Ps103:8-14 Compassionate Father 憐憫的父神

# Compassionate Father 憐憫的父神
## Psalm 詩篇 103:8-14

>>>
+ You are **hurting**:
+ **Injustice**, even **evil** in world
+ Wounded by those **closest** to us
  + who often don't even **ack** they've hurt us
+ Broken bc **own** sin: know better, trying
  + yet still **fail**: let down God, others, self
+ **Where** is God in the midst of our **hurt**?
  + 1. Is He **able** to save?  Is He there?
  + 2:

---

# Does God **care** about us? 神在乎我們嗎?

>>>
+ Does He **love** us?
+ As we turn to today's **passage**:
+ take **comfort** knowing God is God of compassion
+ take **courage** to show compassion to one another

______

+ Long to **know** You
  + when seem **distant** / uncaring
+ Reveal to us Your **nature** / character
  + and Your **dealings** with us
+ Reveal to us **who** we are as Your children

---

[1](# "ref")
**Bless** the Lord, O my soul, 
and all that is within me, 
bless his holy name!

我的心哪，你要稱頌耶和華！ 
凡在我裡面的，也要稱頌他的聖名！

[Psalm 詩篇 103:1-2 (ESV) (p.1/2)](# "ref")
[Montreal, CA. Marc-Olivier Jodoin](https://unsplash.com/photos/TStNU7H4UEE "caption")

---

[2](# "ref")
Bless the Lord, O my soul, 
and forget not all his **benefits**,

我的心哪，你要稱頌耶和華！ 
不可忘記他的一切恩惠！

[Psalm 詩篇 103:1-2 (ESV) (p.2/2)](# "ref")

>>>
+ Bible: authored by **God**, for **our** benefit
  + About **God**, about **us**, **command**, or **promise**
+ **benefits**: dealings w/man
+ **character** of God exhibited
  + in His **actions** toward us

******
[3](# "ref")
who forgives all your iniquity, 
who heals all your diseases,

[4](# "ref")
who redeems your life from the pit, 
who crowns you with 
steadfast love and mercy,

[Psalm 103:1-14 (ESV) (p.2/7)](# "ref")

******
[5](# "ref")
who satisfies you with good 
so that your youth is renewed 
like the eagle's.

[6](# "ref")
The Lord works righteousness 
and justice for all who are oppressed.

[7](# "ref")
He made known his ways to Moses, 
his acts to the people of Israel.

[Psalm 103:1-14 (ESV) (p.3/7)](# "ref")

******
[8](# "ref")
The Lord is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and 
abounding in steadfast love.

[Psalm 103:1-14 (ESV) (p.4/7)](# "ref")

******
[9](# "ref") 
He will not always chide, 
nor will he keep his anger forever.

[10](# "ref") 
He does not deal with us 
according to our sins, 
nor repay us according to our iniquities.

[Psalm 103:1-14 (ESV) (p.5/7)](# "ref")

******
[11](# "ref") 
For as high as the heavens 
are above the earth, 
so great is his steadfast love 
toward those who fear him;

[12](# "ref") 
as far as the east is from the west, 
so far does he remove 
our transgressions from us.

[Psalm 103:1-14 (ESV) (p.6/7)](# "ref")

******
[13](# "ref") 
As a father shows compassion to his children, 
so the Lord shows compassion 
to those who fear him.

[14](# "ref") 
For he knows our frame; 
he remembers that we are dust.

[Psalm 103:1-14 (ESV) (p.7/7)](# "ref")

---
 
## Compassionate Father 憐憫的父神
1. The **Injustice** of God's Grace 神恩典的不公平 [(v9-10)](# "ref")
1. The **Immensity** of God's Love 神慈愛的廣大 [(v11-12)](# "ref")
1. The **Insignificance** of our Strength 我們力量的微小 [(v13-14)](# "ref")

>>>
+ Doesn't **deal** w/us in anger, acc. to our **sins**
+ **Great**: covenant love, forgiveness
+ **Small**: as children, dust
+ v8 describes the **character** of God 
  + and His **interaction** with us:

---

The Lord is **merciful** and **gracious**, 
slow to anger and 
abounding in steadfast love.

耶和華有憐憫，有恩典， 
不輕易發怒，且有豐盛的慈愛。

[Psalm 詩篇 103:8 (ESV)](# "ref")
[Mark Basarab](https://unsplash.com/photos/1k5Qq4YQM0g "caption")

>>>
+ **Combo** compassionate + gracious: 11x in OT
+ Compassion ("merciful"): deep **feeling** of love
  + Often from superior to **inferior**
  + Rooted in natural **bond**, e.g., to **babies**
+ Grace: gifts, love in **action**
  + Also **superior** to inferior
  + By unearned **choice**
+ How God **intro** self to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Ex34)
  + Descended in **cloud**, passed before Moses:

---

The Lord, the Lord, a God **merciful** and **gracious**, 
slow to **anger**, and abounding in 
**steadfast love** and faithfulness

耶和華，耶和華，是有憐憫有恩典的神， 
不輕易發怒，並有豐盛的慈愛和誠實

[Exodus 出埃及記 34:6 (ESV)](# "ref")
[Langtang National Park, Nepal. Sergey Pesterev](https://unsplash.com/photos/JV78PVf3gGI "caption")

>>>
+ Same: **compassion** + **grace**
+ Slow to **anger** ("long nostrils"): 
  + Forcible exhalation, hot **breath** of wrath
+ Not that God **never** gets angry, but
  + not **eager** or **fickle** in punishment
+ **Just** in His anger, **desires** to show mercy:
+ Steadfast **love** (chesed): covenant lovingkindness
+ Again, in Ex33 as quoted in **Rom9**:

---

[15](# "ref")
“I will have **mercy** on whom I have mercy, 
and I will have **compassion** 
on whom I have compassion.”

我要憐憫誰就憐憫誰， 
要恩待誰就恩待誰。

[Romans 9:15-16 (quoting Exodus 33:19) (ESV) (p.1/2)](# "ref")

---

[16](# "ref")
So then it depends not on 
human **will** or **exertion**, 
but on **God**, who has mercy.

據此看來，這不在乎那定意的， 
也不在乎那奔跑的， 
只在乎發憐憫的神。

[Romans 9:15-16 (quoting Exodus 33:19) (ESV) (p.2/2)](# "ref")

>>>
+ Same: **compassion** + **grace**
+ Essential **ingredient**: God's sovereign **choice**
+ Compassion upon small **infant** or orphaned **puppy**
  + Not bc they've **done** anything
  + But precisely bc of their **helplessness**
+ Not out of contractual **oblig.** or expect. of **reward**
  + But **freely** given, out of **charity** / humanity
+ So is **God's** compassion toward us:
+ Not what we **deserve** / entitled
  + bc what we **deserve** is His **anger**:

---

[9](# "ref") 
He will not always **chide**, 
nor will he **keep** his anger forever.

他不長久責備，也不永遠懷怒。

[Psalm 詩篇 103:9-10 (ESV) (p.1/2)](# "ref")
[Milada Vigerova](https://unsplash.com/photos/pHR_S0PeOF0 "caption")

---

[10](# "ref") 
He does not **deal** with us 
according to **our sins**, 
nor **repay** us according to **our iniquities**.

他沒有按我們的罪過待我們， 
也沒有照我們的罪孽報應我們。

[Psalm 詩篇 103:9-10 (ESV) (p.2/2)](# "ref")

>>>
+ "chide": **strive**, contend, lawsuit/battle
  + "keep" ("anger" only implied): **preserve**, maintain
+ This is how God **deals** w/us (make, do, accomplish)
+ He has every **right** to **pay** us back for our sins:
  + **settle accounts**, make full, ripe/wean
+ But in His **compassion**, He chooses **not** to
+ Not that God **ignores** / blind to sin
  + "don't **worry** about evils of world"
  + "everything will be **ok**"
+ No, God is a **holy** God: 
  + sin is a **serious** issue to God

---
>>>
+ e.g., systematic **racism** in policing
  + vilification of **poor** + immigrant; **abortion**
  + also **my** own sin + self-righteousness
+ This is why Christ **died** for us:
  + didn't **hand-wave** away the problem of evil
  + but **paid** for it w/own life
+ The reality is God is **not** fair to us: **chooses** to show grace
+ Will I choose **grace** toward others?
+ "But they don't **deserve** my respect!" -- No, they **don't**
+ Nor did I deserve Christ's **sacrifice**:
  + Grace is **unfair**

---

## Do I seek excuses to vent **anger**, or to show **grace**?
# 我要找藉口發怒 還是要表現恩典？

>>>
+ Eager to be **cut off** on highway:
  + legit reason to lean on **horn**
+ **Catch** others in a lie / broken promise
  + "Aha! double **standard**"
+ **Remember** unfairness of God's grace to us
  + Reveals God's **heart**: longs to show mercy
+ Do we **long** to be merciful?

---
 
## Compassionate Father 憐憫的父神
1. The Injustice of God's Grace 神恩典的不公平 [(v9-10)](# "ref")
1. **The Immensity of God's Love** **神慈愛的廣大** [(v11-12)](# "ref")
1. The Insignificance of our Strength 我們力量的微小 [(v13-14)](# "ref")

>>>
+ As we **learn** more of God's nature, we see
  + the **injustice** of God's grace, and also
  + the **immensity** of His love toward us:
+ God does not **deal** w/us as we **deserve**, but
+ His **covenant love** is far greater than
  + any **evil**, any **suffering**, any **power**

---

For as high as the **heavens** 
are above the **earth**, 
so great is his **steadfast love** 
toward those who **fear him**

天離地何等的高， 
他的慈愛向敬畏他的人也是何等的大！

[Psalm 詩篇 103:11 (ESV)](# "ref")
[Ryan Hutton](https://unsplash.com/photos/Jztmx9yqjBw "caption")

>>>
+ "Great": not **size** but **power**, force, strength
+ **Earth**: only a small **speck**
  + "Heavens above": rest of the **universe**!
+ The **same** God who created + sustains those galaxies
  + Also has incomprehensibly **powerful** love toward us
+ Those w/**infants** / small children:
  + Teach + demonstrate how **big** God's love is
+ **Who** is this love directed toward?
  + The one who **fears** the Lord
+ This fear is a humble **awe** that results in
  + **trust** + change of **direction**:

---

as far as the **east** is from the **west**, 
so far does he remove 
**our transgressions** from us.

東離西有多遠， 
他叫我們的過犯離我們也有多遠！

[Psalm 詩篇 103:12 (ESV)](# "ref")
[Alex Jones](https://unsplash.com/photos/p0W9Q9gei4g "caption")

>>>
+ East + west not **locations** w/fixed **distance**
  + But **directions**: orient, aim, goal, focus
+ Not about God removing **trials** or sorrows from us
  + but removing our spirit of **rebellion**
+ Often we feel our **habits** define us:
+ If our natural **tendencies** are selfish, then
  + that's just **who** we are, can't **fight** it
+ Trying to **improve** myself only results in
  + 1. **stress**, frustration, touchy
  + 2. **hypocrisy**, fake holiness
  + 3. **pride** from redefining holy to legalistic rules
+ Power of God's **forgiveness**: discon/remove sin,
  + changes our **aim** / dir. Rom8:

---

[38](# "ref") 
For I am sure that neither **death** nor **life**, 
nor angels nor **rulers**, nor things present 
nor things to **come**, nor **powers**,

因為我深信無論是死，是生， 
是天使，是掌權的，是有能的， 
是現在的事，是將來的事，

[Romans 8:38-39 (ESV) (p.1/2)](# "ref")
[Savoie, France. Thomas Tixtaaz](https://unsplash.com/photos/rdwkamJlpiU "caption")

---

[39](# "ref") 
nor height nor depth, 
nor anything else in **all creation**, 
will be able to **separate** us from the **love** of God 
in **Christ Jesus** our Lord

是高處的，是低處的，是別的受造之物， 
都不能叫我們與神的愛隔絕； 
這愛是在我們的主基督耶穌裡的。

[Romans 8:38-39 (ESV) (p.2/2)](# "ref")

>>>
+ **Challenges** facing our world are indeed immense
+ Selfishness, pride, anger, lust: on the **world** stage
  + in our **families**, even own **hearts**
+ Old bad **habits** are not easy to **break**
+ But remember how **big** is God's love!
  + **Stars** / galaxies formed by Him
+ The same victorious **life** that 
  + **raised** Christ from the dead,
  + **triumphing** over the grave,
+ Dwells now in **your** heart, fellow Christian

---

## Will I centre myself on the **immensity** of God's love? 
# 我會將自己專注在 神廣大的慈愛中嗎？

>>>
+ Take the focus off of the **pain** / trauma
  + the **blame** of what others have done to us
+ Know that God's covenant love is **stronger**
  + He **turns** our hearts back to our Heavenly Father

---
 
## Compassionate Father 憐憫的父神
1. The Injustice of God's Grace 神恩典的不公平 [(v9-10)](# "ref")
1. The Immensity of God's Love 神慈愛的廣大 [(v11-12)](# "ref")
1. **The Insignificance of our Strength** **我們力量的微小** [(v13-14)](# "ref")

>>>
+ Grace isn't **fair**: 
  + God doesn't **punish** us as we deserve
+ God's love is **powerful**:
  + **stronger** than evil in world or our hearts
+ God knows we are **small**;
  + **we** need to remember this, too!

---

As a **father** shows compassion 
to his **children**, 
so the Lord shows **compassion** 
to those who **fear** him.

父親怎樣憐恤他的兒女， 
耶和華也怎樣憐恤敬畏他的人！

[Psalm 詩篇 103:13 (ESV)](# "ref")
[Steven Van Loy, Biarritz, France](https://unsplash.com/photos/oUhSla4L_98 "caption")

>>>
+ **Compassion**: as v8 "compassionate + gracious"
  + Natural **bond** w/own children
+ We have no natural **right**/entitlement to any bond w/God
  + But those who **fear** Him
  + have been **adopted** through Christ
+ e.g., JJ drawing: **hearts** connected
+ When we feel as though God has **forgotten** us,
  + God replies (Is49):

---

Can a woman forget her nursing **child**, 
that she should have no **compassion** 
on the son of her womb?

Even these may forget, yet I will **not forget** you.

婦人焉能忘記他吃奶的嬰孩， 
不憐恤他所生的兒子？

即或有忘記的，我卻不忘記你。

[Isaiah 49:15 (ESV)](# "ref")
[Janko Ferlič, Koper, Slovenia](https://unsplash.com/photos/EpbIXGCrtK0 "caption")

>>>
+ Same word: **compassion**
+ Mother **unable** to forget baby
  + e.g., hear baby **crying**, would **lactate**
  + to this day, still feel **weak** in knees
+ Even more, our **Father** cannot forget us
+ He has **engraved** us on the **palms** of His hands
+ Remembers us, in order to have **mercy** on us:

---

For he knows our **frame**; 
he remembers that **we are dust**.

因為他知道我們的本體， 
思念我們不過是塵土。

[Psalm 詩篇 103:14 (ESV)](# "ref")
[Geran de Klerk, Gävle, Sweden](https://unsplash.com/photos/WJkc3xZjSXw "caption")

>>>
+ **Frame**: intent, purpose, handiwork
  + God put **thought** into how He made us
  + Even our capacity to **think** comes from Him
+ For all of my **achievements**, all my **edu**,
  + **righteous** acts of charity to others,
  + efforts at **self-improvement** --
+ All I am is merely **dust**, loose dirt
+ Yet it is to this dirt that God showed **compassion**
  + His love which **animates** us, makes us **alive**
+ Dwell on this passage, Ps103
  + **Position** yourself as:

---

## Am I the small **child** before the compassionate **Father**? 
# 我會是那在憐憫的 父神前的小小孩嗎？

>>>
+ The Lord is **compassionate** + **gracious**
  + slow to **anger**, abounding in steadfast **love**

______

+ Lord, we are very **small**, weak: **dust**
  + **tired** of battling with own bad **habits**
  + **helpless** in face of so much **evil** in world
+ We feel **lonely**, defeated, forgotten
+ But **You**, O Lord, are full of **mercy** --
  + it's in Your **nature**, it's **who** You are!

---

>>>
+ You deal with us in **mercy**, not **retribution**
+ Your **love** is so strong it **transforms** us
+ Your heart is **connected** to ours, with an
  + **unbreakable** bond of compassion
+ Where you call us to show **mercy** to others,
  + may we do so with **joy**
+ To **defend** the downtrodden, with **courage**
+ To be **quieted** in Your love, with **humility**