The Lord, The Lord

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation."

Exodus 34:6-7

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God's revelation to Moses.

Moses had asked to see God's glory. This is not possible but God allows Moses to see Him in part, and reveals what he is like: forgiving, kind, gracious, maintaining love to thousands, while He retains the right to punish future generations for the sins committed by ancestors. This helps to explain so much of the fallenness and brokenness that we see repeated from one generation to the next if parents, and especially fathers, do not honor God with their hearts and their behavior. God desires healthy relationships, and is interested in how children are raised. He sets a standard for parents to raise their children in a way that honors Him.

Yet there is always the opportunity to return to God for forgiveness. He is overwhelmingly slow to anger he is overwhelmingly gracious and as we will see another verses the door is always, always, always open for anyone to return to God to turn to him openly, approaching him through the open door that he provides and be reconciled because of his grace and the payment that was paid on the cross for those who believe.

It's significant that God chose to reveal these attributes to Moses who would lead Israel during 40 years of life in the wilderness. He could have instead shown his Holiness, Sovereignty and power. (Moses would experience God's glory later). God wanted to make known that He has a major relational component.

He is a God of forgiveness and reconciliation and longs for nothing more to be reconciled, while yet remaining just.

Related Verses:

Psalm 145:8

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Essence of the Gospel