty to tremble and awe and repent in humility to what we know to be true about our God. Failure to do so could produce in us a spirit of haughtiness or distract us from true worshipping. 

With this in mind and while considering the sheer terrible (in the reverential sense) power of our God I cannot help to be all the more confronted with His mercy through the story of Nadab and Abihu. 

In the face of this text I am forced to ask myself, "have you ever, in any shape or form, displeased God in your worship of Him?" I am forced to think of any times during our school's chapel services where I may have worshipped my ability to praise God rather than praising God Himself. I think about those times when I helped lead music for my church's youth group praise band years ago...did I truly offer praise to God because I recognized He deserved it? Or was it just a show for my friends or was I using that as a platform to gain favor in the eyes of those at the church looking for young leaders? 

How just God would've been to strike me down in my sin! How right He would've been to cut me from those ministries! But thanks be to God that He. Is. Merciful. I hold fast to Psalm 57:10 which says, 

"For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,

And Your truth unto the clouds"

At the beginning of the second chapter, Burroughs says, "If the Lord has spared you and not manifested any displeasure upon you, you have cause to acknowledge God's mercy, and to be humbled for all your false worship (12)." 

To add to that, we should more than acknowledge the mercy of God; we must live in it. Our entire lives as Christians should be reflections of the mercy that God has shown us in snatching us out of our sin and making us new creatures. In our worship we must meditate that though we may never be perfect worshippers or "get it right" every time we do serve a God who is gracious, merciful, and long-suffering. 

We serve a God who is wise enough to demonstrate His holiness, wrath, and mercy simultaneously through the story of Nadab and Abihu. Because of that, I am glad to read of Our Father's high expectations of His worshippers and even higher expectations of those who will be facilitating His worship.  

"But I will sing of Your power;

Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;

For You have been my defense

And refuge in the day of my trouble.

 To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises;

For God is my defense,

My God of mercy"

-Psalm 59:16-17