The God We Need!

The God We Need!

Text: Exodus 34:1-17

Introduction

Have you ever attended a marriage renewal service (maybe have been divorced or not)? They truly are a beautiful thing. What is taking place is even though there have been past mistakes, hurt feelings, failure, like of affection, total commitment, etc., there stands a couple who are willing to re-center themselves on their original vows and move forward remaining true to their covenant.

What we witness here is God graciously and willing to renew His covenant to a people who had severely cheated on Him.

Along with witnessing His desire to renew, He will clarify once again His full character. In so doing, it would be apparent to them, and us, that He is the true God we need today!

1) God Renews His Covenant

As a result of the need for Israel to know in the fullest way that they had broken God’s law, Moses broke the first tablets at the idol, ground the idol down, mixed it with water and made them drink it.

There is now a need to have God’s covenantal law written again for the people to know more fully the God you loves them.

Quote: According to Umberto Cassuto, the new tablets showed that Israel had broken the former covenant. He compares this to the second wedding of a couple that has been divorced. When they get remarried, the husband and wife take the same vows they made to one another the first time, but somehow it’s not quite the same. [Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 1039). Crossway Books.]

A second wedding has a joy all its own.

Here is the emphasis:

The remaking of the tablets is NOT the point of focus.

The important thing is WHAT WAS WRITTEN ON THEM; GOD’S LAW.

God was reiterating His covenant word for word.

God remained wanting to have a relationship with his people.

NOTICE — God had to COME DOWN!

No matter how high we reach, God always has to stoop down.

To have a relationship with God, there must be a continual condescension.

Quote: He is the Creator; we are only creatures. He is enthroned in Heaven; we dwell on earth below. He’s God; we’re not. So if he relates to us at all, he must come down. [Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 1040). Crossway Books.]

2) God Reveals His Character

Moses wanted to see God, but rather than telling us what he saw, the Bible tells us what he heard. [Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (pp. 1040–1041). Crossway Books.]

Notice how God started His sermon; The LORD, The LORD God.

Given the unique capitalization, this is God’s specific divine name (some would call His SALVATION NAME).

It is important to know that when the Bible speaks of God’s name, it is speaking of His ENTIRE BEING; HIS NATURE.

When God announced Himself, he was revealing that He is the GOD of CREATION and REDEMPTION. (v6)

GOD IS COMPASSIONATE

This word speaks of mercy and undeserved favor.

People make this MISTAKE — “God, give me what I deserve!”

THANKFULLY, God gives us something we DON’T DESERVE!

Salvation is not based on any merit of our own but only on God’s desire to show mercy. [Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 1042). Crossway Books.]

Funny Illustration: Maxie Dunnam tells the story of a woman who “took a friend with her when she went to a photographer to have her picture taken. The beauty parlor had done its best for her. She took her seat in the studio and fixed her pose. While the photographer was adjusting his lights in preparation for taking the shot, she said to him, ‘Now be sure to do me justice.’ The friend who had accompanied her said, with a twinkle in her eye, ‘My dear, what you need is not justice but mercy.’[Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (pp. 1042–1043). Crossway Books.]

GOD IS SLOW TO ANGER

This is a way of describing PATIENCE.

Implying, He does get angry!

His response to sin is not a volatile reaction, but a deliberate righteous and holy wrath.

Quote: Slow to anger does not present the Lord as a frustrated deity who eventually loses patience and strikes out against those who have thwarted him. It rather acknowledges that the Lord is reluctant to act against his creation, even when it is in rebellion against him. He waits long to give the sinner opportunity to return in repentance. But he is not forgetful and will not condone sin. At a time of his choosing he will act decisively against it. (John Machay)

2 Peter 3:9 “9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

GOD ABOUNDS IN LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS

Specifically speaking toward His covenant with His people.

Question: Have you every needed someone to FOLLOW THROUGH? What happens when they don’t?

The point here is that God ALWAYS FOLLOWS THROUGH!

Once God promises to love, He KEEPS ON LOVING.

(v7) Is a Hebrew word for “love” that speaks to God continuing His love for thousands.

GOD IS FORGIVING

This Hebrew word carries with it the meaning “to lift or to carry.”

A beautiful picture of what God does with our sin!

God is willing to forgive ALL KINDS OF SIN.

COMMON MISTAKE — feeling as if you have dove too deep into sin you are beyond the reach of God’s grace.

GOD IS JUST

This typically makes us uncomfortable.

People prefer to talk about His love.

If we are to take God, we must take Him whole.

Our definition of God is NOT COMPLETE without His divine JUSTICE.

The Bible often forces us to do this:

It teaches both the unity and the trinity of the Godhead.

the humanity and the deity of Jesus Christ.

the divine and the human authorship of Scripture.

God’s sovereignty and our responsibility.

One of the marks of SOUND THEOLOGY is confessing everything the Bible teaches, not just part of it.

This is what distinguishes orthodoxy from heresy.

Heretics leave out part of the truth.

They believe in the humanity of Jesus Christ but not his deity.

they think that human responsibility somehow limits divine sovereignty; and so on. [Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 1047). Crossway Books.]

Quote: C. S. Lewis wrote: “Mercy, detached from Justice, grows unmerciful. That is the important paradox. As there are plants which will flourish only in mountain soil, so it appears that Mercy will flower only when it grows in the crannies of the rock of Justice.”

3) God Is Revealed In Christ

You and I need the God who passed by Moses!!!

We need a compassionate God who cares about our situation, a gracious God who gives us what we don’t deserve, a patient God who won’t give up on us, a loving God who is faithful to his promise, and a forgiving God who takes away our sin. [Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 1045). Crossway Books.]

IS JESUS COMPASSIONATE?

Matthew 9:36 “36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”

Hebrews 4:15 “15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

IS JESUS GRACIOUS?

John 1:14 “14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Romans 5:17 “17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)”

IS JESUS PATIENT?

John 2:13-16 “13 And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.”

Mark 3:5 “5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.”

IS JESUS LOVING & FAITHFUL?

1 John 4:10 “10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Ephesians 3:18 “18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;”

IS JESUS FORGIVING?

Think of all the scandalous people He forgave.

God was simply preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Moses witnessed the same God on the mount of transfiguration (in the person of His Son)

Jesus’ gospel positioned God’s justice and mercy as friends. Just and mercy embraced each other on Calvary!!!

Conclusion

Do you know this God? Do you know Jesus Christ?