Balancing the Majestic and Merciful Aspects of God's Character
The character of God is often described through attributes that highlight both His majestic power and His compassionate mercy. These seemingly distinct qualities are not contradictory but are interwoven aspects of His divine nature [2, 9].
God's majesty is evident in His greatness, glory, and honor. The Psalms frequently call for praise to God on account of His majesty, glory, excellency, and greatness [5]. For instance, Psalm 96:6 declares, "Honour and majesty are before him" [10]. This majesty is also seen in His holiness, wisdom, and power [5]. John Gill interprets the "glorious honour of thy majesty" in Psalm 145:5 as referring to the divine person of Christ, highlighting His glory as the only begotten of the Father and His exalted position as Mediator [7]. Similarly, Psalm 104 celebrates God's greatness and sovereign dominion [9, 12]. The glory of God is also described as something to be declared among the nations, particularly concerning the Messiah and the display of divine wisdom, power, justice, and mercy in redemption [11].
Alongside this majesty, God's character is profoundly marked by mercy and loving-kindness. The Bible describes God's mercy as an inherent part of His character, being great, rich, manifold, plenteous, abundant, sure, everlasting, and tender [4]. It is depicted as "better than life" and "over all his works" [1, 4]. The loving-kindness of God is manifested through Christ and is described as great, excellent, good, marvelous, multitudinous, and everlasting [1]. Psalm 86:15 explicitly states, "But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth" [6]. This mercy is not merely an abstract concept but is demonstrated in actions such as sending Christ [4]. Jesus Himself emphasized the importance of being merciful, promising that "those who are merciful now will find God’s mercy in the final judgment" [13].
These attributes are not separate but are presented as harmoniously united. Psalm 85:10 famously states, "Mercy and truth meet together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other" [3]. This verse suggests that in God's plan of salvation, all His qualities—love, truth, righteousness, and peace—converge to transform creation [8]. The goodness of God, which is a perfection of His character, encompasses both His benevolence and His mercy towards those in distress, His pity, compassion, and long-suffering patience towards impenitent sinners, and His grace towards the unworthy [2]. Thus, goodness and justice are seen as different aspects of one unchanging, infinitely wise, and sovereign moral perfection [2].
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Loving-Kindness of God, The — Is through Christ -- Eph 2:7; Tit 3:4-6. Described as Great. -- Ne 9:17. Excellent. -- Ps 36:7. Good. -- Ps 69:16. Marvellous. -- Ps 17:7; 31:21. Multitudinous. -- Isa 63:7. Everlasting. -- Isa 54:8. Merciful. -- Ps 117:2. Better than life. -- Ps 63:3. Consideration of the dealings of God gives a knowledge of -- Ps 107:43. Saints Betrothed in. -- Ho 2:19. Drawn by. -- Jer 31:3. Preserved by. -- Ps 40:11. Quickened after. -- Ps 119:88. Comforted by. -- Ps 119:76. Look for mercy through. -- Ps 51:1. Receive mercy through. -- Isa 54:8. Are ”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Goodness of God — A perfection of his character which he exercises towards his creatures according to their various circumstances and relations (Ps. 145:8, 9; 103:8; 1 John 4:8). Viewed generally, it is benevolence; as exercised with respect to the miseries of his creatures it is mercy, pity, compassion, and in the case of impenitent sinners, long-suffering patience; as exercised in communicating favour on the unworthy it is grace. "Goodness and justice are the several aspects of one unchangeable, infinitely wise, and sovereign moral perfection. God is not sometimes ”
- Psalms “Mercy and truth meet together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. -- Psalms 85:10”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Mercy of God, The — Is part of his character -- Ex 34:6,7; Ps 62:12; Ne 9:17; Jon 4:2,10,11; 2Co 1:3. Described as Great. -- Nu 14:18; Isa 54:7. Rich. -- Eph 2:4. Manifold. -- Ne 9:27; La 3:32. Plenteous. -- Ps 86:5,15; 103:8. Abundant. -- 1Pe 1:3. Sure. -- Isa 55:3; Mic 7:20. Everlasting. -- 1Ch 16:34; Ps 89:28; 106:1; 107:1; 136:1-26. Tender. -- Ps 25:6; 103:4; Lu 1:78. New every morning. -- La 3:23. High as heaven. -- Ps 36:5; 103:11. Filling the earth. -- Ps 119:64. Over all his works. -- Ps 145:9. Is his delight -- Mic 7:18. Manifested In the sending of Christ. ”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Praise — God is worthy of -- 2Sa 22:4. Christ is worthy of -- Re 5:12. God is glorified by -- Ps 22:23; 50:23. Offered to Christ -- Joh 12:13. Acceptable through Christ -- Heb 13:15. Is due to God on account of His majesty. -- Ps 96:1,6; Isa 24:14. His glory. -- Ps 138:5; Eze 3:12. His excellency. -- Ex 15:7; Ps 148:13. His greatness. -- 1Ch 16:25; Ps 145:3. His holiness. -- Ex 15:11; Isa 6:3. His wisdom. -- Da 2:20; Jude 1:25. His power. -- Ps 21:13. His goodness. -- Ps 107:8; 118:1; 136:1; Jer 33:11. His mercy. -- 2Ch 20:21; Ps 89:1; 118:1-4; 136:1-26. His loving-k”
- Psalms “But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth. -- Psalms 86:15”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 145:5: I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty,.... Of the majesty of the divine Person of Christ; of the honour due unto him; of the glory of him as of the only begotten of the Father, as he is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person; of his glory as Mediator, and the honour that belongs to him as such, with which he is now crowned at the right hand of the Majesty on high, angels, authorities, and powers, being subject unto him as the Lord and King of glory; and of thy wondrous works; in becoming incarnate, in dying for the sins of his”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 85:10: 85:10-13 In the glorious world of renewal and salvation, all the qualities of God’s care—love, truth, righteousness, and peace—come together and transform the created order into something new (see Isa 32:15-20).”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 104 (introduction): It is very probable that this psalm was penned by the same hand, and at the same time, as the former; for as that ended this begins, with "Bless the Lord, O my soul!" and concludes with it too. The style indeed is somewhat different, because the matter is so: the scope of the foregoing psalm was to celebrate the goodness of God and his tender mercy and compassion, to which a soft and sweet style was most agreeable; the scope of this is to celebrate his greatness, and majesty, and sovereign dominion, which ought to be done in the most stately lofty st”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 96:6: Honour and majesty are before him,.... He being set down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, and having honour and majesty laid upon him; being arrayed in robes of majesty, crowned with glory and honour, sitting on the same throne of glory with his Father, and having a sceptre of righteousness in his hand, and all the forms and ensigns of royalty and majesty about him; rays of light and glory darting from him; as well as those glorious and bright forms before him; the holy angels continually praising him; which is a much more noble sense tha”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 96:3: Declare his glory among the Heathen,.... What a glorious Person the Messiah is; the brightness of his Father's glory; having all the perfections of deity in him; how the glory of God appears in him, and in all that he has done; and especially in the work of redemption, in which the glory of divine wisdom, power, justice, truth, and faithfulness, love, grace, and mercy, is richly displayed; say what glory he is advanced unto, having done his work, being highly exalted, set at the right hand of God, and crowned with glory and honour; and what a fulness of grace there is”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 104:1: Bless the Lord, O my soul,.... As for the blessings of grace and mercy expressed in the preceding psalm, so on account of the works of creation and providence, enumerated in this; in which Christ has an equal concern, as in the former. O Lord my God, thou art very great; the Messiah, who is Jehovah our righteousness, Lord of all, truly God, and the God of his people; see Joh 20:28 and who is great, and very great, in his divine Person, being the great God, and our Saviour; great in all his works of creation, providence, and redemption; great in all his offices of P”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 5:7: 5:7 Jesus made a cardinal virtue of being merciful, that is, showing kindness to those in distress (see 6:12, 14-15; 9:13; 12:7; 18:23-35; 23:23; 25:31-46). Those who are merciful now will find God’s mercy in the final judgment.”