This year, reading through Micah has been particularly brutal. For some reason (a Holy Spirit reason?), I’ve been more impacted during this year’s readings by the relentlessness and heaviness of God leaving His “holy temple” and “coming out of His place” to “tread upon the high places of the earth” (Micah 1:3). And tread He has — for the better part of seven chapters. And the mountains have “melted” and the valleys have “split open” as God in righteousness judges “the transgression of Jacob ” and “the sins of the house of Israel” (Micah 1:4-5).

So, perhaps it shouldn’t surprise me that Micah wraps his prophetic word with a probing question: “Who is a God like you?”

But I’m struck by the God-breathed answer to the prophet’s rhetorical question. For it is a 180-degree turn from the predominant theme of the book.

Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity
       and passing over transgression
       for the remnant of His inheritance?
He does not retain His anger forever,
       because He delights in steadfast love.
He will again have compassion on us;
       He will tread our iniquities underfoot.
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 fathers
       from the days of old.

(Micah 7:18-20 ESV)

He delights in steadfast love . . . That’s what I’m chewing on this morning.

I wrap-up Micah and I can’t help but think, “Oh, the wrath Jesus suffered on my behalf.” And not just for those sins I committed before that moment I first believed, but for the iniquity and transgression of yesterday. For, though yesterday’s sins may not have been as “big” as the sins of my distant past, before a holy God, they are just as offensive. And though I often don’t keep as “short an account” as I should when it comes to confessing my daily sins, yet His wrath is stayed, and His kindness prevails as He patiently leads me to repentance so that He might again pardon iniquity and pass over transgression. All because my God delights in steadfast love.

Behold, our God! A God who delights in steadfast love!

Who is a God like You?

Pardoning iniquity, passing over transgression. Having compassion and pouring out grace. Treading iniquities underfoot and casting sins into the depths of the sea. Showing faithfulness because of promises sworn in days of old. Not retaining His just and holy anger forever. And how come? He delights in steadfast love.

Our God must be provoked to wrath because mercy is His “specialty”, it’s what He “loves most” (MSG). He must be incited to indignation, for His default is to delight in unfailing, unwavering, unconditional love.

Behold, our God! Again!

The God who delights to love with a steadfast love. For our God is love (1Jn. 4:16).

Thus, daily we are recipients of ever new and abundant grace.

And only for His eternal and all-deserving glory.

Amen?