I felt led to do this research, because there are some who try to dissuade Christians from believing, saying there are major inconsistencies in the Bible about God showing compassion, grace and mercy, but is that really true? Having read the Bible from cover to cover many times, I wanted to research to see if this is accurate, and if there are any inconsistencies, are they even significant?
To do this research, I will use the New King James Version of the Bible, also known as NKJV, and internet resources, as needed. Since the Bible sometimes uses the word “him” and the word “he” within the same verse, I will include who is speaking and who is being spoken to within brackets, if I determine it’s beneficial for clarity. Additionally, there are different passages that state very similar things. In order to condense this research project for the reader, I will put those chapter and verse numbers underneath those passages.
Additionally, I will put my analysis, comments, observations, and conclusions within brackets, as well. For those who would like to read this research or previous Biblical Research Projects in their entirety, you can go to either of these two blogs I felt led to create: Biblical Proof! found at https://BiblicalProof.blogspot.com or Do Biblical Inconsistencies Really Matter? at https://Biblicalinconsistencies.blogspot.com/
[For those who go online, I have highlighted in yellow the passages that show God’s compassion, mercy, and grace. The green highlighting identifies the wicked things they chose to do like worshipping idols, living wickedly, and leading others astray. The turquoise highlighting identifies when God gave them prophets to warn them of their poor choices. Whether or not they had prophets warn them, they also knew from the 10 Commandments God gave to Moses, they weren’t to worship any false gods or idols, so God doesn’t give an additional warning every time.]
[The thing is, God gives us choices. We can choose to follow Him and His statutes, but when we don’t there are consequences. God most often explains what He expects/wants, and has prophets that do this for Him, but there is always the alternative for those who choose to worship idols, live wickedly, and lead others astray to motivate others to turn from their evil ways and return to worshipping the Lord God.]
[On BibleGateway.com, I did a search for the following words to find out how many times they were used in the Old Testament and New Testament. Compassion was used in the Old Testament 27 times and 23 times in the New Testament. Mercy was used 222 times in the Old Testament and 54 times in the New Testament. Merciful was used 29 times in the Old Testament and 6 times in the New Testament. Gracious was used 34 times in the Old Testament and 3 times in the New Testament.]
Genesis 3:21 says: Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. [Although Adam and Eve have just sinned and chosen to follow Satan’s temptation, God shows compassion on them by clothing them after they are cast out of Eden for choosing to eat the Forbidden Fruit.]
Genesis 6:5 says: Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
9:16-17 goes on to say: The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that it is on the earth.” And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.” [This is the Promise that God made to Noah after the Great Flood, where all other mankind had to be destroyed because of their choices to worship false gods/idols and to do extreme wickedness.]
Genesis 19:16-17 says: And while he [Lot] lingered, the men [2 angels] took hold of his [Lot’s] hand his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him [Lot] out and set him outside the city. So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” [The Lord spared Lot when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, because of their choices to do extreme wickedness and violence.]
Genesis 39:21-23 says: But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper. [The Lord showed mercy to Joseph when he was in prison.]
Exodus 1:17-21 says around the time Moses is born: But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them [to kill the male babies], but saved the male children alive. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?” And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.” Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them. [God provided for the midwives who chose to save the male Israelite babies from being put to death as the king had wanted.]
Exodus 3:16-17 says: “Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me [Moses], saying, “I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ [Our God promises to save His people from the oppression of the Egyptians.]
Exodus 6:5-8 says: Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.’” [Moses tells them to choose to worship the Lord God, who is compassionate, is going to rescue them from their bondage to the Egyptians, and will give them the fertile land of Canaan]
Exodus 15:24-26 says: And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” So he [Moses] cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he [Moses] cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” [God tells Moses and the Israelites that if they choose to follow His voice, commandments, and statutes, He will protect them from diseases.] It says similarly in: Exodus 23:25-26
Exodus 22:26-27 says: “If you ever take your neighbor's garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. For that is his only covering, is it his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious.” [God tells them to return clothing pledges for food, money, etc., because they need it, and He will hear if they cry out to Him, because He is gracious.]
Exodus 33:19 says: Then He [God] said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” [God is gracious and has compassion on whom He has compassion.]
Numbers 14:17-24 says: “And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, ‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” Then the Lord said: “I have pardoned, according to your word; but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord- because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.” [Those Israelites who had seen the miracles God did in freeing them from Egypt, but still chose to turn away from Him, will not see the Promised Land.] It says similarly in: Exodus 34:6-7, Deuteronomy 7:6-10, Jeremiah 32:17-18, Ezekiel 18:20-24, Haggai 2:17
Deuteronomy 1:26-31 says: “Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God; and you complained in your tents, and said, ‘Because the Lord hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. ‘Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’ “Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ [Moses reminds the Israelites that they shouldn’t be afraid, because God will fight for them like He did when He freed their fathers from the oppression of Egypt and He will carry them to safety like a father carries a son.] It says similarly in: Deuteronomy 7:11-16, Deuteronomy 28:9-12, Deuteronomy 32:36-44, Deuteronomy 33:26-29, 1 Samuel 23:3-5, 2 Kings 3:14-18, 2 Chronicles 30:7-10, 2 Chronicles 33:1-3 including 33:6-8, 33:10-13 and 33:15-18, Nehemiah 1:8-10, Jeremiah 24:5-7, Jeremiah 42:10-11
Deuteronomy 2:7 says: “For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.” [Moses tells the Israelites that they’ve been blessed by God and have lacked for nothing while in the wilderness for forty years.] He says similarly in Deuteronomy 32:10-14, Nehemiah 9:17-19
Deuteronomy 4:15-20 says: “Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure; the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the hearth. And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage. But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day. [The Lord God doesn’t want people to worship false gods/idols, but to worship only Him. He shows mercy to those who choose to love Him and keep His commandments.] It says similarly in: Exodus 20:4-6, Deuteronomy 4:23-28, Deuteronomy 5:6-10, Judges 10:6-8, Judges 13:1, Ezekiel 23:30, Ezekiel 29:9-10 and 29:14-16, Ezekiel 30:13
Deuteronomy 4:29-31 says: But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you see Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. [Moses doesn’t get to go over to the Promised Land, because he chose to be dramatic by hitting the rock in Meribah Kidish 2 times with the staff instead of speaking to the rock and hallowing God while bringing forth water the way God told him in Numbers 20:6-13. Moses yet shares with the Israelites that if they choose to turn away from God, but choose to turn back to Him with all their heart and soul, the Lord God will have mercy on them.] It says similarly in: Deuteronomy 30:1-3, Deuteronomy 30:4-5, Deuteronomy 30:9-10, Deuteronomy 30:15-20, 1 Kings 21:24-29, 1 Samuel 12:6-25, 2 Chronicles 6:24-39, 2 Chronicles 7:12-14, Isaiah 38:1-8, Jeremiah 32:42, Ezekiel 20:39-44, Daniel 9:4 and 9:9-10
Deuteronomy 13:12-18 says: “If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the lord your God give you to dwell in, saying, ‘Corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods”’ -which you have not known- then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination was committed among you, you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock-with the edge of the sword. And you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and completely burn with fire the city and all its plunder, for the Lord your God. It shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again. So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers, because you have listened to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.” [Moses warns the Israelites if anyone chooses to serve false gods or takes the accursed things, they need to permanently remove them, so that God’s mercy and compassion will be with those who choose to worship Him, so they flourish.] It says similarly in: Ezekiel 11:16-21
Joshua 21:43-45 says: So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them: the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass. [When the Israelites chose to follow God, He gave them the good land He promised to them.]
Judges 3:12-15 says: And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of Lord. So the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, went and defeated Israel, and took possession of the City of Palms. So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. But when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 3:27-29 further says: And it happened, when he [Ehud] arrived, that he blew the trumpet in the mountains of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountains; and he led them. Then he said to them, “Follow me, for the Lord has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him, seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. And at that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, all stout men of valor; not a man escaped. [The Israelites chose to go astray two times in this passage, but when they chose to turn back to God and prayed, He had someone deliver them from their enemies both times.] It says similarly in: Judges 3:7-11 when God provided Othniel, Judges 4:1-3 and continues in Judges 4:14-15, and Judges 4:22-24 when Jael hammered a tent peg through Sisera’s temple, Judges 6:1 and continues in 6:7-10 when the Lord protected them from the Midianites, 1 Samuel 7:8-13 when Samuel prayed and the Philistines were subdued, 2 Kings 13:1-5 when Jehoahaz pleaded with the Lord who provided a deliverer from the Syrians, 2 Kings 13:22-25 when Jehoash recaptured the cities from the hand of Ben-Hadad, 2 Kings 14:26-27 the Lord saved them by the hand of Jeroboam
Judges 5:31 says: “Thus let all your enemies perish, O Lord! But let those who love Him be like the sun When it comes out in full strength.” So the Land had rest for forty years. [When the Israelites chose to turn back to the Lord, He provided someone to protect them and they had rest for 40 years.]
Judges 6:12-16 says: And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him [Gideon], and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Gideon said to Him, “O my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, “Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.” [Gideon wonders why the Israelites are suffering under the Midianites when God had saved them from Egypt, but was told that God had chosen him ([Gideon) to save them.]
Judges 7:2-7 says: And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from mount Gildead.’” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained. But the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.” So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.” [God wanted the Israelites to know that it was God who was protecting them from the Midianites and not their large army, so the Lord God told Gideon how to reduce the army to a small number of men who overpowered the Midianites through God’s direction.] It says similarly in: Judges 13:1 and continues through Judges 13:6-7, Judges 13:24, Judges 14:19-20, Judges 15:12-15, Judges 16:19-23 when God has Samson born and to grow exceptionally strong to save the Israelites from the Philistines.
2 Kings 4:1-7 when God allowed Elisha to save the widow and her 2 sons from the creditors with never ending oil to pay their debt , 2 Kings 4:38-41 when God allowed Elisha to save those who had eaten soup with poison in it, 2 Kings 6:5-7 when a borrowed axe head fell into the water, God allowed Elisha to make it float so it could be retrieved, 2 Chronicles 20:15 continues in 20:17-20, 20:22-24 and 20:27-39 when the Spirit of the Lord tells King Jehoshaphat and the people that God will have them win the battle over their enemies and He did, Daniel 2:16-20 when God let Daniel interpret the king’s dream, so that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego’s lives were saved.
Judges 10:10-16 goes on to say: And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against You, because we have both forsaken our God and served the Baals!” So the Lord said to the children of Israel, “Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the people of Ammon and from the Philistines? Also the Sidonians and the Amelekites and the Maronites oppressed you and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand. Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.” And the children of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems best to You; only deliver us this day, we pray.” So they put away the foraging gods from among them and served the Lord. And His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel. [After the Lord God protected the Israelites from other armies, they chose to turn to idols many times. When they cried to the Lord, He said to let the false gods you worship save you. Then they chose to turn back to the Lord God who saved them again.]
Judges 16:25 says: So it happened, when their hearts [of Philistine soldiers and royalty] were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And they stationed him between the pillars. 16:28-30 further say: Then Samson called to the Lord saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life. [Samson was tricked and his hair was cut off (the source of all his strength). He was imprisoned and his eyes were put out. He prayed asking God to return his strength one last time for the loss of his eyes. God allowed Samson to push down the pillars that supported the temple with lots of Philistines who were killed.]
1 Samuel 9:15-16 says: Now the Lord had told Samuel in his heart the day before Saul came, saying, “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.” [God tells Samuel that He will send a man to save His people from the oppression of the Philistines.]
1 Samuel 17:44-51 says: And the Philistine [Giant] said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with the sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in the bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and sood over the Phistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. [God doesn’t always choose the strong and mighty to protect His people from harm. He allowed David, a Israelite youth, to overpower Goliath, the Philistine giant, on God’s behalf.]
2 Samuel 22:26 says: “With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;” 22:51 goes on to say: “He [God] is the tower of salvation to His king, And shows mercy to His anointed, to David and his descendants forevermore.” [David’s Song of Praise tells of how merciful God is.]
2 Samuel 24:14 says: And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” [Gad, a prophet of God, tells David to pick one of three consequences for doing a census without God’s permission. David chose to be in the hands of his merciful Lord.] It also says similarly in: 1 Chronicles 21:13-15
1 Kings 1:29-30 says: And the king took an oath and said, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress, just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying ‘’Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so I certainly will do this day.” [King David acknowledges the Lord has redeemed him from every distress and tells his wife, Bathsheba, that their son, Solomon, will be the next king.]
1 Kings 8:56 says: “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.” [The Lord God followed through on all He had promised Moses and the Israelites.]
1 Kings 17:19-22 says: And he [Elijah] said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?” And he [Elijah] stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. 17:24 goes on to say: Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.” [A woman let Elijah stay with them. Later, Elijah prayed for God to bring her dead son back to life and God did!!!] It says somewhat similarly in: 2 Kings 4:11-17 and continues in 4:31-37 where Elijah wanted to thank the childless Shunammite woman for all she had done for him on God’s behalf and told her she would have a son. When that son was older, he died after his head started hurting while in the field with his father. She got Elijah and God allowed him to revive the son. , 2 Kings 5:12-16 where God allowed Elijah to heal Naaman, a leperous commander of the Syrian army.
2 Kings 4:42-44 further says: Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God [Elisha] bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he [Elisha] said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat.” But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?” He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the Lord: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.”’ So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord. [They didn’t have enough food to feed 100 men, but God allowed Elisha to make the food be more than enough for the 100 men.]
2 Kings 19:6-7 says: And Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master [King Hezekiah], ‘Thus says the Lord: “Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” 19:14-15 go on to say: And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: “O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.” 19:19-20 goes on to say: “Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.” Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard.’ Still 19:32-35 says: “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He shall not come into this city, Nor shoot an arrow there, Nor come before it with shield, Nor build a siege mound against it. By the way that he came, By the same shall he return; And he shall not come into this city,’ Says the Lord. ‘For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’” [King Hezekiah chose to humble himself before God and Isaiah tells him, God says not to worry about what he’s heard, because God is going to take care of them against King Sennacherib and the Lord God did.]
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 says: Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. [Jabez asked for God’s guidance and God graciously protected him from evil and from causing pain.]
1 Chronicles 16:34-36 says: And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation; Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise.” Blessed be the Lord God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting!” [They sang this Psalm of Thanksgiving to God for protecting them from the Gentiles.]
1 Chronicles 21:5-7 says: Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Aham as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. Yet the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. [Although Jehoram had chosen to do evil, the Lord did not destroy the house of David because of what God had promised David.] It says similarly in: 2 Kings 8:16-19
2 Chronicles 6:14-15 says: and he said: “Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this way. [Solomon acknowledges that God has kept His promises He made to David, Solomon’s father.]
2 Chronicles 7:1-3 says: When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshipped and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever.” [Solomon prays when he dedicates the temple he made for God and our merciful Lord God has fire come down from heaven on the sacrifices offered.]
2 Chronicles 13:8-10 where Abijah says: “And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and with you are the gold calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods. Have you not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aarom, and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests, like the peoples of other lands, so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of things that are not gods? But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests who minister to the Lord are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties.” 13:12-16 goes on to say: “Now look, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with sounding trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper!” But Jeroboam caused an ambush to go around behind them; so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. And when Judah looked around, to their surprise the battle line was at both front and rear; and they cried out to the Lord, and the priests sounded the trumpets. Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. And the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand. 13:18 says: Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord God of their fathers. [Jeroboam chose to lead the Israelites astray to worship gold idols, but God saved those of Judah who chose to worship Him, from the ambush led by the wicked Israelites.] It says similarly in: 1 Chronicles 5:18-20 when the sons of Reuben, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh cried out to God in the midst of the battle, the Hagrites were delivered into their hands. , 2 Chronicles 32:17-22 when King Hezzekiah and Isaiah prayed to God, the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the army of the King of Assyria. , 2 Chronicles 34:24-27 Although the others who chose to worship false gods would have a consequence, God said that Josiah would not happen during his time, because Josiah had humbled his heart before the Lord God.
2 Chronicles 14:1-4 says: So Abijah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet for ten years. Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. 14:10-12 goes on to say: So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” So the Landord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. [The Israelites chose to turn to the Lord, because they saw that God was with Asa who ridded the land of idols and God protected them and gave them rest.] It says similarly in:
2 Chronicles 15:1-4 the Spirit of the Lord came upon Azariah who warned Asa that if he follows the Lord God, He [God] will be with him [Asa], but if he [Asa] forsakes God, he will be forsaken and 2 Chronicles 15:14-15 tells how Asa and Judah took an oath to follow the Lord with all their hearts and the Lord God gave them rest from their enemies all around.
2 Chronicles 18:31 says: So it was, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they surrounded him to attack; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him. [Our merciful God diverted the attack against Jehoshaphat, because he chose to cry out to the Lord.]
2 Chronicles 26:3-7 says: Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all his father Amaziah had done. He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. Now he went out and made war against the Philistines. God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabians who lived in Gur Baal, and against the Meunites. [As long as Uzziah chose to follow the Lord, He made Uzziah prosper.]
2 Chronicles 31: 20-21 says: Thus Hezekiah did throughout all of Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered. [Hezekiah prospered, since he chose to do what was right before the Lord God.]
2 Chronicles 32:24-26 further says: In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the Lord; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign. But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. [Hezekiah chose to lead his people into battle focused on the Lord God. Because of their faith God made them prosper. Later, Hezekiah was prideful near his death, but finally humbled his heart, therefore the wrath of the Lord didn’t come on them during his reign.]
Nehemiah 2:4 says: Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.” 2:17-18 goes on to say: Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.”And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. [Nehemiah chose to pray to God & led the people to build the wall of Jerusalem.]
Esther 8:6 Esther says to her husband the king: “For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my People? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?” 8:11-12 goes on to say: By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives- to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions, on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 8:17 further says: And in every province and city, wherever the king's command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them. [God’s people were rescued from the decree Haman had encouraged the king to sign, saying all Jews were to be killed on a particular day.]
Job 42:10 says: And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 42:13 goes on to say: He also had seven sons and three daughters. [After the lack of support Job’s friends gave him, he still chose to pray for God to forgive them and God blessed Job.]
[I will list the portions of the Book of Psalms where David tells of the Lord God’s compassion, graciousness, and mercy with chapter & verse numbers for brevity.] Psalm 3:8 says: Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon your people. Selah. 5:7 says: But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. 9:9-10 says: The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You: For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. 12:5 says: “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.” 13:5-6 says: But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. 18:25-27 says: With the merciful you will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. For You will save the humble people, But will bring down haughty looks. Psalm 18:48 says: He [God] delivers me from my enemies, You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. 21:6-7 says: For You have made him most blessed forever; You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord, And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved. 25:10 says: All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. 52:8 says: But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. 57:9-10 says: I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And your truth unto the clouds. 59:16-17 says: But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy. 68:5 says: A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 68:10 goes on to say: Your congregation dwelt in it; You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor. 69: 32-33 says: The humble shall see this and be glad; and you who seek God, your hearts shall live. For the Lord hears the poor, And does not despise His prisoners. 72:4 says: He [God] will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor. 72:11-14 says: Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him [God]; All nations shall serve Him. For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the needy. He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; and precious shall be their blood in His sight. 76:8-9 says: You caused judgment to be heard from heaven; The earth feared and was still, When God arose to judgment, To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah 85:2 says: You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah. [This actually is saying we have been forgiven by God and our sin has been covered, which relates to God’s plan to send His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die and rise again for our sins.] 86:13 says: For great is Your mercy toward me, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 86:15 goes on to say: But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth. 100:5 says: For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting And His truth endures to all generations. 102:17-18 says: He [God] shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer. This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord. 103:8 says: The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 103:17 goes on to say: But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children. 115:1 says: Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. 115:11 goes on to say: You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. 115:13 further says: He will bless those who fear the Lord, Both small and great. 116:5-6 says: Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. Psalm 117:1-2 says: Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord! 119:64 says: The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy; Teach me Your statutes. 130:7-8 says: O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities. [Although long, Psalm 136:1-26 tells how our merciful Lord God created the world, heaven, and stars, made miracles so the Egyptian Pharaoh would let the Israelites go, and parted the Red Sea, so they could walk to safety, got them through the wilderness, provided food and water, and protected them from oppressive kings and enemies. The Lord God’s mercy does endure forever!] Psalm 138:6-8 goes on to say: Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. 140:12-13 says: I know that the Lord will maintain The cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence.143:12 says: In your mercy cut off my enemies, And destroy all those who afflict my soul; For I am Your servant. 145:8-9 says: The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. 145:15-20 says: The eyes of all look expectantly to you, And You [God] give them their food in due season. You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, Gracious in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fill the desire of those who fear [worship] Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The Lord preserves all who love Him, But the wicked He will destroy. 146:5-9 says: Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down. 147:2-3 says: The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. [Clearly David saw the Lord God’s compassion, mercy, and graciousness in many and varied ways!]
Isaiah 14:1 says; For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob. [Isaiah speaks of God’s mercy on Jacob by settling Israel in their own land and will be joined by strangers who learn to love the Lord.]
Isaiah 30:18-19 says: Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of Justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you. [Blessed are those who wait on the Lord who hears their cry & is gracious & merciful to them.]
Isaiah 42:6-7 says: “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. [The Lord God holds their hand and Is a light to the Gentiles and releases prisoners.] Jesus says this also in Luke 4:18: “The spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;”
Isaiah 43:25 says: “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.” [God can blot out the transgressions of those who believe Jesus is their Savior and will not remember their sins.]
Isaiah 49:8-10 says: Thus says the Lord: “In an acceptable time I have heard You, And in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You As a covenant to the people To restore the earth, To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages; That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’ To those who are in darkness ‘Show yourselves.’ “They shall feed along the roads, And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights. They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them. 49: 13 goes on to say: Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted. [Our merciful Lord hears the cry of the afflicted and will preserve & provide for them.]
Isaiah 54:10 says: For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the Lord, who has mercy on you. [Our merciful Lord is inspiring!]
Isaiah 58:1 says: “Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins. 6-7 goes on to say: “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? [God wants us to warn His people to turn from their transgressions and to care for the less fortunate.]
[This is an Old Testament prediction of what Jesus will say and do in the New Testament.] Isaiah 61:1-2 says: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn. Jesus fulfills this prediction in Luke 4:18-19: “The spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Isaiah 63:7 says: I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord And the praises of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses. [The Lord has bestowed His lovingkindnesses on Israel according to His mercy.]
Jeremiah 3:12-13 says: “Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: ‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not remain angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the Lord your God, And have scattered your charms To alien deities under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the Lord. [God wants Israel to choose to acknowledge how they’ve gone astray and He will not remain angry, because God is merciful.] It says similarly in: Jeremiah 12:15-17, Jeremiah 15:19, Jeremiah 30:11 continues in 30:18 and 30:22, Jeremiah 31:3-4 and 31:20, Micah 7:18-20, 2 Chronicles 30:12-13 and in 30:17-20, Isaiah 55:7, Zechariah 1:16-17
Jeremiah 9:24 says: But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord. [God delights in sharing His loving kindness, judgment and righteousness with the world.]
Jeremiah 13:17 says: But if you will not hear it, My soul will weep in secret for your pride; My eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, Because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive. [God says He is sad His flock didn’t choose to turn from worshipping idols & have been taken captive as a consequence.] It says similarly in: Judges 2:10-23, 2 Chronicles 36:9-17, Jeremiah 26:2-3, Jeremiah 34:15-17, Ezekiel 14:22-23, Ezekiel 33:7-11 continues in 33:13-20, 33:25-26, and 33:29, Zechariah 7:8-14
Jeremiah 20:13 says: Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For He has delivered the life of the poor From the hand of evildoers. [Merciful God looks out for the poor.]
Jeremiah 22:8-9 says: “And many nations will pass by this city; and everyone will say to his neighbor, ‘Why has the Lord done so to this great city?’ Then they will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God, and worshiped other gods and served them.’” [In this research, it’s very apparent that God has severe consequences for those who choose to worship idols and lead others astray to motivate others to take note & choose to worship the Lord God.]
Jeremiah 23:3-6 This is an Old Testament prediction of Jesus Christ: “But I [God] will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the Lord. Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, ''That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.”
Jeremiah 31:33-35 says: “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The Lord of hosts is His name): [The Lord has put His law in the hearts and minds of all people and will have mercy on those who worship Him only!] It says similarly in: Jeremiah 32:37-40, Jeremiah 33:8-9, Jeremiah 33:11
Lamentations 3:22-23 says: Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 3:31-33 goes on to say: For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly, Nor grieve the children of men. [Although God has consequences for those who choose to go astray, He will not cast them off forever and shows compassion.]
Ezekiel 28:25-26 says: ‘Thus says the Lord God: “When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob. And they will dwell safely there, build houses, and plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God.”’ [God brings the captive Israelites who chose to worship idols back, because they now choose to worship the Lord God and He will protect them.]
Hosea 1:7 says: Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, Will save them by the Lord their God, And will not save them by bow, Nor by sword or battle, By horses or horsemen.” [The Israelites had chosen to go astray to idols, but the Lord will have mercy on those who choose to turn back to Him.] It says similarly in: Hosea 2:1, Hosea 6:6
Hosea 2:23 says: Then I will sow here for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are my people!” And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’ [God had mercy on them even though they didn’t deserve it. God opens up His mercy to all, Gentiles and those who aren’t Hebrews-those who were not His people, but are now His people. This sets the foundation for all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior to have salvation regardless of their ethnicity and cultural background.] it says similarly in: Hosea 10:12, Hosea 12:6
Joel 2:13-14 says: So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him- A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God? 2:32 goes on to say: and it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name ;of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls. [If they should choose to make changes in their hearts and return to the Lord, He may reconsider His consequence for them, since He is gracious, merciful, and slow to anger. This passage also, sets the foundation for Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.]
[Back Story: After Jonah reluctantly warns the Ninevites, the Lord saves them, because they now choose to worship God instead of false gods. Jonah gets angry, because he knows God is merciful. In chapter 4, God reminds Jonah about how upset Jonah was when the plant withers when he hadn’t even created it- compared to how much more upset God would have been to have to destroy Nineveh with 120,000 people in it.] Jonah 4:7-11 says: But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant [that had been shading Jonah’s head] that it withered. And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he [Jonah] said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. “And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left- and much livestock?” [God loves each and everyone of us and tries to give us opportunities to choose to turn from our worldly ways and worship Him instead of fancy cars, money, phones, etc. (My spin on current false gods.)]
Zechariah 1:16 says: ‘Therefore thus says the Lord: “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts, “And a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem,”’ “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; The Lord will again comfort Zion, And will again choose Jerusalem.”’
[God says He is being merciful to Jerusalem again despite their poor choices in the past, and will bless them.]
[It is consistent in the Old Testament God has those warned who have chosen to go astray and worship false gods, but reminds them that if they sincerely choose to turn back to worshipping only Him, He will welcome them with open arms.]
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[Although there are MANY passages recorded in the New Testament of Jesus showing Compassion, Mercy, and being Gracious, I primarily focus on those passages that include these terms, but not always.]
Matthew 9:10-13 says: Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” [Jesus shows His mercy on those who are sinful, which is all of us.] It says similarly in: Mark 10:45 Jesus says: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”, Luke 5:29-32 says: Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”, Luke 9:56 when Jesus says, “For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.,
Luke 19:9 And Jesus said to him [Zacchaeus] “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.”, John 12:46-47 Jesus says, “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.” [This is an excellent time to share some important Biblical Research information. I just included basically the same information recorded in the Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John about something Jesus said. There are several different significant points. First of all, the Gospel of Luke had three different passages with the same basic information about what Jesus said. This tells us that because Jesus traveled around the countryside talking with people, He shared the same thing in lots of different communities. Much like us when we are telling something to others again and again, He didn’t necessarily say it word for word the same each time He said things. So if one of the Gospel writers is recording what Jesus said, it may look somewhat different from what was recorded in another Gospel.]
[The next important thing of note, just like when we see something like an accident, the disciples also shared things from their perspective, each person putting it into words they can relate to. Paraphrasing things is something most of us do, so it doesn’t invalidate what Jesus said when the different Apostles recorded things a little different from each other. Actually, it makes their eyewitness testimony even more valid. It is when people give the exact testimony word for word the same, that speaks of collusion where people have rehearsed their testimony to deceive others. So, the witness of the Gospel writers is extremely valid, although some put more details and some fewer. Also, there are some, especially the Apostle John who doesn’t always record a situation if he feels it has already been adequately recorded. Other times, he may just add pertinent details for clarity.]
Matthew 11:27-30 says: “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. [Jesus has compassion on those who are overwhelmed by the events of life. Those who turn these issues over to His very capable hands will find relief from these issues.]
Matthew 20:27-28 says: “And whoever who desires to be first among you, let him be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” [Jesus was merciful and could have expected the royal treatment, but came humbly instead to give His life a substitute for us for all our sins, so those who believe in Him as their Savior, can join Him in heaven some day.] It says similarly in: Matthew 15:21-24, Mark 10:44-45
Mark 1:39-42 says: And He [Jesus] was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him [Jesus] and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him [the leper], and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him [the leper], and he was cleansed. [Jesus had compassion on the leper and those possessed with demons and healed them.] It says similarly in: Matthew 4:23-24 when He healed all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease, Matthew 8:1-17 when Jesus healed a leper a paralyzed servant, Peter’s mother-in-law, many who were demon-possessed, Matthew 9:27-31 when Jesus healed 2 blind men, Matthew 9:32-34 when Jesus healed a mute demon-possessed man, Matthew 9:35-38 when Jesus went about the cities and villages teaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every sickness and every disease among the people, Matthew 12:22-23 when Jesus healed a blind and mute demon-possessed man, Matthew 14:34-36 where those who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment were healed, Matthew 15:21-28 when Jesus healed a lady’s demon-possessed daughter, Matthew 15:30-31 many laid down the lame, blind, mute, an maimed and others in front of Jesus and He healed them all, Matthew 17:14-18 when Jesus healed a man’s epileptic demon-possessed son, Matthew 19:2 great multitudes followed Jesus in Judea and He healed them there, Matthew 20:29-34 when Jesus healed 2 blind men who were sitting by the road, Matthew 21:14 Jesus healed the blind and the lame when they came to Him in the temple, Mark 2:1-12 when Jesus healed a paralytic man who was lowered through the roof into a crowded house, Mark 5:1-20 when Jesus went to Gadarenes and healed the demon-possessed which entered into a herd of swine and ran into the sea, Mark 5:21-43 when Jesus heals a woman who had a flow of blood for year and heals the dead daughter of one of the rulers of the synagogue, Mark 7:32-37 when Jesus healed a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, Mark 8:22-26 when Jesus heals a blind man, Mark 10:46-52 when Jesus heals Blind Bartimaeus, Luke 4:33-41 when Jesus head a man in the synagogue who had an unclean spirit, Luke 5:6-11 when Jesus healed a man with a withered hand, Luke 6:17-19 when Jesus healed those from Judea, Jerusalem, seacoast of Tyre and Sidon who came to hear Him, Luke 9:37-42 when a man from the crowd asks Jesus to heal his son who has a spirit that convulses him, Jesus healed his son, Luke 18:35-43 when Jesus heals a blind man sitting by the road, John 5:5-9 when Jesus heals a man who had an infirmity for 38 years, John 9:1-39 when Jesus healed a man who was blind from birth
Mark 6:33-35 says: But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him [Jesus] and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. 6:37-44 goes on to say: But He [Jesus] answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” But He [Jesus] said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they found out they said, “Five and two fish.” Then He [Jesus] commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and fifties. And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. So they all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men. [Jesus had compassion on the people who were like sheep without a shepherd, so He taught them about our loving God, who would guide them. Jesus had compassion on them again when He fed the 5,000 hungry people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Additionally, you should know that this miracle of feeding the 5,000 was witnessed by all those people who told others, but it is also recorded in Matthew 14:15-21, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:4-15. Not to mention that it is noted in Matthew 15:32-39 and Mark 8:1-10 where Jesus again feeds 4,000 people another time. Jesus speaks of these two separate times He fed the multitudes when He talks to His disciples about them in Matthew 16:5-12 and Mark 8:1-10. These are additional proof that there are many who saw Jesus say and do compassionate things and healing miracles.]
Luke 1:26-35 says: Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. [God wasn’t just having mercy on Mary with the birth of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son. He showed mercy to each and every one of us! Jesus Christ gave His life for us on the cross as a substitute for all of us sinful human beings, so that those who believe in Him as their Savior can one day have salvation in heaven when He calls us to join Him.] It also says similarly in: Luke 1:50-54, Luke 1:68-75
Luke 1:67-80 says: Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying; “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David, As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began, That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us, To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, The oath which He swore to our father Abraham; To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring [Jesus Christ] from on high has visited us; To give lights to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” So the child [later known as John the Baptist] grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation [showing] to Israel. [Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied that his son, later known as John the Baptist, would prepare the way of the merciful Lord Jesus Christ, to give those who believe in Jesus as their Savior, forgiveness of sins and Salvation.] It says similarly in: Luke 1:76-80
Luke 2:4-20 says: Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her first born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you; You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. [This is proof of God’s compassion by providing His Only Son, Jesus, that Mary bore and put Him in a manger, as was predicted 100s of years before His birth. The angels shared this miraculous birth with the shepherds in the field who went to see this and shared this with many others.]
Luke 2:25-33 says: And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon Him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do from Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him [Jesus] up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. [Simeon, a devout man, was promised by the Holy Spirit that he should not die before seeing the Lord’s Christ, and our gracious God let him do so!]
Luke 2:38-40 says: And coming in that instant she [Anna, widowed prophetess] gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him [Jesus] to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own city, Nazareth. And the Child [Jesus] grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. [Anna, a prophetess for 84 years, saw young Jesus when He was presented, and announced to others that Jesus was the Son of God, to provide Salvation.]
Luke 4:17-21 says: And He [Jesus in the temple] was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He [Jesus] closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” [This scripture Jesus was handed to read in church, prophesied that Jesus would have mercy on the less fortunate.]
Luke 6:20-23 says: Then He [Jesus] lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.” [Jesus is telling those who are less fortunate that their reward will be great in heaven for all who have gone through persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ, their Savior!] It says similarly in: Matthew 5:1-20
Luke 6:27-28 Jesus says: “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.” 6:35-38 goes on to say: “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” [Our merciful Lord, Jesus Christ, wants us to choose to be kind and merciful to others, even those who mistreat us. We are to choose not to judge or condemn and we won’t be judged or condemned. We are to choose to forgive others and we will be forgiven. We are to give to those in need and we will be taken care of.] It says similarly in: Matthew 18:21-35
Luke 7:1-17 says: And when He [Jesus] came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He [Jesus] came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He [Jesus] said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He [Jesus] presented him to his mother. Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us; and, “God has visited His people.” And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region. [Jesus had compassion on the grieving mother and brought her son back to life. This is also symbolic of how Jesus is merciful and gives all of us sinners who believe in Him as our Savior, eternal life with Him in heaven when He calls us to join Him.]
Luke 10:27-37 says: So he [a lawyer] answered and said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.”’ And He [Jesus] said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” and he [man talking to Jesus] said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” [In that Samaritans were not to associate with the Hebrews, Our merciful Lord Jesus wants us to choose to be merciful to others, including those who are marginalized!]
Luke 12:6-9 Jesus says: “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” 6:22-34 goes on to say: Then He [Jesus] said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” [Jesus tells us not to worry about what we are going to eat, wear, etc., because God will take care of those who love Him, but we should focus on developing treasures that lead to going to heaven.] It says similarly in: Matthew 1:29-31
Luke 15:4-7 Jesus says: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” 15:8-10 Jesus goes on to say: “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” [Our compassionate, forgiving Lord Jesus, gives examples of how pleased God and His angels for those sinners who repent and become believers in Christ as their Savior.]
John 6:35 says: And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 6:38-40 Jesus goes on to say: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 6:46-48 Jesus further says: “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life.” 6:51 Jesus says this speaking of Communion: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 6:54 Jesus continues to speak of Communion: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” [Our Gracious God allowed His only begotten Son, Jesus, to give His life for us, so that all who believe in Him as their Savior may join Him in heaven some day. Through Communion, we are brought to mind of Jesus’ sacrifice in our stead for our sins.]
John 8:3-12 says: Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him [Jesus] a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him [Jesus], “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what to You say? This they said, testing Him [Jesus], that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to Her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
[When some wanted to stone a woman who had been caught in adultery, Jesus said that whoever is without sin should cast the first stone. Their conscience got the best of them, and they walked out one by one, knowing they are sinful, as well. Jesus Christ is our compassionate and forgiving Savior.]
John 10:11 Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 10:14-18 goes on to say: I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, because I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” [Our Merciful Lord, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us on the cross and arose from the grave as a substitute for all our sins, so that those who believe in Him, His sheep and other sheep (non-Hebrews) can join Him in heaven when He calls us to join Him. ]
John 11:25-26 says: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? [Jesus told them that whoever believes in Him as their Savior, may die, but shall still live which means when they join Him in heaven some day.] It says similarly in: John 6:35, John 6:47
John 11:38-45 further says: Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb [of Lazarus]. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, ``Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead [Lazarus], said to Him [Jesus], “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that you have heard me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He [Jesus] had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. [Jesus brings Lazarus back to life after being dead for 4 days. It is symbolic of when Jesus will arise in 3 days after dying as a substitute for our sins.]
Luke 23:32-34 says: There were also two others, criminals, led with Him [Jesus] to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots. [I don’t know about you, but it would be very difficult for me as a sinful human being to pray to forgive the wrongs of others. Yet, Jesus forgave those who have just mocked Him, spit on Him, beat Him, and were now crucifying Him while others gamble for His clothing. Our Lord Jesus Christ, is not only forgiving, but is merciful, as well.]
After Peter has been given a vision where formerly unacceptable animals have been taken up in a cloth 3 times, Acts 10:34 says: Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ- He is Lord of all-” [Our merciful Lord God has given Salvation to all that believe in Jesus as their Savior, not just the Hebrews, but the Gentiles and the marginalized, as well.”
Romans 9:15 says: For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 9:25-26 goes on to say: “ As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.” And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they shall be called the sons of the living God.” [Our merciful Lord God has mercy and compassion on those He decides, not because they ‘willed’ God to be merciful to them. Additionally, God is merciful to the Gentiles and all those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, not just those who are Hebrews.]
Romans 15:15-16 Paul says: “Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, that I might be a minster of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” [Paul was formerly called Saul and had persecuted the Christians to death after Jesus’ crucifixion. He was converted by the grace of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ, to share faith in Jesus with the Gentiles and others. Paul became a very dedicated follower of Christ Jesus.] It say similarly in: Ephesians 3:1-12
1 Corinthians 15:3-10 says: “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures, and that He as seen by Cephas [Peter], then by the 12. After that He [risen Jesus] was seen by over 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep [died]. After that He [risen Jesus] was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me [Paul] also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” [Paul’s testimony of God’s grace in his converted life, and the over 500 people and apostles witnessing Jesus after He had arisen from the grave, is amazing!]
2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul says: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” [Just like Christ changed the sinful life of Saul, who had persecuted Christians, to someone who embraced sharing his faith in Christ with others, believers are new people in Christ.] It says similarly in: Colossians 1:3-12
2 Corinthians 8-9 says: And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” [Our righteous Lord’s grace will abound to those who are trying to do God’s will and provide for the less fortunate.] It says similarly in: Ephesians 4:4-7
Galatians 1:3-5 says: Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. [Our gracious Savior, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us, so that believers could one day join Him in heaven.]
Ephesians 2:4-10 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” [When we were dead because of our sinful choice, our Gracious God loved us! God’s grace was given to us by our faith in Christ Jesus and not because of our works. Through our faith in Jesus, believers have the opportunity to join Him in heaven someday.]
Titus 3:4-7 says: But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. [Through God’s grace and mercy, those who believe in Jesus Christ ast their Savior have the hope of eternal life in heaven.]
1 Peter 1:3-5 says: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [Those who believe in Christ as their Savior are very blessed by God’s mercy and grace, so that believers might have salvation in heaven some day.]
Hebrews 2:9 says: But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. [Jesus paid the price for our sins for us, so that all of any country, culture, or ethnicity who believe in Jesus as their Savior could join Him in heaven some day when He calls them.
James 5:11 says: Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord- that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. [Jude wants us to remember to keep our eye on the prize, our Salvation in heaven with our merciful and compassionate Lord and Savior.]
1 Peter 4:10 says: As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. [We aren’t supposed to just sit back and wait for that blessed day, but we are to share our faith in Christ, our Savior, with others through the gifts that we have received from the grace of God.]
1 John 4:9-11 says: In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [substitute] for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. [Through God’s grace, He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the substitute for the penalty we should have had to pay for our sinful lives. This is thanks to our merciful Lord, so we should love others as He loves us!]
Jude 1:20-21 says: But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. [We shouldn’t get sidetracked and should stay focused on the mercy of Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life with Him in heaven.]
The Revelation of Jesus Christ aka Revelations 21:3-7 says: And I [John] heard a voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me [John], “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” [Our Merciful, Compassionate, Gracious Lord and Savior gave His life, so that those who believe in Him as their Savior could enjoy being with Him in heaven someday where there is no more pain or tears. Pretty wonderful if you ask me!]
The Revelation of Jesus Christ 22:20-21 says: He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. [Remember He comes like a thief in the night, so be mindful of turning toward Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!]
[After reading the Bible from cover to cover two times for this particular Biblical Research Project, I have found that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are consistent about showing compassion, grace, and mercy to any who love God and follow His statutes to not worship false gods. God even went to great lengths to warn people when they were making counter-productive choices and were going astray. If they chose to turn back to the Lord God, our Merciful Lord welcomed them back with open arms. The Bible consistently tells us that those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior can go to heaven when Jesus calls them to join Him.]
Remember John 3:16-21 when Jesus says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only betten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
[This is my advice: Follow Jesus the Light of the World!]
