There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under the Sun. Ecclesiastes 3:1
God’s Introduction – in His own words!
Moses sat on a mountaintop waiting for God to arrive. This was no ordinary day, no ordinary meeting, for today he would see God with his own eyes and live to tell the tale.
Now he Knew of God and had followed his commands for years, he had written about him, spoken with him and was in the habit of listening to him but even so he had never seen him.
Today would be the day. God had promised and he knew God always kept his word. So he sat and waited, expectant, hopeful and longing. Today he would see his God whom he had followed, obeyed and loved for so very long.
Then the cloud descended and God stood with him, passed in front of him and introduced himself!
Think about it - how would you introduce God? What words would you use? Stop now and consider if you could only use two sentences what would you say? How do you introduce the eternal all powerful, all knowing God to a short lived, intellectually limited, fickle and impulsive species? What would you say?
So then God introduces himself to Moses, he describes himself in his own words. He sets out in two sentences who he is and what he does. Of all the possible choices what do you think he says?
He says this……..
“Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected - even children in the third and fourth generations.”
Exodus 34: 5-7 (NLT)
A God of compassion, mercy, full of love and forgiving – he gives first a clear message of hope. A God who is also just and able to act – he gives a clear warning of the consequences on families of erring parents. He is love in action; his power is demonstrated both through his forgiveness and his judgement.
Moses falls on his face immediately and worships him. He doesn’t question or challenge, he doesn’t try to reinterpret what God has said to make it fit with his desires, views or context. He humbles himself, he worships. He knows he is just a man, he knows he is in front of God. He respects his power and wisdom; he has fully accepted him as his God.
Moses, the mighty prophet, the worker of miracles, the emissary of God to rulers and kings, the leader of a whole nation submits himself to his God and worships him. He is his subject, his own thoughts and desires are secondary, meaningless beside God’s greatness and grandeur. He puts everything aside and seeks God’s guidance and direction to rule over all that is within him and around him and he is content to serve.
And as I contemplate the image of this man who saw and did so much in his life, a man who parted seas and wrote books, who called down plagues and saved lives, who squashed rebellions and communed with God, I see him in my minds eye humbly bowed and obedient to his God. And I wonder, when God asks me to follow his directions for my life what else should I do but obey?
“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know
Moses sat on a mountaintop waiting for God to arrive. This was no ordinary day, no ordinary meeting, for today he would see God with his own eyes and live to tell the tale.
Now he Knew of God and had followed his commands for years, he had written about him, spoken with him and was in the habit of listening to him but even so he had never seen him.
Today would be the day. God had promised and he knew God always kept his word. So he sat and waited, expectant, hopeful and longing. Today he would see his God whom he had followed, obeyed and loved for so very long.
Then the cloud descended and God stood with him, passed in front of him and introduced himself!
Think about it - how would you introduce God? What words would you use? Stop now and consider if you could only use two sentences what would you say? How do you introduce the eternal all powerful, all knowing God to a short lived, intellectually limited, fickle and impulsive species? What would you say?
So then God introduces himself to Moses, he describes himself in his own words. He sets out in two sentences who he is and what he does. Of all the possible choices what do you think he says?
He says this……..
“Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected - even children in the third and fourth generations.”
Exodus 34: 5-7 (NLT)
A God of compassion, mercy, full of love and forgiving – he gives first a clear message of hope. A God who is also just and able to act – he gives a clear warning of the consequences on families of erring parents. He is love in action; his power is demonstrated both through his forgiveness and his judgement.
Moses falls on his face immediately and worships him. He doesn’t question or challenge, he doesn’t try to reinterpret what God has said to make it fit with his desires, views or context. He humbles himself, he worships. He knows he is just a man, he knows he is in front of God. He respects his power and wisdom; he has fully accepted him as his God.
Moses, the mighty prophet, the worker of miracles, the emissary of God to rulers and kings, the leader of a whole nation submits himself to his God and worships him. He is his subject, his own thoughts and desires are secondary, meaningless beside God’s greatness and grandeur. He puts everything aside and seeks God’s guidance and direction to rule over all that is within him and around him and he is content to serve.
And as I contemplate the image of this man who saw and did so much in his life, a man who parted seas and wrote books, who called down plagues and saved lives, who squashed rebellions and communed with God, I see him in my minds eye humbly bowed and obedient to his God. And I wonder, when God asks me to follow his directions for my life what else should I do but obey?
“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know