"How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath."

God's compassion keeps him from destroying us. He's God, and not man. He's tender to sinners that we'd destroy.

Let this encourage us. No one is too far gone. God will have compassion on sinners. It's not because we are good, nor because we have not angered him. It's the mercy of the Lord. He yearns over transgressors, and sent his Son. He gives us repentance.

Preach the gospel to the poor. Tell them they have nothing, and God's pity restores them. Tell them all they have by God's compassion. Put away the condemnation and the wrath. Preach Christ to a dying world, and God's love to the worst people you find. I'm weary of holding it in!

First, "I will not execute my burning anger." It's not that we don't deserve it. Wrath should be poured to the utmost on our rebellious souls. We've sinned in every conceivable way, from the mountains of pride to the valley of sexual degradation. We've thumbed our noses at God, and shook our fists in defiance. We are horrible sinners.

How can God have compassion, when he's threatened to punish? How can he hold back wrath, when we've angered him? The answer is his compassion and pity. He spared not Christ, but turned wrath on his own Son to deliver us. God's love to the unworthy is incomprehensible. His grace knows no boundaries.

Receive this in, poor wearied soul. Receive this, you rebel!

Secondly, "for I am God, and not man." He's not like us. He's compassionate, and we are hard.

Men arrogantly think they are more loving than God, because he hated Esau. They don't know the depths of Jacob's sin. Like a bottomless pit, our fall is unimaginable. We provoke God to destroy us. Yet, he's merciful, gracious, and kind. He turns sinners by repentance, so he can pour out his love, instead of sending us to hell. This is God's SPECIAL COMPASSION on those he loves. Anyone may have it. Take the water of life freely. Believe God!

The gospel is God pitying you, and giving you all that pertains to godliness. It's God providing for you, his child!

Thirdly, "the Holy One in your midst." Holiness is love and compassion. It's not justice with no mercy, because he's dealing with us through Christ. The devils get no mercy, because there's no mediator. They sinned against a loving God to their own destruction. We get mercy, however, because God's free to show his compassion through the redemption that's in Jesus. He's justified to love and save.