How Great is Your Mercy

The Mysteries of God! How we delight to seek You in all Your mysterious ways!


One of the most oft used names for God in Judaism is that of "HASHEM". In conversation and throughout Scripture, this name is used. Why? This name is especially special because it is His name that means "mercy". The name "ELOHIM" means "judgement". Of course you would want to call upon His name of mercy rather than that of judgement in the majority of cases - unless you were perhaps praying that God would bring judgement to His enemies!

What is even more astounding, yet not that surprising, is that God Himself prefers His name HASHEM, that of mercy, to that of ELOHIM, judgement. Throughout Scripture, you find the name HASHEM many many more times than ELOHIM! Even more meaningful, is that the sages teach that God literally weeps when He must leave His throne of mercy to that of judgement! The Psalms teach us that God weeps a thousand tears to one of ours! We shouldn't be surprised to find that a God who prefers to use His name of mercy throughout Scripture, would weep in compassion when He must assume His throne of judgement!

The Messiah is a representation of God's kindness and mercy towards us. Messiah is also represented by the Hebrew letter mem, specifically a closed mem. There are two forms of this letter: it can be an open mem or a closed mem. It is in the form of a closed mem that it represents Messiah, who represents God's mercy towards us.

Why the lesson on the Hebrew letter mem? To point out that in the name "HASHEM" there is a closed mem at the end of it! The Hebrew letters in the name "HASHEM" are: hey-shin-mem. The form of the mem here is a closed mem. But of course, you say, it is God's name for mercy, it makes sense that there would be a representation of Messiah there! Yes, you would be correct.

Now look at "ELOHIM". The Hebrew letters composing God's name of judgment are: lamed-hey-yud-mem. Notice again that there is a mem at the end of this name as well! Furthermore, the form here is also a closed mem! Meaning, that our God is so kind and merciful, that even in His name of judgment there is an element of mercy hidden! You would never know it to simply say or read the name ELOHIM, but looking deeper, you find the closed mem that represents Messiah! Knowing that He must have judgement as well as mercy, He made a way for His judgement to be satisfied by hiding Messiah away from the beginning of time. Showing us that even His attribute of judgement is softened by mercy! What an incredible God we serve!!!

If God Himself, who has all the reason to judge against us, would be so merciful and compassionate that He would weep to give judgement, how much more should we, who have no right to judge anyone, show mercy to our fellow mankind?