In what way is God merciful?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

To say God is merciful means that He does not treat people as their sins deserve. Instead, He feels compassion for them and acts to relieve their suffering, especially the eternal suffering that sin brings. Mercy is not weakness nor tolerance of evil. It is God’s holy, deliberate choice to withhold punishment when He could rightfully bring it.

God’s mercy shows up across redemptive history. He spares Adam and Eve from immediate death (Genesis 3:21), He delays judgment (Psalm 103:8–9), and He repeatedly extends opportunities to repent (2 Peter 3:9). Most profoundly, His mercy is expressed through Christ (Ephesians 2:4–5). While justice demands sin be punished, mercy offers Jesus as a substitute so that sinners might be forgiven instead of condemned (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Mercy is also closely tied to God’s patience and love. He doesn’t offer it reluctantly but delights in it (Micah 7:18–19a). Believers, therefore, receive and reflect God’s mercy (Luke 6:36).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Old Testament translates the Hebrew word rahhum as mercy and compassion. It has the idea of extending grace and forgiveness to someone who deserves the opposite.
• When God declared His name before Moses, He highlighted His mercy, saying, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful (rahhum) and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). Mercy is one of the foundational truths that God gave when He revealed Himself to Moses. It is embodied by His patience (“slow to anger”) and is grounded in His love and faithfulness.
• Psalm 103 echoes the Exodus passage, saying, “The LORD is merciful (rahhum) and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Psalm 103:8). The psalm goes on to explain that God “does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10). He doesn’t judge sinners immediately but gives us time to repent.
• Even in the darkest moments, God’s mercy remains. In Lamentations, Jeremiah writes, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies (rahhum) never come to an end” (Lamentations 3:22). Despite Jerusalem’s deserved destruction because of Israel’s rebellion, God’s mercies were ongoing and dependable, giving Jeremiah a sure hope of a future restoration despite the current punishment.
• Nehemiah remarked on this as the Israelites were finally leaving captivity and returning to their land. Praising God for His mercy, He said, “They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful (rahhum), slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them” (Nehemiah 9:17). God is always ready to forgive despite past sin.
• The prophet Micah was overwhelmed by God’s mercy: “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression …? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion (rahhum) on us” (Micah 7:18–19a). God’s mercy is never reluctant. He delights in forgiving.
• Isaiah affirms that mercy is part of God’s nature and not just what He does: “The LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion (rahhum) on you” (Isaiah 30:18). Though He is just, He desires to show mercy to those who repent of their sins and turn back to Him.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Salvation is rooted in God’s mercy. Paul said, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us… made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4–5). Mercy moves God to act when we are spiritually dead and unable to help ourselves. Being “rich in mercy” means that God abounds or overflows with it. It is never tentative; it flows out of God.
• Titus 3:5 reinforces that salvation is based on God’s mercy, alone: “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” We cannot earn God’s mercy (doing righteous “deeds”); He gives it freely to those who trust in Him.
• The author of Hebrews encourages believers to seek God’s mercy regularly: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). God’s mercy is not just for salvation but for our daily struggles.
• Romans 9, quoting from Exodus 33, teaches that mercy is God’s sovereign prerogative: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion” (Romans 9:15). He extends mercy according to His perfect wisdom and purposes.
• Jesus taught that mercy is a defining characteristic of His followers: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7). Those who have received God’s mercy are to extend it to others in forgiveness, kindness, and compassion.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

God’s mercy toward us should change how we view sin, salvation, and other people. It reminds us that we are not saved because we were good, but only because God is merciful. He saw our hopeless condition and chose to act—not by excusing sin, but by punishing Christ as if He had sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21), offering us forgiveness in exchange (Ephesians 1:7).

Let us allow God’s mercy to humble us. We do not deserve God’s patience or grace, yet He offers it freely. His immeasurable mercy assures us that no sin is too great to be forgiven, and that no person is beyond hope. God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23), inviting everyone to come and receive mercy.

Also, God’s mercy should shape our lives. We who have received mercy must be merciful. That includes forgiving others (Ephesians 4:32), not holding grudges (Colossians 3:13), and caring for those in need (Matthew 5:7). Mercy should mark our relationships, our tone, and our treatment of others. In a world quick to cancel, condemn, or retaliate, we, God’s people, should stand out because of our mercy.

UNDERSTAND

• God is merciful by nature.
• God’s mercy is an unmerited gift.
• The Lord expects His children to show mercy toward others.

REFLECT

• How does knowing God’s merciful nature impact your relationship with Him?
• How does God’s mercy toward you affect your interactions with others?
• What Biblical accounts of God’s mercy resonate with you the most?

ENGAGE

• How might we introduce others to God’s merciful nature, especially in light of today’s cancel culture?
• How can we show mercy to others in a way that points them to Christ?
• How can discussing God’s mercy toward humanity help open the door to sharing the gospel?