I’m studying the Psalms this year, and I’ve reached Psalm 103. It has already become one of my favorites. God willing, I’ll preach a sermon from this Psalm around Thanksgiving, sometime in the future, because the theme of the poem is giving thanks to God for all that He gives us. In the middle of the text, David offers this short statement:
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
(Psalm 103:11)
What is the extent of God’s mercy? Recall when Peter asked the Lord how many times in a day he should forgive his brother: The Lord replied “until 70×7” (Matthew 18:22). The number was a hyperbolic one, meant to describe an amount that could never realistically be reached in a single day. In other words, there should be no limit on how many times we forgive.
God isn’t asking us to do something that He’s not prepared to do: How high is heaven from the earth? Now, the writer might simply have meant “heaven” as the “sky” in which case you can measure an exact amount between the ground and space, but that’s not the point. The point is the gap is large enough that it’s unfathomable from an ancient measuring standpoint. On the other hand, if you think of “heaven” here as the dwelling place of God, then the gap between Heaven and earth is infinite; one is a physical place, and the other a spiritual realm.
The great gap between heaven and earth is the best equivalent the inspired writer could come up with to describe how great God’s mercy is toward us. Those who revere Him, respect Him, and legitimately fear what He is capable of doing to those who sin and don’t repent, will be the recipients of His mercy.
How much mercy does God have? I’ll answer that question with a question: How much sin do you have? If you could measure it, how much would it be? What number would you put to it? A hundred? He’s got 101 mercies. A million? He’s got a million and one mercies. Twelve barrels full? He’s got thirteen barrels of mercy. A thousand miles of sin? He’s got a thousand and one miles of mercy.
God will eventually punish sinners for their crimes, but He hasn’t punished you yet (not eternally, anyway). Right now you’re enjoying (and I use this term with pun intended) a “grace period.” You don’t deserve it, but you’ve got it. It will not last forever, however: If you haven’t yet repented, take advantage of the time you have left to do so. If you think your sins are too great to be forgiven, you are very mistaken.
His grace reaches you!
~Matthew