Choose Mercy

Nº 391

As a merciful God, He pitied us; but as a holy God, He could not but hate our transgression; as a God of truth, He could not but fulfill His own threatening; as a God of justice, He must avenge Himself for the offense against Him. He gave Christ as a God of mercy and required satisfaction as a God of justice.- Stephen Charnock

After his adventure with the whale, Jonah sparked a powerful revival in the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. His preaching about God’s impending judgment had a profound effect on the people of Nineveh and the Assyrian king. They repented, and God displayed His mercy rather than His judgment.

About 100 years later, the Assyrians had moved past their contrition and were back to their wicked ways. God sent another prophet, Nahum. His message was clear and direct: “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished” (Nahum 1:3).

God’s merciful response to the Ninevites during Jonah’s time was humbly received, but following generations drifted away. God is slow to anger . . . but will not leave the guilty unpunished. The repentance of the Ninevite parents did not ensure the same response in their children. God’s judgment came in 612 BC when the Babylonians conquered Nineveh and overthrew the Assyrians.

God is a God of mercy, but He is also a God who expects obedience. As with the Ninevites, God offers us mercy, patiently waits, but if rejected, eventually metes out judgment.

Respond to God’s offer of mercy and avoid the painful consequences.

Excelsior,

Dan Bolin

Author & President