What is our understanding of who God is? Moses was called by God to lead Israel out of Egyptian bondage, they did not really know who God was. The LORD showed Moses many miracles “But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. PLEASE send someone else.” (Exo. 4:13) The Israelites did not have a bible, Moses was raised in the house of Pharaoh for 40 years, he was not taught about God so, he did not really know God even though he saw the miracles in the plagues put on the Egyptians so, he told God NO.
God wanted to give instructions to His people so JEREMY, “The children of Israel entered the Desert of Sinai, and camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.” (Exo. 19:2) Now Moses met with God and wanted to know Him better, “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I MAY KNOW YOU and continue to find favor with you.” (Exo. 33:13) “…the Lord passed before Moses and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, MERCIFUL and GRACIOUS, LONGSUFFERING, and ABOUNDING IN GOODNESS AND TRUTH, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…” (Exo. 34:5-7)
THIS IS WHAT THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY SAID ABOUT HIMSELF, THAT HE WAS:
- MERCIFUL: Mercy can be defined as God’s DIVINE GOODNESS that He exercises toward us.
- GRACIOUS: That God is gracious would mean that He is favorably inclined toward us. That He wants to show favor to us. To do what is best for us. charis, the state of kindness and favor toward someone.
- LONGSUFFERING: The word longsufferingin the Bible is made up of two Greek words meaning “long” and “temper”; literally, “long-tempered.” To be longsuffering, then, is to have self-restraint when one is stirred to anger. A longsuffering person does not immediately retaliate or punish; rather, he has a “long fuse” and patiently forbears.
- ABOUNDING IN GOODNESS: — In quantity and quality, in abundance. Goodness —chesed: mercy, lovingkindness, unfailing love.
- ABOUNDING IN TRUTH: e’meth: faithful, trustworthy, loyal, stable
- FORGIVING INIQUITY, TRANSGRESSION AND SIN: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:31-32)
When God revealed this to Moses, “Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and WORSHIPED.” (Exo. 34:8) Moses worshiped for the first time because he now KNEW WHO GOD WAS. “Now when Moses came down from Mount Sinai he did not know that the skin of his face shone.” (Exodus 34:29)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham