by Alden Powers, The Music Guy @RCC
A song we have been doing for a few months now is Be Merciful to Me by the band Caedmon’s Call. This song isn’t particularly “new” (it was released in 2006), but it is a recent addition to RCC’s song repertoire. I love to sing this song after we come to the Lord’s Table. It gives us an opportunity to ask for God’s mercy, and at His table we see the ultimate display of His mercy in His broken body and shed blood. The language of the song isn’t as clear as some other more modern songs we might do during worship. The lyrics are taken from a 19th Century hymn. However, once we dig in and examine what the song is saying, the truths will jump out more vividly and I think we will gain a greater appreciation for the song.
Out from the deep I call,
To Thee, O Lord, to Thee.
Before Thy throne I fall
Be Merciful to me
The first verse puts us squarely in the mindset of a faithful worshipper. Throughout the Bible, we see God’s faithful servants, when encountered with God’s holy presence, respond by falling down and pleading for mercy. In Isaiah 6:1-6, the prophet Isaiah comes face to face with the glory of the Lord. All he can say is “woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips”. Ezekiel does likewise in Ezekiel 1:28. John also falls to his feet in Revelation 1:17. When we come into the presence of what is supremely holy, we are instantly reminded of our great unholiness. All we can do is fall and plead for God’s mercy.
From the garden to the Cross,
Thy mercy did endure.
My soul purged from all dross
In blood made pure
The great news is that God is merciful. Although He is supremely holy, He is also supremely merciful. His mercy is displayed again and again in the Old Testament. "Garden” in this song refers to the Garden of Eden, where mankind originally fell from grace and was cast out of God’s presence. Even in that moment, rather than destroy his rebellious creation, God clothed them and promised that the offspring of the woman would one day crush the serpent’s head (Gen 3:15).
This longsuffering continues all throughout Israel’s history where they continually rebel, only for God to respond with mercy. God’s ultimate act of mercy is seen at the Cross of Jesus Christ, where God’s wrath for sin was placed on His Son. His sinless Son was the sacrifice for our sins and His death was the death that we rightfully deserve.
The third line can be the most challenging for the modern listener to understand. A basic understanding of metallurgy is necessary in order to appreciate this line. When you have a freshly mined piece of precious metal such as gold or silver, it is hardly ever found in a pure form. The metal has to be melted and the impurities separated. These impurities are called “dross”. The Bible uses this term to symbolize God getting rid of wicked people from the nation of Israel, as well as purifying the hearts of His faithful followers in Christ Jesus. So to summarize, lines 3 and 4 tell us that our souls have been purged of all impurity and made pure by the blood of Christ.
Thy mercy Lord is true,
As ever truth will be.
But still I cry for you,
Be merciful to me.
Paul tells us in Philippians, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” (Phil 3:12). God has shown us the supreme act of mercy at the cross. His blood has made us pure. Yet we still need to ask God for forgiveness for our sins daily in order to be made Holy. The process of sanctification in the Christian’s life is an ongoing process and we should never take the grace we have received for granted.
May this song remind us of the mercy God has given us through His Son. And may we continue to see His mercies in our lives all of our days.
No comments:
Post a Comment