I am puzzled, Davo, how you can forgive a person and still execute wrath on him (or punish him) for his wrongdoing. What is MEANT by forgiveness in such a case? When you forgive while providing “remedial justice” what do you actually DO in your forgiving? How does the recipient KNOW that he has been forgiven by you while being chastised by you concerning his wrongdoing?
As for the 2nd and 3rd verses you quoted, they clearly say that God will show a little correcting now so that He might have mercy and compassion on them later. That makes sense from my point of view. After they have been corrected, they will have had a change of mind about their actions (repentance) so that God can then be merciful to them. Just as an earthly father sometimes administers correction to a child who misbehaves, but is then kind to him after he changes his ways.
- Lam 3:31-32 For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, YET He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.
Isa 54:8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer.*
As to the first verse you quoted, it seems that translating the Hebrew as “God-Who-Forgives” is taking liberty. I have not studied Hebrew, but my Online Bible gives the meaning of the Hebrew as “god-like-one.” The Greek Septuagint uses the word “ευιλατος”. Ι have never encountered that word before. But consulting a translation, it may mean, “You have become favourably disposed to them, though you took judgment on all their wrongdoing.” This is much the same as the thought in the first two verses. After God judged them for their wrongdoing and they repented, He became favourably disposed to them.
Davo, I wish you would desist from saying such things to me as “Although what follows are OT texts and as such carry little weight or place with you Don.” It is untrue that OT texts in general carry little weight for me. Many of them are wonderful! It is only when Moses and some of the prophets depict God’s character in a way that is contrary to the way His character is depicted by Jesus and Paul, that I reject the former depiction and accept the latter. I am a Christian, so in case of conflict, I choose to believe what my Lord Jesus taught about God’s character.