Exodus 34:7: “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”
How do we reconcile this statement by God concerning His judgment upon the offspring of fathers to the third and fourth generation? God has just stated in the same context that He is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Why is this beautiful picture distorted by His judgment upon the the children’s children?
I believe the answer lies in two choices each man has to make:
1. It is man’s responsibility to avail himself of God’s great goodness and grace. Man must choose to repent of his sinful ways in order to discover God’s abundant forgiveness.
2. If a man refuses to repent and genuinely seek God’s gracious forgiveness, he remains uncovered in his sin. But more seriously, if he remains in his sin, hardness of heart, and prideful state, it passes on to his children. This also happens as a direct result of his failure to train them to fear the Lord. How will they know the truth which is able to set them free if the father does not instruct them concerning truth?
Isaiah 38:19: “The father to the children shall make known thy truth.”
To be continued:
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
What is the testimony of our God? “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (Exodus 34:7).
James 2:13 (ESV) states: “Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
God wants the whole world to not only know Him for the greatness of His power, but rather for the greatness of all His goodness.
"If family worship is established in a home, it will be found that the following results will be apparent in that home. The father and the mother will be truer to Christ, for it will be quite impossible to pray in the presence of one's children and then to live inconsistent lives.
“Our daily devotions are the most needful of our daily works, and the most pleasant of our daily comforts. Prayer time must be kept up as duly as mealtime.”
“If the incense of prayer is to glow all day, it has to be renewed and kindled daily. The modern talk about being independent of times and seasons, so not needing definite periods of worship, is worse than rubbish. No man will have reverence diffused through his life, unless he has a consecrated reservoir of worship in the background of his life.”
The following are the qualities of a man who would lead the church of God. However, they should also be the qualities of all men, especially husbands and fathers. Each one of us have our own little church, our family. God shows us the way to lead our families. Let’s check list our lives against God’s Word:
God reveals His glory in the fact that He is abundant in truth (Exodus 324:6). God is full of truth and He never holds it back from those who really want it.
God’s abundant goodness is His glory that He revealed to Moses, but also to us. (Exodus 34:6). God’s goodness toward us is lavish. God does not give sparingly, but exceedingly and generously.
God’s glory is revealed in His longsuffering (Exodus 34:6).
God’s glory is revealed in His graciousness (Exodus 34:6). The Hebrew word “gracious” means “to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior, to favor, to bestow.”
How do you arrive home to your family? Like a wet blanket with a frown and a gruff voice? Or do you bring joy and happiness to your family the moment you arrive home? Come home with surprises. Come in with an encouraging word and a smile for everyone. What a difference you can make to your wife who has been home with the children all day! Let your wife and children anticipate your homecoming with joy and excitement.
Exodus 34:6: “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.”
Men, even though God answered Moses’ request to show him His glory, he was only allowed to see God’s back parts for God said, “There shall no man see me, and live” (Exodus 33:20). The actual seeing of God’s rear or back parts would have been very special to Moses. However, I am sure that when God proclaimed who He was in the essence of His character that this would have meant far more to Moses than anything else.
Today we begin a new series, THE GLORY OF GOD’S NAME
Men, today we must continue to pray earnestly for the voters in the states of Hawaii, Idaho, Michigan, and Mississippi. Pray earnestly as people vote in each of these states that God, in His great mercy, will give Ted Cruz great favor. He is the most conservative, God-fearing, Bible-loving, constitution-upholding, and uncompromising candidate. This country desperately needs someone like this at this time.
Proverbs 10:19: “In the multitude of words there wanted not sin: but he that refrains his lips is wise.”
Isaiah 28:5, 6 says: “In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people, And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.”
Today is Super Tuesday, the biggest day of the 2016 presidential primary season. Voters in 13 states will determine the fate of our nation today: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming, and American Samoa.