- Jan 11, 2014
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Exodus 34:6-7, (Rotherham Translation), Yahweh, Yahweh, A God of compassion and favour, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and faithfulness: Keeping lovingkindness to a thousand generations, Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, though He leave not utterly unpunished, Visiting the iniquity of fathers Upon sons And upon sons sons, Unto a third and unto a fourth generation.
I believe it is vital to interpret all scripture in light of this passage. Why? It is the most quoted part of the Bible, by the authors of the Bible. And for good reason, here we have God the Father telling us His Name, the true Character of God by God Himself.
Look at the first word used by God in describing Himself: Compassion. Wow! How awesome is that! Our God, Father, and Creator of the Kosmos is Compassionate. So much peace and we have only just begun.
Favor: He has favor towards us. Grace.
Slow to anger: that's not what we hear all too many times from the pulpit.
Abundant in Loving-kindness: His Mercy is over-flowing with Faithfulness. It just keeps getting better and better.
O.K. now we're getting to the good part: pay close attention to this next word...
Keeping: that word describes something permanent. Ownership. Belonging to God is the thing He told us in the previous verse that is abundant, His Loving-kindness. Mercy. Forgivness. Forgiving transgressions, iniquities, and sins is something that is permanent with God. Look at the number He uses in context with His Forgivness...1,000.
1,000: this is not to be taken as a literal number of those forgiven, but as something countless, never ending, everlasting.
Next things take a turn (apparently) to a darker side of God. Here comes PUNISHMENT.
But as soon as punishment is mentioned, look at the word He chooses to contrast "keeping".
Visiting: a visit is of limited-duration. It has limits. It is something not everlasting, but will come to an end. That is the very definition of the word.
Though He forgives without end, like a good father He can not leave completely (utterly) unpunished. Punishment must come, but will have an end. Correction is the reason any loving father "visits" the sins of a child.
I love the next part! God is so good at contrasting. He used 1,000 to show the greatness of His Mercy and Forgivenes, so He uses the numbers 3 and 4 to show how insignificant His punishment is compared to His compassionate mercy and forgivness.
I believe it is vital to interpret all scripture in light of this passage. Why? It is the most quoted part of the Bible, by the authors of the Bible. And for good reason, here we have God the Father telling us His Name, the true Character of God by God Himself.
Look at the first word used by God in describing Himself: Compassion. Wow! How awesome is that! Our God, Father, and Creator of the Kosmos is Compassionate. So much peace and we have only just begun.
Favor: He has favor towards us. Grace.
Slow to anger: that's not what we hear all too many times from the pulpit.
Abundant in Loving-kindness: His Mercy is over-flowing with Faithfulness. It just keeps getting better and better.
O.K. now we're getting to the good part: pay close attention to this next word...
Keeping: that word describes something permanent. Ownership. Belonging to God is the thing He told us in the previous verse that is abundant, His Loving-kindness. Mercy. Forgivness. Forgiving transgressions, iniquities, and sins is something that is permanent with God. Look at the number He uses in context with His Forgivness...1,000.
1,000: this is not to be taken as a literal number of those forgiven, but as something countless, never ending, everlasting.
Next things take a turn (apparently) to a darker side of God. Here comes PUNISHMENT.
But as soon as punishment is mentioned, look at the word He chooses to contrast "keeping".
Visiting: a visit is of limited-duration. It has limits. It is something not everlasting, but will come to an end. That is the very definition of the word.
Though He forgives without end, like a good father He can not leave completely (utterly) unpunished. Punishment must come, but will have an end. Correction is the reason any loving father "visits" the sins of a child.
I love the next part! God is so good at contrasting. He used 1,000 to show the greatness of His Mercy and Forgivenes, so He uses the numbers 3 and 4 to show how insignificant His punishment is compared to His compassionate mercy and forgivness.