Devotions: Contrast of Compassion

The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, until there was no remedy. Therefore He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave them all into his hand.

2 Chronicles 36:15-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

These verses sum up the story of Israel. God continually forgave and had compassion on them. Yet they continually turned away from Him as soon as peace and prosperity returned. It continued to the point that God would no longer put up with it. He gave them over to oppression and slavery, to people who had no compassion. They were transferred from the God Who is compassionate by nature to people who knew nothing of that, as an emotion or a virtue. Ironically, this mirrors the fact that Israel turned to men (countries) for help in battle instead of the Lord. In the end, they got what they had continually chosen and pursued.

This shows vast contrasts in the expression of compassion: on the one hand is God who repeatedly gave compassion, and has it as a perpetual attribute of His person; on the other are men who neither feel nor show compassion, who neither value nor express it. The contrast is as strong as it gets. Of course, not all, or even most, people are heartless or without compassion. Most people value compassion in some sense. But even the best person is not always or perfectly compassionate. God, on the other hand, is perfectly compassionate. It is part of Who He is and He cannot be otherwise. Because compassion is an attribute of God, it is something which should be reflected in His people. Our compassion shows our likeness to Him, and also the depth to which He permeates our hearts. What does your level of compassion show about you? Who is your Lord and to what degree does He have your heart?