He Delighteth in Mercy
In the manual: Come, Follow Me lesson 49, “He Delighteth in Mercy,” on Gospel Library
Start
Near the end of his book, Micah asks, “Who is a God like unto thee?” (Micah 7:18). His own name, in Hebrew, asks the same question.
Read Together
Micah had spent his book warning Samaria and Jerusalem. In the last chapter he speaks for the people, admitting their sin and trusting the Lord anyway (Micah 7:7–9).
8Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.
18Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
What It Teaches
“When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me” (Micah 7:8). Everyone falls in this life. We can get up again because the Lord gives us light to see by.
Verse 18 gives this week’s title. The Lord pardons iniquity, and “he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.” Mercy is what the Lord enjoys giving.
“Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (verse 19). In Micah’s day, anything dropped into the deep sea was gone for good. Forgiven sins go where no one can pull them back up.
Micah’s last verse ties mercy to the covenant. The Lord will “perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham,” as he promised long ago (verse 20). His mercy is a promise he made to our fathers, and he keeps it.
Talk About It
Micah said the Lord delights in mercy. How does it change the way you pray or repent to know that he enjoys forgiving?
Take to Church
Micah asked, “Who is a God like unto thee?” The Lord delights in mercy, and he casts forgiven sins into the depths of the sea.