Meditation

The bulk of the text we are copying today is God's own self-declaration of His character to Moses. Earlier, Exodus 33:18 records Moses asking God to "show me your glory," and now in Exodus 34 he does just that.

His Mercy is shown by a willingness to initiate the restoration and is compounded in a character full of compassion, love, and forbearance. He is Mercy. And as we saw last week, with God's holiness, His mercy invites worship, repentance, and a restored relationship with Him.

Just as we saw with Isaiah, Moses' first reaction is to bow down, worship, and ask for the greatest gift of all, forgiveness and restoration, "forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”

Today's text is Exodus 34:5-9.

The verses to copy today are in black. Yesterday's verses are in grey for context and clarity.

The New Stone Tablets

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.

² Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. ³ No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.”

⁴ So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands.

⁵ Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. ⁶ And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming,

“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

⁸ Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.

⁹ “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”​

Encouragement

Yet he was merciful;
he forgave their iniquities
and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger
and did not stir up his full wrath.
​³⁹ He remembered that they were but flesh,
a passing breeze that does not return.

Psalm 78:38-39

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Andy

God’s Word In Your Hand