The Bible

 

Osija 10

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1 Izrailj je prazna loza vinova, ostavlja rod za se; što više roda ima, to više umnožava oltare; što mu je bolja zemlja, to više kiti likove.

2 Srce im je razdeljeno, zato su krivi; On će oboriti oltare njihove, polomiće likove njihove.

3 Jer sada govore: Nemamo cara; ne bojimo se Gospoda; i šta bi nam učinio car?

4 Govore reči kunući se lažno kad ugovaraju veru, i sud kao otrov raste u brazdama na njivi mojoj.

5 Za junice vet-avenske uplašiće se stanovnici samarijski; jer će za njima žaliti narod njihov, i sveštenici njihovi, koji im se radovahu, jer će slava njihova otići od njih.

6 I on će sam biti odveden u Asirsku na dar caru braniču; Jefrema će popasti stid, i Izrailj će se osramotiti namerom svojom.

7 Cara će samarijskog nestati kao pene povrh vode.

8 I oboriće se visine avenske, greh Izrailjev; trnje će i čkalj rasti po oltarima njihovim, i govoriće gorama: Pokrijte nas, i humovima: Padnite na nas.

9 Od vremena gavajskog grešio si, Izrailju; onde ostaše, ne stiže ih u Gavaji rat na bezakonike.

10 Po svojoj ću ih volji pokarati, i narodi će se skupiti na njih da ih zarobe za dvojako bezakonje njihovo.

11 Jefrem je junica naučena, koja rado vrše; ali ću joj doći na lepi vrat; upregnuću Jefrema, Juda će orati, Jakov će povlačiti.

12 Sejte pravdu, žećete milost; orite krčevinu, jer je vreme da tražite Gospoda, da bi došao i podaždio vam pravdom.

13 Oraste bezbožnost, žeste bezakonje, jedoste plod od laži; jer si se pouzdao u svoj put, u mnoštvo svojih junaka.

14 Zato će se podignuti vreva među tvojim narodom, i svi će se gradovi tvoji raskopati kao što Salman raskopa Vet-Arvel kad beše rat, majka bi razmrskana sa sinovima.

15 Tako će vam učiniti Vetilj za veliku zloću vašu; zorom će poginuti car Izrailjev.

   

Commentary

 

Mercy

  
‘Brother Juniper and the Beggar,’ by Spanish Baroque painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. Juniper, one of the original followers of St. Francis of Assissi, was renowned for his generosity. When told he could no longer give away his clothes, he instead simply told the needy, like the beggar in the painting, that he couldn’t give them his clothes, but wouldn’t stop them from taking them.

In regular language, "mercy" means being caring and compassionate toward people in poor states. That's a position we are all in relative to the Lord, all the time. Without Him we would be unable to choose what is good; without Him we would be unable to formulate a reasonable thought. Without Him, in fact, we would instantly cease to exist; we have life only because He constantly gives us life. So we are, quite literally, at His mercy. Fortunately, the Lord is caring and compassionate to a degree we cannot fathom. He is the source of all caring and all compassion, and of love itself. His mercy toward us never lessens, never abates, never ends; His whole purpose is to bring each of us, individually, to heaven. The meaning of "mercy" in the Bible is closely tied to this idea: it represents love in a general sense, and the desire for good that comes from love. It can also represent the desire for good and the ideas that describe it when those thoughts and desires are inspired by love of the Lord.