Readings for today: Exodus 34:1-35:9, Matthew 27:15-31, Psalms 33:12-22, Proverbs 9:1-6
Today’s reading is one of the most significant in all of Scripture. Moses appearing before God yet again on the top of Mt. Sinai. Moses receiving the Ten Commandments yet again as God turns aside his wrath and renews His covenant. Moses getting a chance to see the Lord as He descends in a cloud and hear His voice declare, "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, 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 34:6-7) You see, God isn’t interested in simply giving us a set of laws to follow. He wants to be known. He reveals the depths of His nature and character here. He is not just any god. He’s not like the gods of the Canaanites, so capricious and arbitrary. No, our God is merciful and gracious. He is slow to anger. He abounds in steadfast love and faithfulness. He keeps faithfulness to the thousandth generation, forgiving all iniquity and sin, while at the same time exercising His righteous judgment on the guilty. He is a God of justice as well as grace. A God of holiness as well as love. And He shares all this with us so we can have a relationship with Him.
What is Moses’ response to the divine revelation? “And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.” (Exodus 34:8) He falls on his face before the Lord. He averts his eyes. He trembles in astonishment and awe at what he’s just seen and heard. The God of the universe leaves His throneroom in heaven to be with us. The Creator desires a relationship with His creation. The Maker of all things descends to meet with us, speak with us, and show us His glory. There simply are no words so Moses worships.
Fast forward hundreds of years. This same God who revealed Himself to Moses on Sinai. The same God who would meet with Israel in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. The same God who led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. This same God is born in a peasant home in a backwater town in an obscure province of the Roman Empire. Laid in a manger. Worshipped by foreigners and shepherds and the poor of the village. He attracts the riffraff and the outcast. He eats with tax collectors and sinners. He keeps company with all kinds of strange people, even embracing Samaritans and Gentiles. Jesus is merciful and gracious. Slow to anger. Abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. He keeps faithfulness to the thousandth generation even though His own creation turns on Him and kills Him. He forgives all iniquity and sin. He takes on the righteous judgment of the Father, perfectly fulfilling the justice of God. And He does all this so we can have a relationship with Him.
So what is our response? Do we bow our heads in worship? Do we fall on our faces before the Cross? Do we avert our eyes? Tremble in astonishment and awe at everything we’ve just seen and heard? Friends, Jesus came to give us life. Eternal life. And what is eternal life? The Apostle John tells us in John 17:3, “This is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Do you know Jesus? Do you have a deep, intimate relationship with God? Or do you just know about Him? Heard the rumors? The gossip? Do you keep Him at arm’s length? Follow Him from a distance? God longs to draw you close. God longs to embrace you as His son or daughter. God longs for you to know His great love. Open your arms. Open your hearts. Receive Christ.
Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 25:10-36:38, Matthew 27:32-66, Psalms 34:1-10, Proverbs 9:7-8