To him that smote Egypt in their first-born; for his mercy (hesed) endureth forever. *
Surely no modern moralist would think of attributing the wholesale murder of all the first-born in a land to the "mercy" of God! In the same vein, David, while praising Jehovah's "mercy" for "overthrowing Pharaoh and his host, in the Red sea," for "slaying great kings," and "famous kings," whom God killed in battle and whose lands he gave to the Jews, he exclaims, "For his hesed (mercy) endureth forever." We associate with the idea of "mercy," tenderness, compassion and charity. What makes "mercy" or charity a great quality is that it is, as a rule, bestowed upon the unfortunate, and even the undeserving. But to describe killing people in their sleep, or throwing down stones from heaven to destroy soldiers defending their homes, ** or to drown a nation trying to recover their property from the Jews who had "spoiled the Egyptians," before fleeing the land, as acts of "mercy," is to make of morality a mockery. What is the difference between the red Indian extolling Manitou for the scalps he has given him, and David singing:
* Psalms cxxxvi, 10.
** Joshua x, ii.
To him that smote Egypt in their first-born:
For his mercy endureth forever. *
* Consult Chilperic's article in The Reformer, Vol. VI, page
664.
Who would for a moment hesitate between these lines of David and
The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth, as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: