How Well Do We Know the LORD Our God?
I ask a not so trivial Bible trivia question – What OT passage about God is most frequently quoted by OT persons? Is it Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Perhaps it is the 1st commandment, -- ”You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3). Or is it the prophet Micah 6:8 – “What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your god.” If none of these it must be the greatest command, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Dt. 6:5).
All these passages declare truths we often quote. But in terms of my question, the answer is Exodus 34:6-7. After the sin of the Golden Calf, Moses has returned from Sinai with new tablets of the law. The LORD descended in a cloud and proclaimed his name: “The LORD, The LORD, a god merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty. . .” Moses prays the LORD to forgive Israel’s sin and He does. Later Israel rebels at the report of the spies refusing to go into the land. The LORD threatens to disinherit them. Moses prays again, “let the power of the LORD be great as you have promised.” Citing Ex 34:6-7 verbatim he asks forgiveness. What a bold move to implore God to act as he has said he will act. Several times the Psalmist cite this passage and pray God to act accordingly – Ps. 86:14-15; 145:8-9. Conversely, Jonah prays that God not act according to that promise. He declined his prophetic mission to preach to Nineveh and fled to Tarshish because he knew that “you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and relenting from disaster” (Jonah 4:2).
I know of no NT passage that cites Ex 34:6-7, but the voice from heaven in response to Jesus’ prayer, “Father, glorify your name” comes close (John 12:28-29). God’s answer is judgment against the ruler of this world and forgiveness and grace to those who believe in Jesus and the Father who sent him (12:44-49). Perhaps the closest parallel is Jesus’ proclamation of Good news in Luke 4:16-21. Like the believers in the OT, we today may trust and pray to God who proclaimed his name in Ex. 34:6-7.
--Tom Yoakum