For this reason, he declared it to Moses.

While we delight in the mercy and grace and love and faithfulness of God, we wonder how this last description can be anything but an embarrassing postscript-a final fine print to the contract, meant to be read at blazing speeds and quickly forgotten.īut this final portion about God dealing with guilt and generational iniquity is-just as is the case with his forgiveness, love, grace, and mercy-one of the heights of who he is. Then, with a thud, '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 fourth generation' (Exodus 34:7b). The name is his nature, and his nature is his name.Īnd God's revelation to Moses was all beauty-he said, ' “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' (Exodus 34:6-7a). So God put Moses in the cleft of the rock and showed him the afterglow of his radiance while declaring himself to his man. He would only be satisfied with God.įor his part, God was inclined to reveal himself to his man but knew a fallen species could not possibly handle the full and unfiltered blast of his glory.

In unparalleled wisdom, he was certain no amount of personal success could slake his thirst. Like the burning bush that kicked off the whole thing, an unquenchable fire blazed within Moses. '.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 34:7)

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