God's Wonderful Name

 

In his book Anthony de Mello tells the story of an elephant and a rat.  ‘An elephant was enjoying a leisurely dip in a jungle pool when a rat came up to the pool and insisted that the elephant get out. “I won’t,” said the elephant. “I insist you get out this minute,” said the rat. “Why?” asked the elephant. “I shall tell you that only after you’re out of the pool,” replied the rat.

“Then I won’t get out,” said the elephant. Finally, curiosity got the best of the elephant and he lumbered out of the pool, stood dripping in front of the rat, and said, “Now then, why did you want me to get out of the pool?”  The rat replied, “to see if you were wearing my bathing suit.” An elephant will sooner fit into the bathing suit of a rat than God will fit into our limited notions of God.

When Moses asked to see God’s glory (Exod. 33:18-19), the Lord did not give him a vision of heaven (Rev.4), rather, he gave Moses propositional statements about His own attributes ;”the Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished” (Exod. 34:5-7).  God’s attributes are the specific ways his glory is made visible and understandable to people.

These attributes reappear in several other passages in the Bible. For example, the Psalmist says "but you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness" (Ps. 86:15). The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love"(Ps. 103:8). The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness” (Ps. 145:8-9). 

God is compassionate and gracious. Compassion is a deep, emotional response to the suffering of others, accompanied by a strong desire to help and alleviate their pain. In Psalm 103:8 , David cites Exodus 34:6 and then adds “Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust” (Ps. 103:13-14).

God is gracious, he extends his favor, forgiveness and blessings to people who do not deserve them. The people of God rebel against their own God. They make mistakes but Gods grace is still on them. God’s anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime (Ps.30:5). God is gracious; he gives us gifts and we have benefits being children of God we did not earn or deserve.

Rahab the harlot was a sinner unworthy of God’s favour. When the rest of her people were killed by Joshua’s army she and her family were spared (Joshua 6:21-25) because of hiding their spies. David committed grievous sins in his lifetime and yet he was loved and protected by God. Despite having many enemies (Ps.41) and fighting many battles (2 Sam 8), David “died at a good age , having enjoyed long life, wealth and honour” (1 Chron. 29:28). God will have mercy and compassion on whomever he decides (Exod. 33:19)

God is slow to anger; he is Longsuffering. He is self-controlled in the face of provocation. In Nehemiah 9 there is a detailed account of the Israelites journey through the wilderness. We read of how they became arrogant and stiff-necked. But, the forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love did not desert or abandon them in the wilderness. For forty years he sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing.

For many years he was patient with them and warned them by his spirit through the prophets; yet they would not listen. Therefore he handed them over to the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in his great mercies he did not make an end of them or forsake them. Psalm78:38 say, “he was merciful and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath”.

David said “God will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Ps. 103:8-10)..In Psalm 25:6-7 he pleads with God, “Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.”

In Jonah 3-4, the people of Nineveh were about to be destroyed. God sent Prophet Jonah to them with a warning.  They deeply repented and God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them. In his anger and disappointment Jonah quoted Joel 2:13. He already knew the character of God, that he was a “gracious and compassionate God , slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2)..

God told Moses that he is longsuffering. He did not say that he is never angry. Many times in the Bible God’s anger burned against His people, but it was when they repeatedly sinned and after many warnings.   In 2 Peter 3 we read  that “scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?

For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation...But the heavens and the earth … are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men…The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”(2 Peter 3:7-9).

God holds back his anger and gives sinners time to repent. Nothing is more wonderful than the patience of God when we consider the provocations which he continually receives. He delays the execution of justice; he waits to be gracious to us despite of our iniquities. We provoke him to anger every day of our lives. How different would be our lot had God dealt with us according to our iniquities!

God is abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Exod.34:7). Abounding is a beautiful phrase because God could have simply said loving and faithful which would have been wonderful. Abounding means it’s present in quantity far exceeding expectations!  God’s love and faithfulness are more than enough and there is always plenty of supply when required.

God’s love is great, higher than the heavens; his faithfulness reaches to the skies (Ps. 108:4). His faithfulness endures forever (Ps. 117). As far as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him. From everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him (Ps. 103:11,17). His faithfulness continues through all generations” (Ps. 119:90). He remains faithful forever (Ps. 146:6).

In one of the hymns of Israel (Psalm 136 ESV) the phrase his “steadfast love endures forever” is repeated twenty six times. It’s repeated in every verse. Dwelling on this simple but weighty truth for an extended period of time imprints it in the tablets of our hearts. God's steadfast love is a never-changing love; it never ceases (Lam.3:22); it endures forever” (Ps 106:1).

In Psalm 89 the psalmist says “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself... The heavens praise your wonders, Lord, your faithfulness too ...Your faithfulness surrounds you...

Love and faithfulness go before you...Blessed are those who have learnt to acclaim you...They rejoice in your name all day long. For you are their glory and strength (Ps 89:1-17) Then God says “I have found David my servant... My faithful love will be with him... I will maintain my love to him forever... I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness”( Ps 89: 20-37).

In Psalm 40 David says” I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly. Do not withhold your mercy from me. May your love and faithfulness always protect me for troubles without number surround me (vv.10-12). In Psalm 6:7 David prays “ May he (the king) be enthroned in God’s presence forever;  appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

God's faithfulness means that, everything he says is certain. He does not fail, forget, falter, change or disappoint. He does exactly what he says, every single time, no matter what the circumstances. If he has promised something, he will definitely do it without fail? In contrast to fickle humans whose faithfulness is transient and fleeting (Hosea 6:4), God's faithfulness is enduring, certain, everlasting.

In Genesis 48 Jacob blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my father’s Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully the God who has been my shepherd  all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm may he bless these boys (vv.10-16). Jacob had observed God’s faithfulness in his grandfather’s and father’s life. He had experienced it in his own life and he was confident God would faithfully take care of his son and grandsons.

In Samuel 17 Saul asked David why he thought he could slay Goliath, a giant and seasoned soldier.  The young boy replied with a story about God’s faithfulness. He recalled God’s faithfulness during his days as a shepherd and that faithfulness gave him courage to believe God would deliver once again. David simply extrapolated from the past to the future on the basis of God’s unchanging character.

 Our hope for the future depends on God’s truth and faithfulness. We hold unswervingly to the hope we profess because we are certain that he who promised is faithful (Heb. 10:23). We believe that our dead will live again (Isa. 26:19, 1Thess.4:13-18) because he has promised us. So when they die we do not grieve like the rest on mankind who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13-18). As we see our physical bodies losing beauty and strength due to sickness or age we know that a true and faithful God has promised us bodies with lasting beauty and perfection (1 Cor.15:12-58).

If God were not faithful, we would have no sure hope for the future, and would go down to death in desperate fear wondering if God will keep his promises. But we live in faith and die in hope precisely because our God is faithful and truthful. God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”(Num. 23:19). He keeps the truth forever (Ps. 146:6).   

God forgives “wickedness , rebellion  and sin  yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished (Exod 34:7)  God is willing to forgive every sin we have committed if we only turn to him in repentance and faith. He says “come now let us settle the matter, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow (Isa. 1:18). If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”( 1 John 1:9).

When David sinned with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11) he pleaded with God “have mercy on me, o God according to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion blot out my transgression. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin... wash me and I will be whiter than snow...my sacrifice, O God is a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart God will not despise” (Ps 51)

The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty (Num. 14:18). God declares Himself to be merciful and gracious, but also just in punishing the guilty. God in faithfulness abides by his promises, and executes every threat or warning he has made.” Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished (prov.11:12). God delights in justice (Ps.37:28, Jer. 61:8).

God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil (Ecc.12:14). For those going through suffering that is encouraging. Romans 12:19 “ do not take revenge , leave room for God’s wrath, for its written “it is mine to avenge , I will repay says the Lord” becomes easy to obey.  

For those living in wickedness the phrase “he by no means clear the guilty” is quite sobering because the fact that God has not taken action does not mean he will not; its just a matter of time. Time for repentance is running out, the opportunity to repent will close someday. In all ages God ever showed Himself a true God and faithful in all His promises. If a promise has been made by God, we have no more reason to doubt it.