Mercy

“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.”
~ Micah 7:18

“Say Uncle!” There is an entire generation of Americans that cringe at these words. “Say Uncle!” was the battle cry of the bully when I was young. Some hulking lout would walk up and grab a smaller kid, twisting his arm up behind his back. The bully would demand that the victim say “Uncle.” Sometimes once was not enough. The bully would twist harder, the weaker individual would struggle to find relief. The only way out was to scream the words that were demanded. “Uncle” was the word, but the truth is, the cry was a cry for mercy. Mercy from the pain. A release from a tortuous situation. A cry for a change in the situation.

In the books of Jonah and Micah, the Assyrian Empire is the bully. A massive army bent on ruling the world, the Assyrians were well known for their brutality. They enslaved cultures, destroyed nations, and were masters of cruel and unusual forms of torture and punishment. They had a reputation for violence. And they had their eyes set on the land of Israel. Though written at two different times, Jonah when Assyria was still distant, Micah when Assyria was ready to take Israel in captivity, both have a common enemy and a common concern. They need peace, and only God can provide it.

God moves to provide mercy. Although we don’t deserve it because of the sin that invades our lives, God moves to change our situation. God wants to bring relief and healing into the lives of all men. So he calls Jonah to seek the repentance of Assyria. He promises Micah that He Himself will bring relief from Assyria. God has a plan to bring man out of pain and into hope. God has a path that He walks through history in order to bring salvation. God is the God of mercy. That means He is calling you and me. That means He is moving in our lives today.