What does it mean to write mercy and truth on the tablet of your heart (Proverbs 3:3)?

Mercy and truth (v. 3) are particularly important in our relationships with others, and if bound "about your neck," they will keep us from being "stiff-necked" or self-opinionated; and when written on the tables of our heart will preserve us from hard-heartedness. But though these are mainly important in our relationships with others, yet they gain favor and high esteem in God's sight as well as in men's sight, for God is concerned that believers represent Him rightly before the world (v. 4).

But this is far from all. As we know that "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," the Israelite was exhorted to cherish confidence in mercy, or loving-kindness, and truth. Let them "not forsake thee," is the word. He was entitled to believe and count on them habitually and evermore. "Bind them about thy neck, write them upon the tablet of thy heart." What ornament can compare with them? What inward lesson so cheering and invigorating! "And thou shalt find favour and good understanding [if this last be the shade of sense here meant] in the sight of God and man."

So we see in our perfect pattern. Our Lord assuredly found in His unequalled path of subjection "favour" with God and man, as we are told. Whether the word often rendered "good understanding" is not modified here, as sometimes elsewhere, may be questioned. But as it stands, it was a good and welcome stamp of divine approval through devotedness to God's will, without either self-seeking or men-pleasing. Happy, when as here, it comes as the answer without as well as on high, to grace and truth written on the heart! Now too one word, Christ, expresses all; and the Spirit of the living God is given to us who believe, that He may be written truly and deeply on those tablets of flesh, our hearts. How rich the grace wherein we stand! For we all, contemplating with unveiled face the glory of the Lord, are being changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Lord the Spirit.

It is written on the "tables of the heart," by the "Spirit of the living God." Thus merely outward conduct (though there must be that for the world to see) will not do, but Christ within, as the motive and end of all we do.

Yet even in the days when faith waited for its Object and His work, and the best blessing then lay in promise, the heart was formed by the positive teaching afforded, and trained in the observance of commandments which came from God. They might come through a parent; and such no doubt was the due order in Israel, as it has been marked from their father Abraham, as Jehovah deigned to express His pleasure in his commanding his children and his household, that they might keep the way of Jehovah, to do justice and judgment. But what gave divine value was that it was His teaching, and that the commandments enjoined were His. This alone sanctifies — obeying God, obeying His Word, the effect and proof of love, when any are in relationship with God. Nor do we forget but remember what we love and value.

"And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart" — at the very source of all the issues of life. This is peculiarly precious. Whatever is in the heart comes out through the lips, and in the life. How important then, to have the heart full of the word of God, so full that we shall have no room for the vanities and follies of this present evil world. Thus shall our conversation be always with grace, seasoned with salt. "Out of the abundance of the heart the month speaks." Hence we can judge of what is in the heart by what comes out of the mouth. The tongue is the organ of the heart — the organ of the man. "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things." When the heart is really governed by the word of God, the whole character reveals the blessed result. It must be so, inasmuch as the heart is the main-spring of our entire moral condition; it lies at the centre of all those moral influences which govern our personal history and shape our practical career.

This is ministered by the apostles, for they have communicated the truth by which the Church is established, and by which she is enabled to represent Christ before the world. But this letter is written, not with ink, not as a formal declaration, but by the Spirit of the Living God; therefore in the power of living reality. And in contrast to the ten commandments written in tables of stone, this is written in fleshy tables of the heart. For the law was as hard and cold and impersonal as the stones upon which it was written. The Spirit of God writes upon that which is both living and yielding, impressing and affecting the heart, which responds thankfully, affectionately, spontaneously. Certainly therefore it was proper that these servants should have such trust toward God as would enable them to prove faithful in the trust given them of ministering the new covenant in unadulterated purity.

The second thought of much importance is the way that mercy and truth are linked together in the second verse. Neither mercy at the expense of truth, nor truth at the expense of mercy, would be for the glory of God and the blessing of men. In the coming day when God brings to fruition all His purposes concerning Israel the mercy of God toward them will be seen to be great indeed, and at the same time His truth will be established for ever. The foundation of all this has already been laid in the cross of Christ, and hence the same thing is true when the gospel reaches us today.

Where mercy is not blended with truth, there can be no prosperity. Mercy and truth are met together in Christ; and it is said, “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee, for thus thou shalt find favour and good understanding (or success) in the sight of God and man.” Through our Lord Jesus Christ “grace and truth subsist” now, and when we receive of His fullness, it is not truth upon truth, but “grace upon grace.” Therein lies the secret for our spiritual success today. Ecclesiastical law-givers are often more stringent and burdensome than Moses; but it is indeed a double-dyed ministry of condemnation and death. Neither we nor our fathers were able to bear it. Those who were zealous for the law and for the temple when Christ was here, condemned His hungry disciples for plucking and eating corn on the Sabbath. The Lord pointed out what David did when he was hungry; also that the priests of necessity profaned the temple on the Sabbath days and were blameless, adding, “If ye had known what this means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have CONDEMNED THE GUILTLESS” (Matt. 12:7). Is mercy rightly understood? Is grace rightly valued and shown? And love which “never fails,” from which grace and mercy flow—How much is it appreciated? John spoke of “love in the truth,” and of mercy, grace and peace “in truth and love.” It is this beautiful and blessed conciliation of divine qualities which is so necessary, and yet seems to be so lacking among those whom the apostle constantly speaks of as “Brethren,” and to whom he so often says, “love one another.”

Before the trial, he and his wife came to see Mabel's daddy, to confess their sin, with real sorrow, and ask for forgiveness. He wanted another chance to continue his work in the factory after the case at court was over. This, of course, was a test. Was he to be forgiven? Was he to be allowed to return to his work? God's word made the decision. "Whoso confesses his sins, and forsakes them, shall have mercy." (Proverbs 28:13). If God says this is the way He treats those who sin against Him, that is, showing them mercy, it sets the example for us, in regard to our actions toward our fellow-men. If He shows us mercy, we ought to show our fellow-men mercy, should the occasion arise. God has a good deal to say to us about showing mercy, and acting in kindly spirit towards all men. He says, for instance, "Let not mercy forsake thee." Again the prophet says, "God has showed thee, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." (Micah 6:8).

Nor is it true that the Epistle is absorbed in the outward conduct. Speaking and doing are its exhortation as covering a very large part of our practical life; but it is carefully defined that both were to be of such a sort as was suited to those that are to be determined by a law of liberty: a principle of the inner man, and inscrutable to such as, having no faith, have no new life from God and no knowledge of His grace. As mercy is the spring of all we profess as God's children, God is indignant at its absence in those that by grace claim kindred with Himself. They surely, of all mankind, are responsible to delight in mercy and to manifest it in word and deed, as having to do and to be judged by a law, not of bondage, but, of liberty. For God is not mocked but sanctified in those that come nigh Him, as all do who are begotten of Him; and He will be glorified in the solemn judgment of those that set Him at nought. As we here read, "for the judgment [is] merciless to him that showed no mercy." Is not this as it should be?