“In the distant future, when you are suffering all these things, you will finally return to the Lord your God and listen to what he tells you. For the Lord your God is [El Rachum]; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors. 

“Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before?”

Deuteronomy 4:30-32

El Rachum: The God of Compassion (also translated The Merciful God)

From the exhortation of Moses to the people of Israel to obey God, we hear this name: El Rachum. The God of Compassion.

When we think of obedience to an authority, that authority’s compassion does not usually come to mind. Obedience comes from force, not compassion, right?

No, not here. Here Moses encourages the people to obey one whose compassion inspires obedience; the One and Only who is as deeply invested in our lives as we are. ❤