15, 16. (a) How did Micah describe Jehovah? (b) What does God’s “passing over transgression” mean?

¹⁵ Let us not lose sight of God as our example in forgiving. (Ephesians 4:32–5:1) As to His pattern in letting errors pass, the prophet Micah wrote: “Who is a God like you, one pardoning error and passing over transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? He will certainly not hold onto his anger forever, for he is delighting in loving-kindness.”​—Micah 7:18.

¹⁶ By describing Jehovah as one “passing over transgression,” the Bible is not saying that he is incapable of recalling the wrongs, having some sort of selective amnesia. Consider the cases of Samson and David, both of whom committed serious errors. God was able to remember those sins long afterward; even we know of some of their sins because Jehovah had them recorded in the Bible. Still, our forgiving God showed mercy to those two, setting them before us as examples of faith to imitate.​—Hebrews 11:32; 12:1.

17. (a) What approach can help us to pass over the errors, or offenses, of others? (b) If we strive to do that, how will we be imitating Jehovah? (See footnote.)

¹⁷ Yes, Jehovah was able to ‘pass over’a transgressions, even as David repeatedly asked him to do. (2 Samuel 12:13; 24:10) Can we imitate God in this, being willing to pass over the slights and offenses that our fellow servants commit as imperfect humans? Imagine yourself on a jet airplane speeding down a runway. Looking out, you see near the runway an acquaintance making the rude gesture of childishly sticking her tongue out. You know that she had been upset and might have you in mind. Or she might not be thinking of you at all. Anyway, as the plane circles to gain altitude, you pass high over the woman, who now seems to be just a speck. In an hour you are hundreds of miles away, and her offending gesture is long since behind you. Similarly, many times it will help us to forgive if we try to be like Jehovah and wisely pass over the offense. (Proverbs 19:11) Will not the slight seem tiny ten years from now or two hundred years into the Millennium? Why not just let it pass?