The Lord God of heaven and earth is ‘full of compassion and is merciful’ (James 5.11). The prophet Joel pleaded with sinners to return to the Lord God in genuine repentance for He is gracious and compassionate (Joel 2.13).
The LORD your God is a COMPASSIONATE GOD (Deut 4.31). The compassion of God is an attribute of God’s essential nature and marvelous being whereby He willingly shows mercy and kindness to His creation. Some have called it a ‘core’ attribute of God. It flows from His wondrous nature. It’s the spring through which He manifests expressions of love and tenderness toward weak and pitiful creatures.
Psalm 86.15 describes God as being “full of compassion”. The Hebrew word for ‘compassion’ speaks of a deep, internal, emotion-filled love for an object. It is used for a mother’s tender love toward her nursing baby (Isa 49.15). It speaks of a father’s kind love toward his very own children (Psalm 103.13). The word underscores the deep and tender love God has for weak creatures. God knows the weaknesses of fallen and helpless creatures. He can sympathize and relate to human temptation and weakness (though without sin!). He never excuses our sins or overlooks sin or winks at sin but He does have much tender mercy and internal affection toward His creatures in such a miserable condition.
The Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the King of glory and the God of all majesty pronounced denunciation judgments on unbelievers (Matthew 23). And yet, in that very same context and setting, our Lord has tender compassions toward unbelieving Jerusalem wishing and yearning for her repentance unto life! (Matthew 23.37). What melting mercy and what undeserved grace and what lavish tenderness our sovereign Lord shows toward men!
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