The Awesomeness of God and the Impact of our Actions

Exodus 34:5-7

5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

In this passage God's presence is made know to Moses. Moses has re-chiseled two stones with the Ten Commandments that God have him on Mount Sinai. He had to do this because he broke the stones that God had inscribed by His own finger when he saw how the people of Israel had forsaken the LORD by bowing down in worship to a golden calf that his brother, Aaron, had made.

The LORD presents Himself to Moses describing who He is and what characterizes Him. He is compassionate. he is gracious. He is slow to anger. He abounds in love and faithfulness. He maintains love to thousands. He forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin. However, He does not leave the guilty unpunished. He punishes generations for the sins of their parents.

If God is so good, loving and forgiving, how can He also be a God who punishes even the innocent who follow their sinful parents? Galatians 6:7 says "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."

God, since Adam, has given us a choice to obey Him or pursue our own desires. Since the first man, He has also shown us that we will reap what we sow. What I do matters. My actions have consequences, both good and bad. My life has a ripple effect that not only affects me, but those within my circle of influence. Those I influence influence others who in turn influence others. The impact of my actions reach beyond me and my lifespan to those who come after me for generations to come.

God is awesome! He offers a beautiful life to those who choose it, but He also punishes those who reject His way by allowing them to feel the impact of their own choices.

proverbs 19:3 says "A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord."

Our God is who He is: awesome in compassion, grace, patience, love and faithfulness. He is willing to forgive. However, He cannot tolerate rebellion. If I go against His will for my life, He will allow me to reap the results of my behavior. The impact has a ripple effect that not only affects me and those in my circle, but extends out to their circles, etc., and to generations to come. This is a principle of life that each of us must be aware of as we stand in the presence of an awesome God.