009 - 12 - Lesson 12: The Love of God

Lesson 12: The Love of God

In Exodus 33-34 God responds to Israel’s failure at Sinai with an amazing revelation of himself to Moses.

The Goodness of God – Exodus 33

In Ex. 33:18 Moses asks God to reveal himself (his glory). Notice how God responds in 33:19-

Exodus 33:18–19 ESV

18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

-“I will make all my goodness pass before you.” In a previous lesson we suggested that just as God is the source of all existence, he is also the source of all goodness. He IS Goodness.

-“And will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD’.” Notice that God’s “name” (his self-identity) is paralleled with his “goodness.” This shows us how fundamental God’s goodness is to his nature.

-“And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” God’s goodness expresses itself in mercy (not giving the guilty what they deserve) and grace (giving the underserving what they don’t deserve).

The Steadfast Love of the LORD- Exodus 34

The next morning God appeared before Moses and proclaimed the name of the LORD (34:5-6a). Here is how the LORD described himself:

Exodus 34:5–6 ESV

5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 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,

-“Merciful” (or “compassionate,” NASB and NIV).

-“Gracious.”

-“Slow to anger” (or “longsuffering,” NKJV).

-“Abounding in steadfast love” (or “goodness,” NKJV or “lovingkindness,” NASB, or “love,” NIV). This word is repeated in the next verse.

-“Faithfulness” (or “truth,” NASB, NKJV).

In 34:7 God says this about his “steadfast love”:

Exodus 34:7 ESV

7 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.”

-He keeps this kind of love for “thousands” (or “to the thousandth generation” ESV footnote). In other words, it is always available.

-Because of this love he forgives sins.

Goodness is fundamental to God’s nature, and that goodness leads to love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness (see Eph. 2:4-7).

Ephesians 2:4–7 ESV

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

And to a limited extent we can imitate God in this kind of gracious, merciful, forgiving love (Matt. 5:43-48).

Matthew 5:43–48 ESV

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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