What did John Darby say about how God spared Israel?
John Darby explained that God spared Israel on the single basis of mercy. Though in His holiness and righteousness He had every right to destroy the nation, He withdrew into His sovereignty, and in His sovereignty He poured out mercy. This pattern marked Israel's history whenever they failed and turned to idolatry.
Les explains that God had every right in His righteousness to wipe Israel off the map. He was hot in His anger, and He told Moses He would destroy them all and start over with Moses. But Moses fell on his face before God and pleaded with Him, almost 30 days, to spare the people, so the Egyptians could not say their God destroyed them in the wilderness. God spared Israel on one word: mercy. Les credits John Darby with the term, saying that in all His holiness and righteousness God had every right to destroy the nation, but He withdrew into His sovereignty, and in His sovereignty He poured out mercy. Les says this pattern continued all through Israel's history: when they failed God, went into idolatry, God would withdraw back into His sovereignty and pour out mercy.