Growing up, when I played t-ball and softball, sometimes our team or the team we were playing was vastly superior to the other. The superior team would just score run after run after run. Eventually scoring so many more runs than the other team, the game was prematurely ended. It was a kindness to the team who was getting just destroyed by the other team. Today you reference this rule as “run ruling” but when I was a child we called it the mercy rule.
Mercy is defined as compassion and forbearance especially against an offender or someone subject to your power. It is the act of not giving someone what they deserve but instead lessening or erasing the punishment or consequence. Police officers show mercy when they let you go without a ticket. Teachers show mercy when they accept late work. Receptionist show mercy when your late to an appointment and they don’t immediately cancel it. Parents show mercy when they alter they lessen their initial punishment for disobedience.
Mercy is one of the foundational traits of Jehovah God. It Exodus as God proclaims His full name and nature to Moses in the cleft of rock the very first trait He uses about Himself is merciful. “The Lord passed passed before Moses and proclaimed, ‘The Lord Jehovah a God full of mercy… (Exodus 34).’”
God is abounding in mercy. Mercy is who God is. He does not WANT to give us what we deserve for our sins. Instead He has done everything He can to prevent us from paying the price for them. He sent His only son – Jesus – to die so that we didn’t have to die for our sins. He sent Jesus so we can be made alive again and live with Him forever.
And Davis tells us repeatedly throughout the Psalms that God’s mercy endures forever! It will last for eternity. So, “Give thanks to Jehovah for He is good! For His mercy endures forever (Psalm 136)!” Obey God and Let His mercy save your soul!
Adonai's Appeal 