God is Faithful in His Mercy

 

So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.” (Exodus 34:4–9 ESV).

 

Our reading today comes after Moses receives God’s commandments on a second set of stone tablets, the Lord gives Moses a testimony of His faithfulness. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the first set, he found the people worshipping a golden calf they had made to represent God. It angered him so much he threw the tablets down breaking them to pieces. He retreats to the mountaintop, and God instructs Him with mercy.

 

It is here that God descends in a cloud and stands with Moses on Mount Sinai to proclaim His own name and character. This passage is considered one of the most significant self-revelations of God in the Bible, often referred to as the "Thirteen Attributes of Mercy" in Jewish tradition. God reveals His character to Moses. He describes Himself as compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness. He promises to forgive sins but also states that He will not leave the guilty unpunished, noting the consequences of sin passed down to future generations.

 

It is this faithfulness in mercy that should give all of us hope. We have all created our “golden calf’s.” Whatever you may have done or not done, God’s mercy is forever extended to His children and the atoning work of Jesus is applied to grant forgiveness and restoration.