Series Big Idea: "God’s patience is vast and purposeful, but His justice will not be delayed forever"

Sermon Big Idea: "God’s patience is an expression of His mercy, but it is not without limits"

Key Scripture (Exodus 34:1-9)

We live in a world that often pushes the limits of God’s patience. This causes people to misunderstand who God is. There are those who hold to the belief that God is limitless in His tolerance of sin. Yet there are others who see Him as a tyrannical judge who is always ready to punish. The Bible tells us that God is both merciful and just. A picture of this can be found in Exodus 34, where the Israelites after worshipping a golden calf, stood at the edge of destruction but God showed patience and mercy. We are also reminded that His patience has a purpose and a limit.

Let’s consider God’s awesome patience with Israel in the aftermath of their rebellion with the golden calf. As we wind our way though this passage, I want you to see several lessons we can learn from the Israelites concerning God’s patience.

(Exodus 34:1-9)

The Lord said to Moses, “Cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be prepared by morning. Come up Mount Sinai in the morning and stand before Me on the mountaintop. 3 No one may go up with you; in fact, no one must be seen anywhere on the mountain. Even the flocks and herds are not to graze in front of that mountain.” 4 Moses cut two stone tablets like the first ones. He got up early in the morning, and taking the two stone tablets in his hand, he climbed Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had commanded him. 5 The Lord came down in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed His name Yahweh. 6 Then the Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: Yahweh—Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth, 7 maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ wrongdoing on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation. 8 Moses immediately bowed down to the ground and worshiped. 9 Then he said, “My Lord, if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, my Lord, please go with us. Even though this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wrongdoing and sin, and accept us as Your own possession.”

God’s Patience is an Invitation to Repentance (v. 1-3)

After Israel committed the great sin of idolatry with the golden calf event (Exodus 32), God does not reject them. What does He do instead? He invites Moses back to the Mountian to restore the covenant He had already made with them after Moses interceded for them (Exodus 32:11;30). This is God’s patience (Exodus 32:14).

It is the instructions that God gives to Moses that highlight His patience and His holiness (v. 3). No one is allowed to be seen anywhere on the mountian Moses was to climb. The people were to respect God’s boundaries. His patience was not a license to stay in their sin. God’s patience is remarkable, but it is important to know that it is not without limits. His grace extends an invitation and ignoring that invitation would have consequences.

God’s Justice and Holiness Demand Accountability (vv. 6-7)

God describes Himself in these verses as “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger.” He gives people room to repent, but something else He says here is that He “will not leave the guilty unpunished.” So we see that God’s grace and patience go hand in hand with His justice. People who stay in persistent sin without repenting will eventually face judgment.

Some examples of God’s justice after patience in Scripture are the Flood (Genesis 6:3). God gave the people 120 years to repent before bringing the flood. Another is Israel in the wilderness (Numbers 14), where God was patient with their rebellion, but His patience ended when they refused to enter the Promised Land, and an entire generation faced His judgment. Yes, God’s patience is astounding, but when we resist His invitation to repent, His justice comes into play. So, how should we respond to God?

Our Response to God’s Patience and Justice is Worship (vv. 8-9)

When Moses saw both God’s mercy and justice, his immediate response is worship. What did he do? He humbled himself before God, recognizing God’s holiness and grace. Just as Moses we too must respond to God’s patience with humility, not presumption. Moses interceded for the people and asked God to go with them despite their sin.

Conclusion

Praise the Lord, God is patient! But as we have seen, His patience has a purpose. His patience is not to be taken for granted but is designed to lead us to repentance. The truth is that if we stay in our rebellion, His justice will follow. The Apostle Paul tells us in (Romans 2:4-5) that God’s kindness and His patience are meant to turn our hearts to Him. He goes on to say that if we resist, we are storing up wrath for ourselves.

My challenge to us today is how will we respond to God’s patience? How are we responding to His patience? Are we turning to Him in repentance and humility, or are we risking facing His justice? Praise be to God, His patience is great, but it will not last forever. Now is the time to seek mercy.

We should be worshiping God for His holiness and justice as well as His mercy and patience. My prayer for us is that we will live in this tension of knowing that while He is patient, He is also just. Let that lead us to true repentance and worship of God.

Pastor Beaver's thoughts and ideas are inspired by:

Holman Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version Bible

King James Version Bible

Christian Standard Bible

Barton, Bruce et al. Life Application New Testament Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001. Print.

Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985. Print.

MacArthur, John F., Jr. The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006. Print.

Smith, Jerome H. The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: The Most Complete Listing of Cross References Available Anywhere- Every Verse, Every Theme, Every Important Word. Nashville TN: Thomas Nelson, 1992. Print.

Robertson, A.T. Word Pictures in the New Testament. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933. Print.

Vincent, Marvin Richardson. Word Studies in the New Testament. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887. Print.

Richards, Lawrence O. The Bible Reader’s Companion. electronic ed. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1991. Print.

Zuber, Kevin D. Exodus.The Moody Bible Commentary, edited by Michael A. Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham, Moody Publishers, 2014, p. 171.

Enns, Peter. Exodus. Zondervan, 2000, p. 568.

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