God is Compassionate

There are many examples of God’s compassion in the Scriptures. The term ‘compassion’ today is generally described as having to do with sympathy for another’s distress, together with the desire to alleviate it. In other words, sorrow or pity caused by the suffering or misfortune of another, along with a desire to ease the suffering.

Over and over, God’s chosen people, Israel, strayed from His commandments and followed after the false gods of their neighbors, and relied on other nations to come to their aid when they were besieged by their enemies. 

God had said:

“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8; NIV) 

The LORD had told them that if they abandoned Him and followed the false gods of other nations, they would be punished by famine, disease, and would be pursued by their enemies. Yet, when they suffered the consequences of their sins and pleaded with God for relief, He had compassion on them, because He loved them, and repeatedly delivered them from their suffering.  

King David is another example. We read in Psalm 51, which we are told is “a Psalm of David (when the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba):

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.” (Psalm 51:1; NIV)

David had not only committed adultery with Bathsheba, but he also had her husband killed! Both of these transgressions (adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband) were subject to the penalty of death, yet, as we read in 2 Samuel 12 verse 13:

“Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.” (2 Samuel 12:13; NIV)  

The LORD had taken away David’s sin even before David had acknowledged it!

Many more of David’s psalms mention God’s compassion:

“The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” (Psalm 145:8-9; NIV)

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;” (Psalm 103:13; NIV)

“The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.” (Psalm 116:5; NIV)

As we come to the New Testament, we meet the Lord Jesus, the Son of God. The gospels are full of examples of Jesus’ compassion for the sick, the crippled, the blind, the mentally ill, and the grieving parents of dying children. 

Jesus embodied his Father’s compassion in every way, giving freely of himself every day for the welfare of the common people. 

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” (Matthew 9:35-36; KJV)

Jesus’ ultimate act of compassion was his death on the cross, as the sinless sacrifice for our redemption from sin and death. This was always God’s plan, as prophesied in the Old Testament book of Isaiah:

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5; ESV)

And another Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, said: 

“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23; NIV)

The limitless compassion of our God and of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, has purchased for us eternal life through Jesus’ death and resurrection. We can be a part of the Kingdom of God on earth, which Jesus promised would come when he returns to the earth, if we truly seek to know Him, to know what He asks of us, and do His will.

Even so, Come Lord Jesus!