A God who at every turn surprises us with His compassion and mercy. That is the God I am learning to see in the Old Testament. And here’s just a few examples.
- Adam and Eve break the only command God gives to them and yet His discipline is to protect them by making them leave the garden before they can eat the tree of life
- Cain kills his brother and God spares His life
- Almost as soon as the earth is dry from the flood Noah gets drunker than a skunk, yet God allows him to live and even promises never to flood the earth again
- God gives the Canaanites hundreds of years before sending Israel to wipe them out for their incredible wickedness
- Ruth is a detestable Moabite and yet she has the honor of being in the lineage of Jesus
- Abraham lies twice about his wife, Isaac is a bad dad, and Jacob lies and cheats to get what he wants and yet God makes a covenant with all 3 men and promises to bless them and their descendants
- Israel consistently chooses to sin and yet God consistently gives grace and has compassion and mercy on His people. He forgives their kings, sends prophet after prophet and gives warning after warning before finally sending judgment. And even then it’s tempered with mercy!
- Bc even in their exile God goes with His people, holding and protecting them. And eventually they are able to return to the land God had given them.
The mercy and compassion even extends to those nations surrounding Israel as God occasionally sends prophets to them warning them of impending judgment and giving them a chance to repent.
Then let us not forget what we are about to celebrate this weekend. The ultimate example of God’s compassion and mercy. The death of Jesus as the wrath of God was poured out on Him instead of us. The resurrection of Jesus – as God raised His Son from the dead making Him the firstfruits of the Resurrection and guaranteeing victory for all who are in covenant with Him.
The mercy and compassion of God astounds me. And makes me feel incredibly thankful. Bc I am no better than anyone else, and I am in desperate need of the mercy of God!!!
As it says in Lamentations the mercies of God are new every morning. They probably have to be bc I am pretty sure I wear them out daily 🙂
Praise God for His mercy and compassion. May you learn to see your God as a gracious and compassionate Father who will surprise you with His mercy and grace at every turn. May you see His grace in His Word and may it encourage your faith and your faithfulness.