God According to God

A Study of Exodus 34:6-7

Introductions

Please write your name and place it in front of you

Introductions

• What did you notice about how we introduce ourselves?
• What information do we tend to include?
• What are some of the other methods/devices we use to introduce ourselves?

Theology�

Theology

• Why do you think there are so many writing about theology (“words about God”)?
• Aristotle
• God is omniscient (all-knowing)
• God is omnipresent (present everywhere)
• God is omnipotent (all-powerful)
• What does the Bible actually say about God?

God Is

• “God is near us whenever we pray to him” (Deut 4:7)
• “God is the King of all the earth” (Psalm 47:7)
• “God is merciful and forgiving” (Dan 9:9)
• “God is truthful” (John 3:3)
• ”God is faithful” (1 Cor 10:13)

Moses Makes New Tablets

• How did we get here?
• Moses came down from Mount Sinai to find the Israelites worshipping a golden calf (Exodus 32:1-8)
• Because of this, God wanted to kill them all (Exodus 32:9-10)
• Moses intervenes (Exodus 32:11-14)
• God does bring some punishment (Exodus 32:27-35)

Moses Makes New Tablets

• Exodus 34:1-4
• The Lord commands Moses to obtain two more stone tablets (1;)
• Moses is to come back to the top of Mount Sinai and present himself to God (2)
• Moses must do this alone (3)
• Moses obeys. He chisels out two tablets and goes up Mount Sinai (4)

God Introduces Himself

• Exodus 34:4-7
• 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.” Exodus 34:6-7

God Introduces Himself

• The Lord, the Lord
• Compassionate and gracious
• Slow to anger
• Abounding in love and faithfulness
• Maintaining love to thousands
• Forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin
• Punishes the guilty

Bible in Basic English

• And the Lord went past before his eyes, saying, The Lord, the Lord, a God full of pity and grace, slow to wrath and great in mercy and faith; 7 Having mercy on thousands, overlooking evil and wrongdoing and sin; he will not let wrongdoers go free, but will send punishment on children for the sins of their fathers, and on their children's children to the third and fourth generation. Exodus 34:6-7

King James

• And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. Exodus 34:6-7

NASB

• Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; ⁷ who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” Exodus 34:6-7

NIV

• 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

The Message

• GOD, GOD, a God of mercy and grace, endlessly patient—so much love, so deeply true—loyal in love for a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. Still, he doesn’t ignore sin. He holds sons and grandsons responsible for a father’s sins to the third and even fourth generation.” Exodus 34:4

God’s Introduction

• What do you notice about the way God introduces Himself?
• Why do you think God chooses this particular point in Israel’s history to introduce Himself in this way?
• How has God already demonstrated these qualities?
• How would you describe the way in which God introduces himself?

John Goldingay

• “God is not only able to be active, decisive, self-sufficient, controlling, tough and unchanging, but also to be acted upon, relational, flexible, sensitive, vulnerable and risk-taking.” Old Testament Theology Volume One: Israel’s Gospel

God’s Introduction

• Which of these qualities are comforting to you?
• Which of these qualities are frightening to you?
• Which of these qualities are confusing to you?
• Which qualities of God would most people agree with easily?

How does Moses React to this introduction?

• Exodus 34:8-9
• Which quality of God listed makes you want to worship?

How does Moses React to this introduction?

• Moses humbly asks God to go with him and the rest of the Israelites (34:9a)
• Moses immediately calls on one of God’s just-disclosed qualities, by asking God to “forgive” the “wickedness and sin” of the “stiff-necked people” (34:9b)
• Moses calls on God to exercise the very qualities God has just disclosed about himself

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Application

• Compassionate and gracious
• Slow to anger
• Abounding in love and faithfulness
• Maintaining love to thousands
• Forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin
• Punishes the guilty

• On your name tent, write down the quality of God you need most right now

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Homework

• Using www.biblegateway.com
• Search for the phrase “God is” and then search for “the Lord is”
• Write down all the verses that point to attributes of God not actions (“God is [adjective]” or “God is like [noun]”)
• Read Numbers 14:1-25