Day 267 – Mercy

Proverbs 28:17 A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit; let no one help him. 18 Whoever walks blamelessly will be saved, but he who is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.

• God’s names:
• YAHWEH/JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal
• Elohiym – Supreme God
• Yeshuwa/Iesous – Jesus

• God’s character:
• Judge
• Merciful

Every day you can read the news from your sources and find that someone was killed. People who commit murder fill our prisons.

Solomon knew YAHWEH had one punishment for those who shed innocent blood — death. It was the first command YAHWEH gave Noah when he left the ark.

Genesis 9:1 So Elohiym blessed Noah and his sons and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2 And the fear of you and the dread of you will be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. 3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. 4 But you will not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. 6 Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood will be shed; for in the image of Elohiym He made man.

YAHWEH put His command into the Law and became one of the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 20:13 “You will not murder.

Solomon knew those commands weren’t suggestions; they were commandments from YAHWEH. He knew he needed to obey Elohiym’s commands or face the consequences.

His father, David, is an example of Elohiym’s judgment and His forgiveness when he had Uriah killed so David could marry Bathsheba. YAHWEH pronounced judgment on his house — the sword would never leave his house, and YAHWEH has set aside your sin.

2 Samuel 12:1 Then YAHWEH sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. 3 But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. 4 And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As YAHWEH lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! 6 And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.” 7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says YAHWEH Elohiym of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! 9 Why have you despised the commandment of YAHWEH, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. 10 Now therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says YAHWEH: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’” 13 So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against YAHWEH.” And Nathan said to David, “YAHWEH also has put away your sin; you will not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of YAHWEH to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you will surely die.”

David acknowledged his sin and confessed it before YAHWEH and He forgave him, which is why Elohiym did not require David’s blood.

Solomon knew the turmoil of his house and what his brothers did and how they died in keeping with YAHWEH’S judgment against his father. Therefore, he told the people no one should help a murderer, they were in Elohiym’s hands. He also said those who were blameless before YAHWEH would see His blessings on their lives.

When you accepted Yeshuwa as Soter and Kurios, were you sitting in prison for murder, or were you an upstanding member of your community who wouldn’t think about doing anything against the law?

You don’t need to sit in prison convicted of murder to stand guilty before Yeshuwa for murder.

Matthew 5:21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You will not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

Many Christians believe that as long as they haven’t committed a sin against the Ten Commandments or the law, they are safe. Yeshuwa said your thoughts condemn you.

That is why we need to confess our sins daily — not only for the physical sin, but the thoughts that condemn us. We are all guilty under the law. We all need forgiveness, and the only way we can receive Yeshuwa’s mercy, is to lay our sin at His feet and receive His forgiveness.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJV)

What do you need to confess today? Don’t delay. Bring your sin to the altar and receive His forgiveness.

Let’s pray: Father, I am a sinner. I sin every day with my thoughts and my actions. I stand condemned before You. Forgive me, Father as I lay my sin on Your altar. Give me a pure heart, and help me to walk faithfully before You, giving You praise and glory for Your forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 13 October 2026 by Valerie Routhieaux

May God bless you as you lay all your sins on His altar.

Faithful Journey Publishing