THE SUPPLY OF MERCY AND LONG-SUFFERING

David declares in Psalm 86:15 that God is “Long-suffering and abundant in mercy and truth.”  As there is a difference between grace and mercy, there is a difference between God’s long-suffering and His mercy, too.  Mercy has pity for the sinner while long-suffering has patience with the sinner.

Long-suffering does not arise from God’s lacking ability to judge us, but in loving power to restrain that ability.  Consider, Nahum 1:3.  “The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The LORD has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet.”  Sin will eventually be judged if there is no repentance—usually delayed, though not ultimately denied.

Scripture is replete with examples.

Think of how patient God was in dealing with the first sinners, Adam and Eve—how He sought them and clothed them and though they were sentenced with death, that death was 930 years later for Adam. God endured the wickedness of the population during Noah’s day for 120 years, before sending the flood. The vile citizens of Sodom had occasion to turn to God, and Lot the opportunity to flee, because God responded to Abraham’s intercession. Pharaoh went through a season of plagues to pressure him, 10 in all, God being patient with Pharaoh’s obstinence. The iniquity of the Amorites meant Israel was enslaved for 400 years, until their “cup was full,” and God brought Israel out and then up into the land to judge the people of Canaan.  Jonah preached, “Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be destroyed.”  Those pagans merited judgment, but a long-suffering God gave them opportunity to repent. They did and were spared, until they backslid. Over and again, God restrained His wrath upon Israel—the repeated condition of that nation throughout its history until the present day—and still God is not through with them.

God warns and waits and works so that when people repent then He extends mercy.  How patient God has been to me!  We should all praise Him that He is long-suffering!