The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.
⁹ He will not always accuse us
or be angry forever.
¹⁰ He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his faithful love
toward those who fear him.
¹² As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed
our transgressions from us.
¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
¹⁴ For he knows what we are made of,
remembering that we are dust.

1) What does this passage tell us about God?
This passage lists several of God’s attributes: He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, loving, and forgiving.  It also tells us in verse 9 that He will not be angry forever—which implies that He does have anger toward our sin.  We also see in verses 8 and 11 that His love is faithful. The three similes in verses 11-13 show us that His love, forgiveness, and compassion are vast beyond comprehension.

2) What does this passage tell us about ourselves?
It’s a little trickier to see what this passage tells us about ourselves, but if you look closely, you can see it.  Verse 9 says that we have been accused by God, which points to our sinfulness.  Verse 10 says that we have sins and iniquities, but that we have not received the full punishment they deserve.  And verse 14 tells us that we are dust, which implies that we are finite and insignificant compared to God.

3) What do verses 11 and 13 tell us is the qualification of those who receive God’s love and compassion?
These verses tell of God’s faithful love and compassion toward those who fear Him.  Although we know from the rest of Scripture that God loves everyone He created, it seems that not everyone receives the same kind of love and compassion that God has specifically for those who fear Him.

1) What does this passage tell us about God?
I don’t know about you, but when I read this passage, I am so thankful!  I am thankful for a God who loves me faithfully, who forgives completely, and whose compassion is never-ending.  I am eternally thankful that God does not deal with me according to what I deserve because of my sinfulness!  Praise God, for making a way to salvation and for always being faithful!

2) What does this passage tell us about ourselves?
It’s hard to fully appreciate the scope of God’s love if you don’t understand the scope of your own sinfulness.  We have done nothing to deserve the extravagant love that God lavishes on us!  If we see ourselves as deserving, it can tempt us toward pride instead of praise.  Don’t miss the humbling truths about humanity that are in this passage!

3) What do verses 11 and 13 tell us is the qualification of those who receive God’s love and compassion?
The truth taught in Scripture is that some people receive Christ and gain eternal life, both here on earth and after death, and that some people reject Christ and receive the punishment for their sinful rebellion against Him.  His enduring, eternal, faithful love and compassion is not promised to everyone, but only to those who fear Him.  Do you fear God?  Have you realized your unworthiness to be in His presence, and have you accepted the free gift of salvation He offers you through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for your sins?  If not, receive Him today!  And if you are already a recipient of this grace, with whom can you share this truth?  Who can you reach with the message that has the power to bring someone into God’s promised, faithful love?

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We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Sketched III