Introduction. When Moses asked to see God’s glory, God placed him in the cleft of the rock and as He passed by “proclaimed His name.” (Ex. 33:18-34:7) God’s name is a description of His character. He is “the LORD (JEHOVAH) God”. He is also “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; ... but by no means clearing the guilty.” (Ex. 34:5-7). These are things God wanted mankind to know about Him.
First, as “the LORD, the LORD God,” He revealed He is eternal –“from everlasting to everlasting.” (Ps. 90:2; 103:17). Unlike everything else in this age of change, decay, aging and death, God will never change. (Mal. 3:6). Second, He wants us to understand His feelings toward His fallen children. In spite of our weaknesses and sins, He will always be “merciful” (feelings of tender pity with a desire to help) “and gracious,” (a joyous desire to give us the gifts of forgiveness and salvation we do not deserve). He is “longsuffering,” and “forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” These are the foundations of His unchanging character. This is how God feels about every one of those born to Adam and Eve. Even those who are “chief of sinners,” “by nature children of wrath,” and “enemies” are all treated the same after “repentance” and “obedience.” Yet in spite of these refreshing attributes, He warned: “I will not clear the guilty.”
His character resonates throughout the Scriptures. As Paul summed it up, “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God.” (Rom. 11:22-23) At the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Israel in apostasy, we see only severity. In these situations, God is just like a father with an unruly child. Even the most loving and kind father must chasten and appear harsh. The more unruly the child, the more harshness others will see. This is what has occurred with God. He has the character described above, but to the guilty who had rejected all God’s efforts to get them repent, we see severity. But for obedient children like Noah, Lot, Abraham and all those who were submissive, obedient and humble, we see His goodness, including mercy, grace, longsuffering, and forgiveness.
Yet that severity always changed to mercy and forgiveness, even to the most corrupt and rebellious, if they showed any sign of remorse, humility or repentance. Let’s see some Bible examples that illustrate that.
First, as “the LORD, the LORD God,” He revealed He is eternal –“from everlasting to everlasting.” (Ps. 90:2; 103:17). Unlike everything else in this age of change, decay, aging and death, God will never change. (Mal. 3:6). Second, He wants us to understand His feelings toward His fallen children. In spite of our weaknesses and sins, He will always be “merciful” (feelings of tender pity with a desire to help) “and gracious,” (a joyous desire to give us the gifts of forgiveness and salvation we do not deserve). He is “longsuffering,” and “forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” These are the foundations of His unchanging character. This is how God feels about every one of those born to Adam and Eve. Even those who are “chief of sinners,” “by nature children of wrath,” and “enemies” are all treated the same after “repentance” and “obedience.” Yet in spite of these refreshing attributes, He warned: “I will not clear the guilty.”
His character resonates throughout the Scriptures. As Paul summed it up, “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God.” (Rom. 11:22-23) At the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Israel in apostasy, we see only severity. In these situations, God is just like a father with an unruly child. Even the most loving and kind father must chasten and appear harsh. The more unruly the child, the more harshness others will see. This is what has occurred with God. He has the character described above, but to the guilty who had rejected all God’s efforts to get them repent, we see severity. But for obedient children like Noah, Lot, Abraham and all those who were submissive, obedient and humble, we see His goodness, including mercy, grace, longsuffering, and forgiveness.
Yet that severity always changed to mercy and forgiveness, even to the most corrupt and rebellious, if they showed any sign of remorse, humility or repentance. Let’s see some Bible examples that illustrate that.