How God presents Himself (2)

Friday 25 June 2021

How God presents Himself (2)

“The Lord descended in a cloud, and stood by him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed by before him and cried out : "The Lord God is a God of grace and of compassion, slow to anger, and rich in kindness and in truth." Exodus 34.5-7

When God presents himself, it is first by proclaiming His name, by repeating that He is the One who has existed from eternity and who has no end, the only God who is self-sufficient and that no one can see in its entirety. He is Yahweh El, the God (El) who is the One who is (Yahweh). But then He majestically describes His personalit: He is “the compassionate and merciful God, patient and great in faithfulness and loyalty, who keeps His faithfulness until the thousandth generation, who forgives fault, transgression and sin, but who does not hold the culprit innocent, who holds sons and grandsons to account for the fault of fathers, up to the third and fourth generation !” (v. 6-7). Moses' only reaction is to fall to the ground with your head bowed before God and worship Him. Let's take a look at God's description of Himself : first God affirms His goodness and His ability to forgive, then His fidelity and loyalty. Paul echoed this statement when he wrote : “If we are unfaithful to Him, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). Notice the “limit” of His faithfulness : “to the thousandth generation”. Which is equivalent to covering the history of mankind ! God is not yet done proving His faithfulness to us and His willingness to forgive our sins. As in passing, He adds that He could not hold the guilty as innocent, because of His absolute holiness. This is the other side of the divine personality that we cannot forget : God is Love, yes, but He is thrice holy and therefore cannot pass the sponge on unrepentant faults. The Bible warns us : “Make no mistake about it : God is not being made fun of. Each will reap what he sows” (Galatians 6-7). Something to think about, don't you think ?

Source (His Word for Today)