Our God Of Love
Context
After the 10 Commandments were given on Mt. Sinai, "Then Moses entered the cloud as he went up on the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights."(Exodus 24:18).
After those 40 days(Ex24-32), "Moses turned and went down the mountain. He held in his hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant{the 10 commandments}. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. 16 These tablets were God’s work; the words on them were written by God himself. 17 When Joshua heard the boisterous noise of the people shouting below them, he exclaimed to Moses, “It sounds like war in the camp!” 18 But Moses replied, “No, it’s not a shout of victory nor the wailing of defeat. I hear the sound of a celebration.” 19 When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf, made of gold, and the dancing, and he burned with anger. He threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain."(Exodus 32:15-19).
Core Story
Exodus 34:1-3 Then Jehovah told Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones. I will write on them the same words that were on the tablets you smashed. 2 Be ready in the morning to climb up Mount Sinai and present yourself to me on the top of the mountain. 3 No one else may come with you. In fact, no one is to appear anywhere on the mountain. Do not even let the flocks or herds graze near the mountain.”
- Note that the words "Jehovah" and "Yahweh" are two different pronunciations of the same Hebrew word, יְהֹוָה
Exodus 34:4-8 So Moses chiseled out two tablets of stone like the first ones. Early in the morning he climbed Mount Sinai as Jehovah had commanded him, and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5 Then Jehovah came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and proclaimed the name of Jehovah. 6 Then, Jehovah passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, Jehovah! Jehovah, the God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. 7 I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.” 8 Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped.
The Love of Jehovah
Let's look again at these characterizations of our loving God, Jehovah =>
- God of compassion
- God of mercy
- slow to anger
- filled with unfailing love
- filled with faithfulness
- lavishing consistent love to a thousand generations
- forgives iniquity
- forgives rebellion
- forgives sin
- Justice: punishes the guilty, affecting their children, even to the forth generation.
Here we saw nine manifestations of the merciful grace of our loving God, Jehovah, and just one manifestation of the Justice of our loving God. And even though punishment can be felt "to the forth generation", He lavishes love to "a thousand generations"
"The portrait of God as markedly weighted toward love and forgiveness in Exodus 34 offers Christians tremendous insight into Yahweh... In two ways Yahweh's character and disposition (his glory) lean significantly in one direction compared to another.
"It is the darkness of misapprehension of God that is enshrouding the world [People] are losing their knowledge of His character. It has been misunderstood and misinterpreted. At this time a message from God is to be proclaimed, a message illuminating in its influence and saving in its power. His character is to be made known. Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy, and truth... The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love." (source)
Desiring to live by every word that comes from the mouth of Jehovah (Deut8:3; Matt4:4)
-Sid Nash: 01/31/2026. Latest version: https://sidnash.org/docs/GodOfLove.html