Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:4-5)
After the sin of the Golden Calf and Moses’ intercession on behalf of the people, the LORD called Moses to the top of Sinai so that His covenant with Israel might be renewed. It is written that the LORD passed before Moses and “proclaimed the name of the Lord” and described Himself as, “merciful, gracious, long suffering, abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:6-7). In another passage we are told that He extends mercy to those who love Him for a thousand generations (Deuteronomy 7:9) — a stark contrast with the three or four generations who experience His anger.
The point is, the Name of the LORD embodies the notion of judgment tempered with mercy; in turn, mercy far outweighs any inclination to render harsh discipline and judgment. Knowing this to be true, David accurately proclaims that God’s anger, which is always justified, is short lived compared to the grace and mercy He pours out upon His people. Even when He does administer justice, it is always to provoke the sinner to repentance and life. As it is written, “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you” (Isaiah 54:7-8).
That wrath may seem like an eternity when you are experiencing it, but just as the darkness of night gives way to light of morning, so does our weeping give way to the joy we experience when we are forgiven. This world is a dark place and “many are the afflictions of the righteous” but our Father’s mercy, forgiveness and favor equips and empowers us to endure the night of weeping as it were. We know that any suffering we must endure now will pale in comparison to the glory we will experience when the New Day dawns. In comparison to what God has in store for those who love Him, the struggles and hardships of this life are for only a brief moment.
As David hinted, His favor upon us is for more than just this life, it is for eternity. So as we journey toward that goal, struggling though we may, let us remember that the name of the LORD is to be praised because He is far more merciful than He is judgmental. As it is written, “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning“ (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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