angela hormberg

Tag: Mercy

  • Proverbs 11:17

    Proverbs 11:17

    Mercy vs. Cruelty

    Commonplace –

    “The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh” (Proverbs 11:17).

    In Proverbs 11:17, the writer tells us that showing mercy is not only good for those we are giving mercy to but also for us; it is a double blessing. Because when we are merciful, we are obeying the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:30, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”.

    Cruelty leaves its mark on our soul. As Matthew Henry notes in his Commentary, “A cruel, froward, ill-natured man, troubles his own flesh, and so his sin becomes his punishment; he starves and dies for want of what he has, because he has not a heart to use it either for the good of others or for his own” (698).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 11:17.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2026 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 32

    Psalm 32

    Commonplace –

    Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

    Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile” (Psalm 32:1-2)

    What a beautiful meditation for this Sunday morning. Psalm 32 is a maschil of David, a psalm written to impart wisdom. David begins by pondering what a blessing it is to have one’s sin forgiven. It is no small thing when God chooses to “imputeth not iniquity” (v.2). As one thought leads to another, David considers what his life was like while living in sin, his bones grew old (v. 3), the hand of God was heavy on him, and his moisture “turned into the drought of summer” (v. 4), a dreary time to be sure. But when he chose to confess his sins to the Lord, the Lord forgave him. He notes, “[f]or this shall every one that is godly pray unto the Lord” (v.6). The reward of a contrite heart is relief, “mercy shall compass” the forgiven. The relief of the weight of sin is a blessing indeed.

    Matthew Henry shares the following in his summary:

    “This psalm, though it speaks not of Christ, as many of the psalms we have hitherto met with have done, has yet a great deal of gospel in it” (283).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 32.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 25

    Psalm 25

    Commonplace –

    “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies” (Psalm 25:10).

    Psalm 25 is a daily prayer, one in which we can call on at any time. It reflects our day-to-day need. Within its verses, David prays for God’s mercy and truth to fill his life.

    Prayer for Mercy

    David recognizes his own sin and cries out for mercy,

    “Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins” (V. 18).

    He reminds himself that God is “good and upright…therefore will he teach sinners in the way” (v.8). This is a promise on which the believer may rely.

    Prayer for Truth

    He commits his soul to God and prays for God to teach him in truth,

    “Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.

    Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day” (v.4-5).

    He reminds himself that God will guide him in truth, but he, as a believer, must commit to being meek and teachable and keeping God’s covenant’s and testimonies.

    Matthew Henry describes Psalm 25 as a psalm “full of devout affection to God, the out-goings of holy desires towards his favour and grace and the lively actings of faith in his promises (262).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 25.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 136

    Psalm 136

    Commonplace –

    “…for his mercy endureth forever” (Psalm 136 refrain).

    The refrain, “for his mercy endureth forever”, is included in every verse of Psalm 136. With this psalm the writer is focused on the eternal aspect of God’s mercy and how that mercies shows up through the various roles God has taken on, for the benefit of his people, throughout time. Verses 1-9 focus on God, Creator. Verses 10-16 focus on God’s role as Rescuer, saving Israel from Egyptian bondage. Verses 17-22 focus on God as Defender of Israel, saving his people from wicked kings, Sihon and Og. Verses 23-24 focus on God’s role as Savior, remembering and redeeming His people from sin. Verse 25 focuses on God’s role as Provider, the One who gives us our daily bread. The opening verses, 1-3, and closing verse, 26, are a call to thankfulness from those who have been blessed by God’s enduring mercy.

    The beauty of this psalm is the exemplary way it models for us the appropriate way to put ourselves in a state of thankfulness.

    1. Call yourself to thankfulness – “O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever”.
    2. Recall the ways God’s mercy has shown up in your life – God as Creator, Rescuer, Defender, Savior, Provider.
    3. Close with thanks to God, Creator of heaven.

    As Matthew Henry notes,

    “…the mercy that is in God endures for ever; it is an inexhaustible fountain” (615).

    The fullness of His mercy is as available to us as it was to those in the past, and it never decreases. His mercy is always abounding.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 136.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 132

    Psalm 132

    Commonplace –

    “If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore” (Psalm 132:12).

    In this Song of Ascent, the author begins by telling the story of the the covenant between God and David. The first ten verses of the Psalm delve into David’s request that the Lord remember their covenant. He reminds the Lord that he swore not to sleep until a place was found for the ark of the covenant to rest. Later, this covenant was realized when the Lord allowed Solomon, David’s heir, to build the temple in Jerusalem. As the pilgrims marched towards Jerusalem singing this psalm, they were reminded of the fulfillment of this covenant. What David looked forward to, they were able to see fulfilled.

    In the second half of Psalm 132, verses 12-18, the Lord’s reply to David is recorded. The Lord promised David that if David’s children would remain true and keep the covenant and testimonies of the Lord, David’s line would remain on the throne and be blessed by God. In singing this psalm, the pilgrims are reminded of their place in the covenant as children of Israel. They also will receive blessing from God as heirs of David, if they remain true to God.

    As the pilgrims were heirs of the covenant, so are believing Christians, who have become heirs through faith in Christ. When we sing this psalm, we, too, are reminded of our role in the covenant. If we remain true to God, we, like the pilgrims, are recipients of His blessings, too.

    Matthew Henry notes that it has been suggested Solomon was the author of this psalm, which was in two parts:

    “1. [Solomon] pleads David’s piety towards God (v. 1-7).

    2. [Solomon] pleads God’s promise to David (v. 11-18).

    The former introduces his petition: the latter follows it as an answer to it” (607).

    Henry states, “In singing this psalm we must have a concern for the gospel church as the temple of God, and a dependence upon Christ as David our Kin, in whom the mercies of God are sure mercies” (607).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 132.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 117

    Psalm 117

    Commonplace –

    “O Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

    For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth forever.

    Praise ye the Lord” (Psalm 117:1-2).

    These two verses represent Psalm 117 in its entirety. As Matthew Henry notes,

    “This psalm is short and sweet” (Henry 554).

    Wisely, Henry points out,

    “We are soon weary indeed of well-doing if, in signing this psalm, we keep not up those pious and devout affections with which the spiritual sacrifice of praise ought to be kindled and kept burning” (Henry 554).

    As with a short prayer, a short psalm must cover the main points that a psalm requires. With a shorter psalm, we see magnified points that may be missed in the lengthiness of other psalms. Here we see that short or long, our song must begin and end with praise. Additionally, the psalmist clearly states what we have to be thankful for, which is 1) God’s mercy and kindness towards us and 2) the truth of God, which is eternal.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 117.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg