John Davies
This chapter of The Mercy of God in the Old Testament begins to outline what an Old Testament theology with a focus on the mercy of God might look like. While the early chapters of Genesis portray a world which has seriously deviated from God’s good creative intentions, we observe God’s mercy from the outset in the mitigation of the deserved outcome of rebellion against the creator. The covenant with Noah indicates God’s intention to have an ongoing relationship with his world. The various episodes in the lives of the patriarchs enable the reader to build up a picture of the character of the patriarchs’ God, and his commitment to them will form the basis for subsequent appeals for mercy, notably when Israel is oppressed in Egypt. The covenant God establishes with Israel is one of grace and mercy. Despite Israel deserving to be abandoned, God does relent and accompanies them en route to a land that will in principle be a new Eden. Various sections of the Pentateuch look ahead to a time of exile, but always with the prospect of restoration through God’s mercy.