LIFE SCRIPTS

1 The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. 3 No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.” 4 So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
Exodus 34:1‭-‬7 NIV

https://bible.com/bible/111/exo.34.1-7.NIV.

God’s instructions to Moses were clear. The original tablets had been shattered when he had encountered the Israelites engaging in idolatry. Now the Lord instructed him to show up alone. Not even herdsmen were to be seen in the fields around. God is a God of order. But the Lord also made some proclamation when He descended on to the mountain to meet with Moses. Compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, faithful, forgiving…He made mention attributes that I would see as primary to Him. A God Who loves, a God Who forgives, a God Who is faithful. Our God does great and wondrous things showing us love in an unlimited way. To thousands of us. But God’s grace is not something to be trampled upon. He also punishes those who abound in sin. He is a God of justice. He metes His punishment up to the third and fourth generation. In other words, our sin will affect our children and their children and their children’s children to say the least. Sin always leaves a bitter after taste…consequences. It destroys lives and wrecks havoc on people’s spaces. If we continue wantonly in sin, God’s punishment is sure and thorough. But if we confess our sins and seek His forgiveness, He’ll cleanse us from all unrighteousness because He’s a gracious God.