“So he prayed to the Lord, and said, ‘Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.’”
and merciful God,
The second description Jonah gave of God is that He is “merciful.” God is full of mercy and compassion. The Old Testament always uses this word for God with one possible exception (2 Chr. 30:9).
PRINCIPLE:
God has a great capacity for mercy.
APPLICATION:
There is no commodity that God has more than mercy. We extend little mercy to one another. God abundantly exercises mercy toward His creatures.
Mercy is a variety of love. It is love towards someone who does not deserve our love.
2 Sa 24:14, “And David said to Gad, ‘I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.’”
Ps 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”
Ps 103:8, “The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.”
Lam 3:22-23, 22 “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.”
Ro 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
2 Co 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort…”
Eph 2:4, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…”
1 Pe 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”
