Exodus 34 … Consider His Personal Proclamation

Originally posted: 03/24/2019

How amazing is our faithful God! To think He would answer the request of His servant, “Then Moses said, ‘I pray You, show me Your glory!'” (Exodus 33:18). And His Glory was revealed as He Personally Proclaimed His Holy, Gracious, and Unmatched Character.

Consider His Personal Proclamation

Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; ⁷ who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations,” (34:6-7).

His Glory was revealed through His Personal Proclamation to Moses; Proclaiming His Character and His Course of Action with His creation.

How can one expound further on His Personal Proclamation? Turning to the original Hebrew language should assist to further our understanding as we take time to meditate and consider what the LORD God Personally Proclaimed about Himself.

Definitions from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (Logos Bible Software):

The LORD 3068. יְהוָֹה y^ehōwāh: A noun meaning God. The word refers to the proper name of the God of Israel, particularly the name by which He revealed Himself to Moses.

God 410. אֵל ʾēl: A masculine noun meaning God, god, mighty one, hero. This is one of the most ancient terms for God, god, or deity.

Compassionate 7349. רַחוּם raḥûm: An adjective meaning compassionate, merciful. It indicates a merciful and forgiving character and attitude. It is an important word defining the character of God, and every use is in reference to God.

Gracious 2587. חַנּוּן ḥannûn: An adjective meaning gracious, merciful. This word is used solely as a descriptive term of God.

Slow to anger
(slow) 750. אָרֵךְ ʾārēḵ: An adjective meaning long, drawn out, or slow. This word primarily describes feelings pertaining to a person: either being slow of temper or patient.
(anger) 639. אַף ʾap̱: A masculine noun meaning nose, nostril, and anger… To have length of nose is to be slow to wrath.

Abounding in… 7227. רַב raḇ: An adjective meaning many, much, great, long, mighty. The word indicates much, many, abundance, numerous.

…Lovingkindness 2617. חֶסֶד ḥeseḏ: A masculine noun indicating kindness, lovingkindness, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, love, acts of kindness.

…Truth 571. אֱמֶת ʾ^emeṯ: A feminine noun meaning truth, faithfulness. It is frequently connected with lovingkindness.

Keeps lovingkindness for thousands 5341. נָצַר nāṣar: A verb meaning to guard, to keep, to observe, to preserve, to hide.

Forgives iniquity, transgression and sin
Forgives 5375. נָשָׂא nāśāʾ: A verb meaning to lift, to carry, to take away.
Iniquity 5771. עָוֹן ʿāwōn: a masculine noun meaning iniquity, evil, guilt, punishment.
Transgression 6588. פֶּשַׁע pešaʿ: A masculine noun meaning transgression, rebellion.
Sin 2403. חַטָּאת ḥaṭṭāʾṯ: A feminine noun meaning sin, transgression, sin offering, punishment.

By no means leaves the guilty unpunished (in the Hebrew, “leaves the guilty unpunished” is one word) 5352. נָקָה nāqāh: A verb meaning to be free, to be clean, to be pure. Originally, this verb meant to be emptied; therefore, its most basic sentiment is to be poured out and can have a negative or positive connotation… In the positive sense, it is used to connote freedom from the obligations of an oath (Gen. 24:8, 41); from guilt (Num. 5:31; Judg. 15:3; Jer. 2:35); and from punishment (Ex. 21:19; Num. 5:28; 1 Sam. 26:9).

Visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children… 6485. פָּקַד pāqaḏ: A verb meaning to attend, to visit, and to search out.

How are we to respond to His Personal Proclamation?

What an immense privilege and immeasurable treasure! We too have been granted the gift to see His Glory Proclaimed. Today as we consider His Personal Proclamation revealed in His Word, describing His Glory in His Holy, Gracious and Unmatched Character, may we respond exactly as Moses did…

Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. ⁹ He said, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your own possession,” (34:8-9).

• May we be quick to humble ourselves.
  • Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, (1 Peter 5:6).
• May we be consumed by Him in worship.
  • Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship, (Romans 12:1).
• May we desire His Presence above all else.
  • One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
    That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
    To behold the beauty of the Lord
    And to meditate in His temple, (Psalm 27:4).
• May we be truthful about our condition.
  • I acknowledged my sin to You,
    And my iniquity I did not hide;
    I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
    And You forgave the guilt of my sin, (Psalm 32:5).
• May we consider the serious consequences of sin.
  • Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. ⁶ For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, (Colossians 3:5-6).
• May we grow in our love for His people.
  • Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments,” (Matthew 22:37-40).
• May we become His intercessors.
  • And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people, (Ephesians 6:18).

Oh Lord, may we never neglect the gift of Your Holy Word, but that we would come each day and call out to You in faith; that we would hear the “great and mighty things” revealed in Your Personal Proclamation.

“Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know,” (Jeremiah 33:3).

Let’s Grow Together!