"...But who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation." (Exodus 34:7)
Like the burning bush that kicked off the whole thing, an unquenchable fire blazed within Moses. He wanted to see God. In unparalleled wisdom, he was certain no amount of personal success could slake his thirst. He would only be satisfied with God.
For his part, God was inclined to reveal himself to his man but knew a fallen species could not possibly handle the full and unfiltered blast of his glory. So God put Moses in the cleft of the rock and showed him the afterglow of his radiance while declaring himself to his man. The name is his nature, and his nature is his name.
And God's revelation to Moses was all beauty—he said, "“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" (Exodus 34:6-7a).
Then, with a thud, "But who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and fourth generation" (Exodus 34:7b). The modern reader stands perplexed. While we delight in the mercy and grace and love and faithfulness of God, we wonder how this last description can be anything but an embarrassing postscript—a final fine print to the contract, meant to be read at blazing speeds and quickly forgotten.
But this final portion about God dealing with guilt and generational iniquity is—just as is the case with his forgiveness, love, grace, and mercy—one of the heights of who he is. For this reason, he declared it to Moses. So how are we meant to view this solitary peak in the mountain range of God's nature?
A Rejection of Moses' Offer
First, within the context of the episode itself, this might be a rejection of a previous offer Moses had made. After the golden calf incident, Moses offered to be blotted out of God's book on behalf of the people (Exodus 32:32). God rejected Moses' offer then, and this is a further solidification of that rejection. Moses could not atone for the sin of the people because only the sinless Son of God could fulfill the law and die in place of others, bearing our guilt for us on his cross.
A Reality to Be Respected
Second, this is a reality to be respected. Sin must be addressed. God is just, so it is impossible for offenses to bang around the cosmos without eventual payment. Though God is forgiving and loving, his grace is not a sloppy dispensation of cheap or spineless love. No, sin must be dealt with, thus the cross.
A Necessary Part of God's Nature
Third, this is a necessary part of God's nature. God is prone to love, grace, forgiveness, and mercy. God is faithful to keep his covenant with us. But he is also the just God who cannot merely overlook sin. As Dane Ortland wrote:
"Without it, all that came before (God's mercy, grace, patience, love, and forgiveness) might be understood as mere leniency." — Dane Ortland, Gentle And Lowly: The Heart Of Christ For Sinners And Sufferers, pg. 149
A Contrast to God's Love
Fourth, this is a clear contrast to God's love. God says he visits sin on the children and the children's children. Three generations are impacted by sin, but when describing his love, forgiveness, and mercy, God says he keeps steadfast love for thousands. The idea is that God is prone to dispense grace to thousands of generations—far covering the generations visited because of their sin.
But is this how you have felt about God? Do you see him as bent and trending toward love, grace, and forgiveness—but holding to his nature while dealing with guilt? Have you seen his love as his delight and pleasure, while his disciplinary hand of judgment is his strange work (Isaiah 28:21)? Have you thought of his heart as prone to steadfast love? If not, you should for he is “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, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:6–7, ESV).
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