“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of your possession? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in showing clemency. He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our ancestors from the days of old.”
—Micah 7:18–20 (NRSV)
I have to admit, when I first read this passage, I had to look up the word clemency. It is not something I hear in everyday conversation. But here it is, not just as something God offers, but as something He delights in.
Clemency means mercy, especially when punishment is expected or deserved. It is a word usually heard in legal settings, like when a judge grants a lighter sentence or a prisoner is pardoned. But in God’s hands, clemency becomes something far greater. It is the joyful, willing choice to forgive. It is not given with a sigh. It is not reluctant. God loves to show mercy.
These words come at the end of Micah’s prophetic book, after chapter upon chapter of Israel’s sin. They had chased idols, neglected justice, and broken their covenant with God. But how does God respond? With compassion. With forgiveness. With faithfulness. He takes their sins—and ours—and hurls them into the depths of the sea. He crushes them under His feet.
God is not only holy. He is good. He is not only just. He is deeply merciful. His heart is not quick to accuse but quick to restore. He takes pleasure in drawing near to broken people and calling them His own.
What an undeserved wonder that we serve a God like this.
Lord, thank You for the clemency You have shown us in Christ. Thank You for delighting in mercy. Help us live each day aware of the grace we have received. And teach us to reflect that grace in how we treat others. Let us be people who forgive as freely as we have been forgiven. Let us be people who, like You, delight in clemency.