FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
(Part 83)
A GOD OF MERCY
June 7, 2020
Today’s reading: Exodus 34:4-9
As we well know, God is a God of mercy. “The Lord, the Lord, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity” (v.6). Grace and mercy are two aspects of God that are two sides of the same coin. Grace is about God giving us the good that we do not deserve. Mercy is about God not extending to us the bad that we deserve.
But this does not mean we can sin with impunity. God is also about “forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin; yet not declaring the guilty guiltless, but bringing punishment” (v.7b). So there is another coin of which there are two sides to God, that of mercy and justice. With mercy, God forgives our sin; but if we persist in sin, then there is punishment. In fact, punishment is a manifestation of love and mercy, as it is intended to bring us out of our sin and turn back to God.
Finally, there is another matter. God is described as “continuing his love for a thousand generations, …. but bringing punishment for their parents’ wickedness on children and children’s children to the third and fourth generation!” (v.7a,c). So God is eternally loving and merciful. But does God punish children and future generations for the sins of parents? This same thing is said in various passages, such as Ex 20:5-6, Nm 14:18, Dt 5:9, Jer 32:18. On the other hand, it is also said that God does not punish people for the sins of others, such as we read in Dt 24:16, Ez 18:20, 2 Kgs 14:6.
So what is the truth? Of course God is not unjust as to punish children for the sins of their parents. The actual commandment of God states that He inflicts punishment on those who hate Him but shows love to those who love Him and keep His commandments (Ex 20:5-6). So one will only be punished if he hates God or disobeys God’s commands.
On the other hand, there indeed will be negative effects on next generations by wickedness of parents. First, the punishing effects of sin, though not the guilt, will be passed on. For example, if because of grave sin, God withholds His blessing and one sinks into poverty, his children will experience the dire effects of such poverty. Second, a wicked parent may bring his children into a life of wickedness as well. For example, a man who turns away from God or who might even grow to hate God, will teach his children the same things.
What we as parents do today will impact on our children and our children’s children. So knowing a gracious and merciful God who is also a God of justice, knowing that our actions today will have generational, and ultimately eternal, consequences, we should respond as Moses did. “Moses at once knelt and bowed down to the ground. Then he said, ‘If I find favor with you, Lord, please, Lord, come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and claim us as your own.’” (v.8-9).
