Merciful And Gracious

One of my favorite books, Gentle and Lowly, by Dane Ortlund, has an in-depth chapter about Moses’ encounter with God in Exodus 33 and 34.

This chapter highlights critical things we can learn about God’s character through the description of His passing in front of Moses.

At the beginning of Exodus 34, as the tablets are being made and the Covenant is being renewed, the Lord passes before Moses:

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.” And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

- Exodus 34:6-8

Ortlund makes a powerful point in his book that the first few words the Lord uses to describe Himself are rarely the characteristics we assume come most naturally to God. “...Merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love…” We can quickly begin to apply human characteristics to God and assume He is most naturally bent toward judgment and justice. Only at our repentance and obedience is God then provoked to offer love and mercy.

We see it in ourselves, in our bosses, in our parents, in our spouses - we are, often, naturally angry people. Always ready to blow up, correct, admonish, or irritate. God must be the same right? He must be a moment away from yelling at me, just like my father was. He must be waiting for me to fail, just like my boss always is. His love must be conditional, like my spouse’s often is.

But when our finite minds apply human characteristics to an infinite God, we miss the whole point. God’s heart is first described as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger.” Our heavenly Father is most naturally bent toward love, grace, and mercy. Anger, justice, and wrath are not where His head goes first.

We ooze anger and must be provoked to love. God oozes love and must be provoked to anger. We cannot get those two realities mixed up.

And, certainly, the passage goes on to mention that our God is not passive. “He will by no means clear the guilty.” He has a heart of justice. But, in the same line, we are reminded of how far His grace extends. His mercy and grace don’t just apply to us, they apply to our “children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Just as His justice extends, His natural bend towards grace and mercy applies to the generations of sin and brokenness that will follow us. He is not limited; instead, His love is infinite.

What finite, human characteristics are you applying to our Heavenly, eternal Father?

He is not the scary man in the sky that frightened you in Sunday school. He is not the failed love of the many men that have hurt you. He is not the impatient sound of your mother’s disapproving voice. He’s not even the inner critic voice inside of you, the face looking back in the mirror judging everything you do.

“He is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” His heart is constantly flooded with love and mercy for you. Yes, He is just; yes, He is angry. But His heart is most keen to offer grace to His children.

Don’t miss the point. Don’t turn God into the people that have hurt you. His arms are open to His children.

And when we begin to see the perfect character of our Creator, our response, as Moses shows us in verse 8, can only be worship. Have you seen the mercy and grace of your Heavenly Father? Are you thankful for His love that transcends generations?

Then let’s worship Him.

Cristina Schmitter

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