Exodus: Time and Time Again

God brings Moses back to make a new set of stone tablets for the convenant and ten commandments after they were broken in chapter 32. God was willing to get the Israelites another chance. It is interesting to see that God once again highlights the commandments of idolatry, twice in this chapter, and the Sabbath once. He is strongly emphasizing these issues, probably because those are the biggest problems in the community of the Israelites.

 ⁶ 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,⁷ 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

What a great God. And it all stands true, He is gracious and compassionate, he's slow to anger, loves endlessly, and is a just God. Its all be shown in the book of Exodus with the Israelites. Ever since chapter one, all the Israelites have been doing was being stubborn, complaining, grumbling against God, turning against him, making false gods and idols, and breaking all the commands, God had given them. Yet we see once again God being such an awesome God, willing to forgive, slow to anger.

Even when Moses prayed before God, he said,

⁹ “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.” - Exodus 34:8

He praise God, falling to his knees, he confessed the sins on behalf of his people, asked for forgiveness and asked for guidance. We as humans are pretty much identical to the israelites, and we are always falling short of God's glory. We need forgiveness, we need to confess. We are "stiff-necked" and hard to deal with, but thankfully, our God is a loving God.

Can you imagine the trouble we'd be in if God wasn't any of those characteristics described in verses six and seven? We're all deserving of death for our sin, and if he wasn't gracious, forgiving, or loving, we would have been long gone by now.

focus on what God has done, the countless times he's forgiven us, and how he's still chosen to stand by our side, time after time. He is a good God. As followers, learn to emulate these characteristics, strive for Godliness.

verse of the day: Psalm 86:15
¹⁵ 

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,    slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.