Mercy & Compassion
God is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger," tender toward the weak and the guilty.
Overview
God's mercy is his tenderness toward the weak, the suffering, and the guilty — his disposition to relieve misery and to spare those who deserve judgment. He is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love" (Exod 34:6); his mercies "are new every morning" (Lam 3:23). Where justice gives what is deserved, mercy withholds deserved punishment, and grace gives undeserved good — and God is rich in all three.
Mercy is not weakness or the mere overlooking of wrong; it cost God everything. "God, being rich in mercy... made us alive together with Christ" (Eph 2:4-5). For anyone crushed by guilt or failure, this is the lifeline: the God of the Bible is not reluctant to forgive but eager, running toward the returning prodigal "while he was still a long way off" (Luke 15:20).
Where it appears
- Exodus 34:6
Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed, “Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth,
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