An unexpected Bible example of God’s EXTREME mercy

An unexpected Bible example of God’s EXTREME mercy

*TL;DR: If you’ve really messed up, *sincerely* tell God you’re sorry. Do your best to make amends with God. And those you’ve hurt. God is so merciful. Repentance is required. Don’t just have a stubborn neck after you mess up.

*Below is a quote from RT Kendall (The Anointing)

God is so gracious.

Consider how angry He was years later with King Ahab. God said to Ahab (note, Ahab is the worst of the worst sinners in the Bible),

“I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin” (1 Kings 21:21–22).

Those words were apparently final and unchanging, offering Ahab no hope whatsoever. But their impact upon Ahab was profound.

“When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly”(v. 27).

That is what King Saul might have done [after his major moral failings]. We might wish he had. For God is a gracious God.

I doubt Elijah (the man Ahab had tried to kill) was prepared for what God said next about Ahab.

“Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: ‘Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day…’” (vv. 28).