And His Mercy

"And His mercy is on them that fear him"...  Magnificat


     Last weekend was our church's choral evensong service. It's a sung evening Easter service by the choir. It's an unusual blessing in this day and age. We sang both the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimitis by Herbert Howells. It struck me as we practice since Christmas and stand full throttle on Saturday what it was that I was actually singing. "And His mercy is on them.." What a comfort! He is a merciful God, full of compassion and long suffering. "Through out all generations..." He remembers His people as He has commanded His people to remember Him.

 But what is this? "His mercy is on them that fear Him." His mercy rests on those that keep His commands, that fear His judgement. Not on those that worship idols, that steal from God and their neighbor, that kill sweet innocents... His mercy is not with them. And He will visit the iniquities of the fathers on the children, for a thousand generations.