He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a 1) gracious and 2) compassionate God, 3) slow to anger and 4) abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. – Jonah 4: 2
David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.” – 1 Chronicles 21:13.
Psalm 103:8-18 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever. he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
Nehemiah 9:17
They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and, in their rebellion, appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore, you did not desert them.
It seems we know God nature all too well, that God will have mercy while we continue to sin after all his grace covers us. David said it, Nehemiah said it, Jonah said it and we the church know it. we find also that love corrects because if we are in him, we can’t abide in wicked-ness (practice of the wicked) (The LORD is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him! Psalm 92: 15), If a man says, I love God, and hated his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 1 John 4: 20.
so, if he is gracious, we ought to be, if he is compassionate, we ought to be, if he is slow to anger (not vexation) we ought to be. Afterall, as he is so we are on this earth right. But it is also interesting to see when Elohim wants to exact judgement (not wickedness) on his people, he seldom cannot do it because of his nature; so, he gives his people over to the hands of their enemies, in the Elis (with Gods chosen nation – Israel) time Daegon and the ammonites, Saul (with Israel) the philistines, King Ahaz (with Israel) give to the hands of the Assyrians, Jeremiah (with Israel) given to the Babylonians. And the last days he will his people (the chosen people -not nation- who have rebelled against him to reprobate minds) Romans 1:22-32.
we have a deliverer who delivered us from our sins (from ourselves) and delivered us from our enemy. As Nehemiah 9: 27 “Therefore thou delivered them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heard them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gave them saviors, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies. ” Notice the Lord gave them over to their enemies first because of their sin when they called to him, he delivered them because he is merciful. The got delivered because they cried out asking God to forgive them, and then God delivered them from their enemies.
David was the only exception to this rule because when he did the census count and was given three option “he understood the very nature of Elohim” which is why he said let me fall under the hand of God, for he is merciful. (With the exception of Basheba’s son death, because David killed Uriah – ad this was among the six sins God hates and has said he will surely recompense Proverbs 6:16-19).
Nehemiah 9 clearly shows a God who is unrelenting towards his love for us, they worshipped idol, he forgives, and his love abounds so we could turn back to him. And I guess it is because God loves endures, he sent his son to die for us, hoping that we would see that despite our unfaithfulness to him, he still loves this is why he forgives us. so, we can turn back to him. 2 Timothy 2:13. This is primarily why we think we can live in sin and grace will abound because his mercy endures forever and that is love we are abusing.
Excerpts from Nehemiah 9
This is why God allows us to go through trials and testing of our faith, until we see how it feels to be rejected and scorned by men whether for righteousness’s sake (Elohim glory) | or unrighteousness’s sake (for our personal gain), we have a glimmer into how Jesus felt. Dr. Myles once said knowing something is wrong doesn’t change a person; many people know murder and stealing is bad and still do it, many Doctors know smoking is bad and still smoke; the knowing of the law doesn’t change man it is the love of Elohim that changes us. The only time we understand stealing is bad is when it is done to us. Hence, the 2nd commandment, when Jesus was crucified, we cannot fully comprehend how he felt, he was rejected by men and his father turned his back on him. The only time we begin to fully understand the sacrifice Jesus made is when we go through it, when we are under trial it seems Elohim is not near, and he has forsaken us that’s how Jesus felt “he said Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani” he was forsaken before we were; he was mocked before we were; yet he endured for you and me. He endured the cross despising the shame and now is sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim – Hebrew 12:2. You will also carry your cross to sit near to him – Luke 9:23.
Only when Jesus came out of the wilderness and a time of testing could he hear the spirit minister to him. While he was in the wilderness being tempted by the devil, he was answer through Elohim words. there was no comfort for him until he resisted the devil and submit to the father, then the holyspirit came to minister to him. Similarly, when we go through testing/trial as there may temporally discomfort, when we don’t eat (either out of lack/ or no), when there is no sign of God riches – wilderness season, we know he is still there because he is the word in us. This testing in the wilderness prepared Yeshua for his persecution which led to his crucifixion. similarly, when we go through trial it’s to prepare us for hard days.