God’s love will never run out

By Zeth    2nd January 2002    0 responses

Daniel 9:9   Expand passage

The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.

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Have you ever stopped to think about just how merciful our God is to us? Despite everything we do, everything we think, everything we say, he is prepared to forgive us. Not a day goes past when we don’t do something that upsets him, and yet every day he gives us another chance. We are so undeserving of all he does for us, and yet he continues to work in our lives because he loves us. He loves us so much that he gave his only son, so that we shall not die but have eternal life. This article looks at God’s mercy towards the Israelites when they turned against him whilst Moses was receiving the ten commandments. It would be useful if you read Exodus 32 before continuing. You can read this passage online by clicking here.

Moses was the leader of the people of Israel, God’s chosen people. Moses had led the people out of slavery in Egypt and was leading them to the land that God had promised them. In the desert of Sinai, in chapter 19, God had called Israel to be his holy people, if they would obey him and keep their agreements with him. In chapter 19 of Exodus, we see Moses called by God to Mount Sinai, so that he can give him his commands for his people. It is whilst Moses is up the mountain that the Israelites turn their back on God.

The Israelites knew a great many things about their God. They knew that God had created them. They knew that God had saved them from slavery. They had seen God perform many great signs. They knew he was about to lead them into their own land. They also knew that Moses was up Mount Sinai receiving the words of God for them. But the Israelites became bored waiting for Moses, and quickly forgot both him and God. Even Aaron, who had been left in charge and should have known better didn’t stand up for his faith in God and God’s promises. He colluded with the people and made them an idol. The gifts of creativity God had given the Israelites (see chapter 31:1-6) were not used for worshipping God, but for breaking God’s first command.

In verses seven and eight of chapter 32, God is angered and saddened when he sees his people rebelling. He had saved them from slavery, he had provided for all their material needs and was taking them to good lands to be the holy people of God. Yet they rejected God and his plans, and forgot the promises they had made him (see chapter 19, verses 5-7). God needed to demonstrate that he was a God of justice, and so told Moses he intended to destroy the rebellious Israelites and create a new people from Moses, who had been his faithful servant. In fact, God sent Moses down the mountain so he could kill the Israelites before Moses got to the bottom.

Even though the people had rejected Moses, and God offered to honour Moses by making him the biological father of a new great people, Moses argues with God in an attempt to save the corrupt, hopeless Israelites.

Imagine for a moment you are Moses. You are meeting with the all powerful God, who you have seen ravage the Egyptians with plagues, death and suffering. God promises great things for you, but is very angry and is preparing to destroy the people who have rebelled against him. God orders you down the mountain. What would you do? I know what I would do. I’d run down that mountain as fast as I possibly could. A child doesn’t ask his parents for a new bike just after the house has been burgled. A worker doesn’t ask his boss for a pay rise when the company has just lost its biggest contract. But Moses, meeting with God who is already very angry, asks for something more outrageous than a new bike or a pay rise – he asks for the object of God’s wrath, those who have directly insulted, dishonoured and taken advantage of God, to be let off. Moses knows that God’s promise to make the Israelites his holy people depends on the Israelites choosing to follow God, but asks God to make the Israelites his people anyway, even though they have done their best not to follow God. Moses is asking if the Israelites can have their cake and eat it.

The people who God was rightly going to destroy get all their needs taken care of by God. As they travel around the desert for forty years they are with God. Even though they have only tents, they are the most blessed people on the earth. They have been given a relationship with God even though they should have been destroyed.

How great, then, is God’s mercy? He gives what is not deserved. He heals what is sick. He mends what is broken broken. But why? Why should the Israelites be let off? Why shouldn’t God destroy them and start a new people with Moses? How is it fair? It doesn’t seem to make much sense.

In the same way, we are sinners. We have rejected God. We have worshipped things that are not God. We have been ambitious, and tried to do things without God. We have built golden calves. We are corrupt. Our society has turned away from God. Don’t we also deserve death? Why doesn’t God kill each of us and end our immoral society?

It is true that we are utterly without hope. I myself can do nothing to save myself from my sin. I am ambitious for things that are not good for me. I sacrifice what I need for what is useless for me. I obstruct and frustrate those who try and help me. I make people regret giving me a second, third or fourth chance.

Moses’ arrogant appeal isn’t that good – his argument is flawed in so many ways. But God loved Moses and the Israelites, and he loves you and me. Just as through the whole bible, Old and New Testament, the Israelites are given so many opportunities to turn back to God, we are also given so many opportunities to come back into his waiting arms. Although our parents and friends may forgive us much, after repeated misbehaviour they do eventually become exasperated. God, however, does not give up on us. His love will never run out.

Our society is corrupt and unjust. Our churches are divided and often unholy. Many families seem to be without love, and both children and adults are abused. But God is good and his love is without end. We can turn to God and follow him, and he will make us a great people, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, God’s treasured possession. We can be like Moses. We can argue with God for our society, our churches and our families. We need God’s mercy and love.

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By Zeth

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