How does God show mercy to sinners in the first chapters of Genesis?

Answer 1

Regarding Adam & Eve:

a) God showed mercy in not snapping them 'out-of-existence' immediately.

b) God called them to himself for a judicial session; giving them an opportunity to explain themselves and their reason for their disobedience. They could have chosen to repent and ask for forgiveness. Instead they 'passed the buck.' Instead of fessing-up, Adam blamed God when he said: 'The woman YOU gave me, she made me do it.' Then Eve, instead of fessing-up, she blamed God also: 'The serpent you put in the garden, it seduced me.'

(God did not communicate with the serpent in this dignified manner.)

c) Then God allowed them to live and start the human race, from whence we came, (whew, thank you.)

d) That was an act of mercy upon all the future generations within Adam's loins. We exist now, because of God's mercy upon (unconceived as yet). We have the opportunity now of showing God that we will not be like our grandparents.

e) Also in Genesis 4:6,7 God gave Cain a kindly warning about his feelings towards Abel. God could see the problem in Cain's heart. God could have just let everything run it's course. But in God's mercy, he gave him advice, and a warning.

f) Then he showed mercy upon Cain after he killed Abel. God did not inflict 'soul for soul', but allowed him to exist also.

g) God also showed mercy upon his human creation in Noah's days. He made provision for the human race to be saved through the flood. He gave Noah enough time to build the ark and warn the rest of the people. We are alive today due to God's mercy in these ways.

General Answer:

In a overview context, God desires to create a family - we humans to become His children. This theme starts in Genesis and ends for now in Revelation.

God desires that we chose His way of give or the god of this world's way of get. He gave our 1st parents this choice via the two trees in the Garden of Eden. If Eve would of eaten of the Tree of Life and Adam done the same, God's Holy Spirit would have begotten them into His eternal family. But they did not so God had to correct them and give mankind time to have all potential children given that same choice.

His greatest mercy to ALL sinners is found in Genesis 3:15 the promise of our Savior to cover our sins. As John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only (at that time) begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" as children in the Family of God, co-heirs with Christ.