2. God has given examples of it in Scripture. Adam, the leader of all
(verse 9). Their religious services were impure, vain, and an abomination to God (verse 13). They were a nuisance to him, his soul hated them, he was tired of them (verse 14), for they came into his presence with their bloody, murderous hands.
Yet, even though he rightly accused them of those terrible crimes, he offers them the assurance of forgiveness if they would return to him:
"Come now, and let us reason together," verse 18. He is willing to discuss the matter with them, even though one might have thought he would have nothing to do with such a group. God loves to talk to people about the topic of forgiveness, and he loves it when people listen to him speak about it. He wants to convince them to turn away from their sins and towards a good and proper understanding of his mercy. For example, "Turn to him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted," Isaiah 31:6. Revolted! That is their sin; deeply, that is the aggravation of it; and because they are also the children of Israel, a people who have received much mercy and witnessed many miracles, there is another aggravation. Yet, turn to him against whom you have sinned. The main objection of someone who repents is, "I have sinned, and I do not know whether God will accept me."
Remember, God knows your sin better than you do, yet he kindly calls out to you and promises you as good a reception as if you had never sinned.
So, "They say, if a man divorces his wife, and she goes from him and becomes another man's, can he return to her again? Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; yet return to me," says the Lord, Jeremiah 3:1. Even though you have been an unfaithful woman, and welcomed any and every person into your bed, and have allied yourself with many sins, upon your return, I will accept you. These are the guarantees of God's encouragement.
2. God has given examples of it in Scripture. Adam, the leader of all rebellions of mankind in the world, had the promise of the seed of the woman to break the serpent's head made to him, and in the