Exodus 34:6–8 (NLT) - 6 The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. 7 I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected- even children in the third and fourth generations.” 8 Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped.

We have discovered the nature of God

• Put it up big on the screen
  • Yahweh - He will always be what He’s always been
  • Deity of Compassion
  • Deity of Grace
  • Deity of Patience
  • Deity of Loyal Love
  • Deity of Faithfulness and Truth
• Comment on the The 13 attributes of Mercy

Continue the verse out

• I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected- even children in the third and fourth generations.”  Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped

Four things from this passage

1. He LAVISHES love to a thousand generations.
   1. He protects, guards, ensures Hesed Love for a thousand generations.
   2. A generation is thought to be on average 25 years so this is 25,000 years of descendants. 
   3. God is a generational God
      1. The Bible is full of God choosing and using generations
         1. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
         2. Aaron’s priestly lineage
         3. David’s kingly line
         4. The gospels start off with genealogies
      2. God moves through families
         1. Jesus called Peter and Andrew
         2. Jesus called James and John
         3. Jesus’ first cousin was John the Baptist
      3. God saves people through families
         1. Noah’s whole household
         2. Rahab’s whole household
   4. You never know how God is visiting his Hesed on you from previous generations. 
   5. You are one step away from impacting generations after you! 
2. He FORGIVES iniquity, rebellion, and sin.
   1. He carries it away.
   2. We serve a forgiving God, not a vindictive one.
      1. This is why He expects us to forgive. 
   3. INIQUITY - The twistedness of your nature and the twistedness of your behavior. - The twisted tree. 
   4. REBELLION - Premeditated and rebellious sin we commit - The kid that sneaks something intentionally
   5. SIN - The accidental shortcomings - The archer that misses the mark. 
   6. Psalm 51:2–3 (NLT) - 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.
   7. Isaiah 53:5 (NLT) - 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
3. He does not EXCUSE the guilty.
   1. This speaks of His justice.
   2. We can all be THANKFUL that He is a just God
   3. It’s a GREAT THING that he will not excuse the guilty
   4. It’s also a SCARY THING because we are all guilty of sin
   5. He is keeping perfect books - Like the IRS
   6. He will forgive, but not excuse
      1. David was forgiven but the consequences were tough
      2. Israel was forgiven for not believing, but they were not allowed to enter the land. 
4. He VISITS the sins generationally.
   1. Tricky part of scripture
   2. Layer 1 - God is clear that he doesn’t judge people for their parents sin
      1. Deuteronomy 24:16 (NLT) - 16 “Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes.
      2. Ezekiel 18:19–22 (NLT) - 19 “ ‘What?’ you ask. ‘Doesn’t the child pay for the parent’s sins?’ No! For if the child does what is just and right and keeps my decrees, that child will surely live. 20 The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness. 21 But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. 22 All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done.
   3. Layer 2 - Although sins are individually assessed, they impact generations
      1. If you grew up in a drunk home, you felt the pain of that drunkenness
      2. You may battle it as well because you were so familiar to it
      1. We see this in how the children of Israel were made to walk 40 years in the wilderness
   4. Layer 3 - Just because He judges one generation for a sin, doesn’t mean that the next can do the same thing without judgment
      1. He will inspect to see if there has been change. 
      2. He VISITS; INSPECTS
   5. Layer 4 - Notice the drastic difference between 3 generations and 1000’s of generations
5. The response - Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped.
   1. Out of gratitude
   2. Out of awe

Conclusion

• Let’s reflect on the mercy of God 
• Let’s thank him that he is a God of generations
• Let’s worship and stand in awe