The mercy of God is a celebration of love. In the
Hebrew language, mercy, love and compassion all
come from the same word, so when you say God is
love, you are also saying He is mercy and compassion.
We have had the idea that God is just love. God is
also mercy—the kindness that gives help to the most
undeserving. He is also compassion—the desire to bear
and relieve another’s distress.

The combination of mercy, love and compassion form the
identity of God Himself. Mercy is not a thing and compassion
is not a feeling. Together, they manifest a person. When
these three qualities demonstrated themselves in the Son of
God, they became a powerful force.

In His ministry, Jesus fully expressed the inner
character and nature of His Father each time He acted
in mercy. He gave us a revelation that mercy, love and
compassion are a person.

Consider these three scriptures as the foundation
for studying mercy in Jesus’ ministry: Psalm 145:8-9;
2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 2:4.

Psalm 145:8-9 says: “The Lord is gracious, and full of
compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The
Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all
his works.” The fact that mercy is over all God’s works
is important. Mercy, not wrath and power, motivates
God to act. It covers every work He performs, and it
is the reason He does everything.

The Bible not only proclaims the power of God, but
also gives us a picture—a revelation—of His mercy.

For instance, if you were to compare a father with his
small son, you could easily see which of the two is the
stronger. But the only way to get a picture of the love this
man has for his son is to see him in action, exercising his
power of protection over the child. It is this open display of
mercy that allows us to see this father’s love.

Gloria Copeland

Proverbs 4:1
KJV—Hear, ye children, the instruction of
a father, and attend to know understanding.

NKJV—Hear, my children, the instruction
of a father, and give attention to know
understanding.

NIV—Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.

Proverbs 6:20-22
KJV—My son, keep thy father’s commandment,
and forsake not the law of thy
mother: Bind them continually upon thine
heart, and tie them about thy neck. When
thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou
sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when
thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

NIV—My son, keep your father’s commands
and do not forsake your mother’s
teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever;
fasten them around your neck. When
you walk, they will guide you; when you
sleep, they will watch over you; when you
awake, they will speak to you.

Amp—My son, keep your father’s [Godgiven]
commandment, and forsake not
the law of [God] your mother [taught you].
Bind them continually upon your heart,
and tie them about your neck. When you
go, [the Word of your parents’ God] it
shall lead you; when you sleep, it shall
keep you, and when you waken, it shall
talk with you.

Proverbs 13:1
KJV—A wise son heareth his father’s
instruction.

NKJV—A wise son heeds his father’s
instruction.

Proverbs 15:5
KJV—A fool despiseth his father’s instruction:
but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

NKJV—A fool despises his father’s instruction,
but he who receives correction is prudent.

NIV—A fool spurns his father’s discipline,
but whoever heeds correction shows
prudence.

Proverbs 20:11
KJV—Even a child is known by his doings,
whether his work be pure, and
whether it be right.

NIV—Even a child is known by his actions,
by whether his conduct is pure and right.

Amp—Even a child is known by his acts,
whether or not what he does is pure and right.

Proverbs 23:22
KJV—Hearken unto thy father that begat
thee, and despise not thy mother when
she is old.

NKJV—Listen to your father who begot
you, and do not despise your mother
when she is old.

NIV—Listen to your father, who gave you
life, and do not despise your mother when
she is old.

Gloria Copeland

Proverbs 13:24
KJV—He that spareth his rod hateth his
son: but he that loveth him chasteneth
him betimes [quickly].

NKJV—He who spares his rod hates his
son, but he who loves him disciplines him
promptly.

NIV—He who spares the rod hates his
son, but he who loves him is careful to
discipline him.

Amp—He who spares his rod [of discipline]
hates his son, but he who loves him diligently
disciplines and punishes him early.

Proverbs 19:18
KJV—Chasten thy son while there is hope,
and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

NKJV—Chasten your son while there is
hope, and do not set your heart on his
destruction.

NIV—Discipline your son, for in that
there is hope; do not be a willing party to
his death.

Amp—Discipline your son while there is
hope, but do not [indulge your angry resentments
by undue chastisements and] set yourself to his ruin.

Proverbs 22:6
KJV—Train up a child in the way he
should go: and when he is old, he will not
depart from it.

NIV—Train a child in the way he should
go, and when he is old he will not turn
from it.

Amp—Train up a child in the way he
should go [and in keeping with his individual
gift or bent], and when he is old he
will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:15
KJV—Foolishness is bound up in the
heart of a child; the rod of correction will
drive it far from him.

NIV—Folly is bound up in the heart of a
child, but the rod of discipline will drive it
far from him.

Proverbs 23:13-14
NIV—Do not withhold discipline from a
child; if you punish him with the rod, he
will not die. Punish him with the rod and
save his soul from death.

Proverbs 23:24-25
KJV—The father of the righteous shall
greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a
wise child shall have joy of him. Thy father
and thy mother shall be glad, and she that
bare thee shall rejoice.

NKJV—The father of the righteous will
greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise
child will delight in him. Let your father
and your mother be glad, and let her who
bore you rejoice.

NIV—The father of a righteous man has
great joy; he who has a wise son delights
in him. May your father and mother be
glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice!

Gloria Copeland