Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Love and Mercy Crown Us All
From Dust to Eternity - Psalm 103, Part 7 - Who Crowns You With Love and Mercy
(This is the sixth part in a series on Psalm 103 called “From Dust to Eternity”. To see other episodes, search #Psalm 103)
Diving Deep
…who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy. —Psalm 103:4b
Psalm 103 is proving to be a deep, bright well. This series of posts is written by engaging in a process called exegesis. It's pronounced, strangely enough, 'ek-suh-JEE-sis', although the word has nothing to do with the Lord. (In future posts, I'll show how Jesus engaged the same process with passages from the Old Testament.)
Everyone with a seminary education knows about exegesis. Exegesis is essential for preparing sermons, studies, and Bible teachings. It's easy for a modern believer to read a passage in the Bible and have an instant or even emotional response to it. We want God to speak to us through His Word, and He often does. But for a thorough understanding of the Word, we need to dig deep between the lines, underneath the text, and inside the words.
Sometimes, this task takes effort.
But not with Psalm 103! We can dive deep into the text and discover phrases, pictures, and metaphors from the poet-king of Israel. We've learned that David praised God for His forgiveness, healing, redemption, and protection. But there is more—much more to come.
Covered with Love and Mercy
Using two words as loving and warm as we could imagine, David says he is covered and crowned with love and mercy.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name...who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy. (Psalm 103:4b)
Let's break this down. The Hebrew word often translated here as "steadfast love" is "hesed." It is a love that is loyal, unfailing, and covenantal. It's the kind of love God showed Israel even when they were unfaithful. The kind of love that pursues us even when we run away.
We do not have an English equivalent in a single word. It takes two beautiful words to show the glory of hesed. Loving + Kindness = Hesed. The word holds an entire basket of the Spirit's fruits described in Galatians: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All intended for us. That's a lot of power packed into such a small word!
God covers us, crowns us with hesed.
Do you wonder why? If God loves us that much, is He a glutton for punishment? After all, we have turned away from Him enough. We have a reputation for sin. What is He thinking?
And that is the point. God does NOT think about if He loves us. Love is His natural inclination toward His creation. After all, He made it! Who hates what they have made? That is the claim of the famous Ash Wednesday Collect.1
It is not that we are special. We should not go there. But that He is inclined toward us the way we should be toward our children. David is a recipient of this overwhelming love.
That's only half of it.
Then there's mercy. The Hebrew word here is "rachamim," which comes from the root word for "womb." It's a visceral, compassionate love, like a mother's love for her child. It's a love that feels our pain and responds with tenderness. It is mother's mercy; it is compassion on steroids. It's a come-let-me-help-you offer from our Father in heaven.
Opposites Attract
These words—hesed or loving-kindness and mercy—are peculiar to use together. They are both warm and loving, and we should be thankful they express the heart of God. But they come from different places. In a way, they could be opposites. Hesed is like grace. It is an unmerited favor. Hesed is giving us something we do not deserve. But mercy comes from a different place. Mercy is not giving us something we do deserve.
No wonder David says they are set in a crown. They are the jewels that sit on either side of the headdress. These are the crown jewels given to every believer—a loyal love and a mother's mercy.
David speaks these words in his bathroom mirror (as we have imagined in these posts). We can pretend he sees himself dressed for success in ways he knew he did not deserve. His sinful passions had jeopardized his national earthly crown, but not this crown. No matter what might happen on the outside, his stature in God's eyes was established.
And so he stood upright, as we would with a crown on our head. Crowned! Loved! Uplifted. Guarded! Shielded! Protected! Strong!
The Mirror Moment
In this series, I have encouraged you to talk to yourself like David speaks to himself. Remember, the entire Psalm is one long address to himself, not about himself, but about God. Can you do that? Can you speak to yourself and tell yourself something about God's character and nature—what He has done for you?
Imagine these virtues of love and mercy. Imagine them as gemstones that sparkle with light. Then, imagine the crown that holds them on either side of your brow. What would you do? You'd straighten your stance. Throw back your shoulders. Look yourself in the eye and speak to your self—the beloved child of God you see. You.
[Your Name], look closely. Do you see that crown? It's right there, on your head. It's made of God's steadfast love and tender mercy. It's not made of gold or jewels, but it's more precious than any earthly crown. You didn't earn it. You can't lose it. It's a gift from God himself. This is who you are - crowned with love and mercy. Live like it. Walk like it. Become the person you are dressed up to be!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy!
While Shakespeare's Hamlet features Polonius advising Laertes that "apparel oft proclaims the man" (now commonly expressed as "the clothes make the man"), this idea is not far from the truth of Psalm 103.
Understanding that we are unconditionally loved empowers us to love others fearlessly.
Recognizing the mercy we receive enables us to forgive those who harm us.
Acknowledging our divine worth allows us to carry ourselves with confidence and direction, regardless of our situation.
As we continue exploring Psalm 103, we'll see how this crowning with love and mercy sets the stage for all the other blessings God has for us. But for now, let's bask in this incredible truth: the God of the universe crowns us with His steadfast love and tender mercy.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy!
The Rev. David Roseberry, an ordained Anglican priest with over 40 years of pastoral experience, offers leadership services to pastors, churches, and Christian writers. He is an accomplished author whose books are available on Amazon. Rev. Roseberry is the Executive Director of LeaderWorks, where his work and resources can be found.
(If you like this writing style and deep-dive investigation into the Bible, check out my Amazon page.)
Almighty and eternal God,
you hate nothing you have made
and you forgive the sins of those who are penitent.
Create in us new and contrite hearts
that we truly repent of our sins,
acknowledge our wretchedness,
and obtain perfect forgiveness from you,
the God of all mercy;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Source: Historic Collect for Ash Wednesday, Book of Common Prayer, 1549
Hesed and mercy is a deep dive for sure. Thank you for your words.