What would God have done to humanity if He acted without grace and mercy?
Acting without grace and mercy, according to strict fairness, God would have wiped out the human race and Israel time after time. At the golden calf, one thought could have removed them, but He showed compassion and mercy because He is sovereign.
Les explains that throughout human history, if God had reacted without grace and mercy, or according to what was fair, He would have wiped the human race out and wiped Israel out time and again. He points to Israel demanding Aaron make a golden calf while Moses was up in the mountain, when the people danced in lewdness and practiced immorality. God could have destroyed them with one thought, but later in Deuteronomy 33 He said, “I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.” Why? He is sovereign and can do whatever He wants. The same grace permitted God to save the raging religious persecutor instead of zapping him or sending him to eternal doom, pouring out mercy instead.