Pardoning and Punishing Sin
A.W. Tozer has said what we conceive God to be like in our deepest heart is the most important thing about us. At a deep level, our image of God shapes almost everything about us, particularly how we relate to God, to one another, and even to ourselves. In Exodus 33-34, Moses makes a bold request of God: Show me your glory! It is a desire to know what God is really like and to know it at a deep, pervasive, life-shaping level. God's response is surprising: He declares his name (YHWH!) and his character to Moses, letting Moses in on God's own deepest heart reality. Between now and Thanksgiving, we're looking at Exodus 34.6-7, the most often quoted verses in the Bible by the Bible, taking God's self-revelation seriously and asking YHWH to meet us by his Spirit, to open the eyes of our hearts, and to make us know the full reality of his Name. This week, we unpack the final statement - God's eagerness to forgive paired with his commitment to justice - and feel the tension at the heart of the biblical narrative.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Read Exodus 34:1-9
Read Exodus 34:1-9, taking note of what emotions rise in you as you read the final lines, "...forgiving sin... but by no means clearing the guilty..." What stands out to you?
God's heart is abundant faithful love, expressed primarily in forgiveness. What does this tell you about him? About us?
At the same time, God is committed to justice, unwilling to "clear the guilty." Why is this important?
As you look back over our series, which aspect of God's character do you most want to be deeply convinced of - and why?
Nov 12, 2023 - Steve Hart