“His Mercy Endures Forever”

“Who is a God like You,

Pardoning iniquity

And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?

He does not retain His anger forever,

Because He delights in mercy.” (Micah 7:18 NKJV)

Micah, in an inversion of his own name (which means, “Who is like God?”), opens this verse with, “Who is a God like You?” This may seem like flattery, a servant proclaiming the greatness of his king simply to curry favor, but in point of fact this was an incredibly astute question.

The gods of the surrounding cultures were myriad, most often shown to be vindictive, hateful, and demanding. Mercy was not typically not a component of their character. Sacrifices to those gods would at best procure short-term favor but true forgiveness was never known among them. The very idea of the God of all gods extending tender mercies toward His people was something the other nations could not even comprehend.

Throughout the entirety of this chapter Micah demonstrated God’s reconciliation with sinful Israel. Several times in the Old Testament God is refered to as a jealous God, with the unfaithful nature of His chosen people the object of His jealousy. As a spurned spouse would, He chastened His people, His wrath often meted out by the powerful and ungodly kings of nations such as Assyria and Babylon.

Unlike many jealous spouses, however, in response to repentance Yaweh was conciliatory, extending mercy and forgiveness to His people, pardoning their sin and overlooking their failings for the sake of His Name. The last two lines of this verse are the key. He, “delights in mercy,” wanting to be reconciled to His people. For this reason, He will not hold a grudge (“retain His anger forever”).

Switching metaphors, Jesus gave us one of the best representations of the lovingkindness and mercy of the God we serve, that of the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). The son was allowed to choose the path of destruction, despite his father’s counsel to the contrary. Once he realized the folly of his ways and returned in contrition, his father welcomed and forgave him. There were consequences to his actions but among them was not permanent rejection by his father.

The most wonderful part that parable to the son was likely the surprising nature of the reconciliation. “‘And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.’” (Luke 15:20 NKJV) The father was watching, waiting for his son’s eventual return. In like manner our Father yearns for us, eager to reconcile and bring us back into fellowship with Him. We can say with David,

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.” (I Chronicles 16:34 NKJV)

Related Scriptures

“‘Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods?

Who is like You, glorious in holiness,

Fearful in praises, doing wonders?’” (Exodus 15:11 NKJV)

“And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.’ . . . Then he said, ‘If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.’” (Exodus 34:6-7, 9 NKJV)

“‘I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake;

And I will not remember your sins.’” (Isaiah 43:25 NKJV)

“‘In those days and in that time,’ says the LORD,

‘The iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but there shall be none;

And the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found;

For I will pardon those whom I preserve.’” (Jeremiah 50:20 NKJV)

“‘I will make the lame a remnant,

And the outcast a strong nation;

So the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion

From now on, even forever.’” (Micah 4:7 NKJV)

“The LORD is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

As a father pities his children,

So the LORD pities those who fear Him.” (Psalms 103:8-9, 13 NKJV)

“‘For I will not contend forever,

Nor will I always be angry;

For the spirit would fail before Me,

And the souls which I have made.’” (Isaiah 57:16 NKJV)

“‘Say to them: “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?”’” (Ezekiel 33:11 NKJV)