WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.000 So this series that we're looking at, meeting the Lord up close and personal. 2 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:16.000 When that word L O R D in capitals appears in the Scriptures, it's translating this word, Yahweh, the name of the Lord. 3 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:19.000 In a moment, I'm going to pray. 4 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:25.000 When I was younger, I was taught prayer is talking to God. 5 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:35.000 But I learned a few months ago someone said prayer is actually more specifically reply or responding to God. 6 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:38.000 God always initiates. 7 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:45.000 He speaks and he acts first and we simply respond. 8 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:51.000 But even more fundamental to what he says or what he does is who he is. 9 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:55.000 And we're going to explore that a little bit today. 10 00:00:55.000 --> 00:01:04.000 This is your first Hebrew word for today, and we're going to learn another five, so stay alert. 11 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:09.000 Now we're in week three of this series, meeting the Lord up close and personal. 12 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:22.000 You may remember some time ago, we looked at Adam and Eve in the garden, and we looked at the theme of the Lord, who is our Creator, and He gives us our purpose. 13 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:29.000 We breathe in his life, and then we live for his glory. 14 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:39.000 Talk 2. We looked at Abraham on the journey, and we got to see the Lord, who is generous in his promises. 15 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:42.000 Leave and believe, Trust and obey. 16 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:47.000 Worship the Lord, follow His way. 17 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:52.000 And now we get to meet Moses on the mountain. 18 00:01:52.000 --> 00:02:07.000 Now, this photo was taken by Linda and I. We visited the Sinai Peninsula and we walked up what is known as Jebel Musa, the Mountain of Moses. 19 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:13.000 It's thought to be the place where all of these stories actually occurred. 20 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:19.000 It's rough, it's remote, it's dry, it's rocky. 21 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:26.000 But this is the place that the Lord came down to meet with Moses. 22 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:31.000 And the scene that we've just read inspired me for this whole series. 23 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:41.000 Here is Moses meeting the Lord up close and personal and being transformed in the process. 24 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:46.000 Listen to what Exodus 34:29 says. 25 00:02:46.000 --> 00:03:00.000 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. 26 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:11.000 You see, time with this God visibly changes people, and that's still true today. 27 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:38.000 Can you imagine if each time we met or gathered with other believers, we saw faces radiant and souls at peace and hearts on fire, simply because we spent time with this Lord so regularly that it changed us. 28 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:49.000 Ordinary people like you and me, spending time with an extraordinary God and visibly changing as a result. 29 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:56.000 So let's pray. And then, with eager expectation, let's see what the Lord wants to show us today. 30 00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:00.000 Let's pray. 31 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:10.000 Our Father, we thank youk that we can gather, and we thank youk that yout like to reveal what yout Are like to Us. 32 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:31.000 We pray that through this story and these precious words and this encounter that Moses had with you, that by your spirit you would open our eyes and open our hearts that we might see you and that you would change us in exactly those areas that we most need this morning. 33 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:34.000 Amen. 34 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:37.000 Now, I'm not sure what your favourite musical is. 35 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:44.000 Perhaps Phantom of the Opera or Les Mis or Hamilton or High School Musical. 36 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:54.000 A well designed musical has a recurring melody that ends up integrating the whole story. 37 00:04:54.000 --> 00:05:03.000 And there's one particular verse in Exodus 34 that functions like this in the storyline of the Bible. 38 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:22.000 If the Bible was a musical, Exodus 34:6 would be that recurring melody and this verse and the words and the phrases in it, you will start seeing them popping up everywhere in the Scriptures. 39 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:29.000 This verse contains such good news, for it tells us what God is like. 40 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:53.000 It reveals the personality of Yahweh, the Lord. The Lord, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness and rebellion and sin. 41 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:58.000 This verse describes the great I am as he actually is. 42 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:04.000 In this verse we see his glory. 43 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:11.000 But imagine for a moment if these words were not true of the Creator of the world. 44 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:27.000 Imagine for a moment if he was a different personality, a God who was perhaps aloof and unkind, easily triggered, fickle and unpredictable. 45 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:34.000 Imagine if that sort of God was in charge of the universe. 46 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:37.000 So what is God actually like? 47 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:41.000 We'll explore this story through four headings. 48 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:45.000 We'll set the scene with the mood on the mountain. 49 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:49.000 We'll reflect on the name of the Lord. 50 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:58.000 We will look at the glory of Jesus, and then we'll explore some ways to respond. 51 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:01.000 So, first up, the mood on the mountain. 52 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:10.000 In Exodus 3, we hear the Lord speaking to Moses on this mountain, remote in the desert. 53 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:14.000 And Yahweh says, I have heard the cry of my people. 54 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:17.000 I've come down to rescue them. 55 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:23.000 And this will be a sign to you that I have done what I have promised. 56 00:07:23.000 --> 00:07:28.000 You will worship me on this mountain. 57 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:39.000 Now, in our story today, we find Moses again, six months later on that very same mountain. And a lot has happened in those six months. 58 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:47.000 A mighty act of the Lord has rescued the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. 59 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:51.000 They are now gathered at the base of this mountain. 60 00:07:51.000 --> 00:08:00.000 The Lord has given them the Ten Commandments, outlining to them how they're to live as his people. 61 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:07.000 Moses had already spent a first period of 40 days and nights on top of this mountain. 62 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:20.000 And during this time The Lord gave instructions about a special tent, a tabernacle, to be a symbol of God's presence amongst his people. 63 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:32.000 But while Moses was up there with the Lord, things were getting out of hand. At the base of the mountain, the people broke the first two commandments. 64 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:36.000 They rejected the Lord as their one true God. 65 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:42.000 And they began to worship an idol that they had made with their hands. 66 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:53.000 And they even bowed down to thank this golden calf for rescuing them from Egypt. 67 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:59.000 Now, this is an absolute slap in the face for Yahweh. 68 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:15.000 After everything that Yahweh had done in rescuing his people, in order to live amongst them and teach them the way of life, how quickly they go astray and turn away. 69 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:24.000 And at the start of chapter 34, the Lord commands Moses to climb to the top of the mountain again. 70 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:30.000 He will have a second period of 40 days and nights alone with the Lord. 71 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:34.000 The mood is ominous. 72 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:36.000 What will the Lord do? 73 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:39.000 How will he respond? 74 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:48.000 How does this particular God react when faced with that level of rebellion? 75 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:57.000 Now, Moses knew that Yahweh was in his rights to walk away and wash his hands of this people. 76 00:09:57.000 --> 00:10:04.000 The people had broken the agreement in such a defiant way. 77 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:10.000 So verses 5 and 6 come as genuinely good news. 78 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:20.000 The Lord came down in the cloud, and he stood there with Moses and proclaimed his name. The Lord. 79 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:36.000 He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming the Lord, the Lord, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness. 80 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:51.000 We hear this phrase again. The Lord came down, you might remember, at the Tower of Babel, the Lord came down to put a stop to the evil and to scatter the people at the burning bush. 81 00:10:51.000 --> 00:11:01.000 When Moses was called to it, the Lord came down in order to say, I will rescue my people. 82 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:15.000 And here at Mount Sinai, the Lord comes down again, this time to show his glory and to proclaim his name and to reveal what he is like at the core of his being. 83 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:26.000 So it's time to take a closer look at verse six, where we hear the Lord describing his personality in his own words. 84 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:34.000 He uses five Hebrew phrases to tell us what he is like at the core of his being. 85 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:41.000 So we're going to take a deep dive and learn some of these Hebrew words together. 86 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:51.000 The first one, rach um, have a go. Saying it needs to be said from the back of the throat. Rak um. 87 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:59.000 This Hebrew word, rak um is usually translated compassionate or deeply moved. 88 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:06.000 Rakum. And the words related to it are used 99 times in the Hebrew Bible. 89 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:14.000 And these words are based on the other word Rechem, which means womb. 90 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:21.000 This is a picture of the tender care of an infant when it is most vulnerable. 91 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:30.000 Rahum describes an intensely emotional womb like love. 92 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:38.000 Now, have you noticed how a mother is so deeply connected to the cry of her baby? 93 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:52.000 She has the capacity to ignore the cries of 99 other babies in the room and tune into the one for whom she has a womb like love. 94 00:12:52.000 --> 00:13:01.000 And this womb like love moves her to do whatever is necessary for the well being of her baby. 95 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:10.000 The love of a mother for her baby is one of the most intense and powerful expressions of human love. 96 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:22.000 But listen to how Isaiah uses this imagery to speak of how the Lord is even more rakoum than this. 97 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:25.000 Isaiah 49:15. 98 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:34.000 Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? 99 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:42.000 Though she may forget, I will not forget you. 100 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:46.000 Fathers can also have rakoum for their children. 101 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:58.000 Psalm 103, verse 13. As a father has compassion on his children, so Yahweh has compassion on all those who fear him. 102 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:03.000 This word rakoum is not just an emotion. 103 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:19.000 Yes, this person is deeply moved, but it's an emotion that becomes visible through action, most commonly acts of forgiveness or acts of deliverance for those in need. 104 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:30.000 Isaiah 49:13 Shout for joy, you heavens, burst into song, you mountains. For the Lord comforts his people. 105 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:37.000 He has compassion, rakum on his afflicted ones. 106 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:42.000 You see, Yahweh is not detached or impassive. 107 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:44.000 He is rakoum. 108 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:51.000 He is deeply moved by the cries and the suffering of his people. 109 00:14:51.000 --> 00:15:01.000 He is filled with a womb like love that moves him to rescue and save and heal and protect. 110 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:11.000 What a wonderful God. This is our second word, hanun. 111 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:24.000 Now, this word chanun is an adjective meaning gracious hanun, and the words related to it are used almost 200 times in the Hebrew Bible. 112 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:31.000 They're derived from the noun hence, which means favour or kindness. 113 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:42.000 Khanun is often used in a relational sense, where one person, usually of higher status, shows favour to another. 114 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:48.000 The favour is given generously and freely, without any sense of obligation. 115 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:54.000 And often it's given to those who deserve the opposite. 116 00:15:54.000 --> 00:16:07.000 Now, when we lived in South Sudan, we served there for five years as a family, and we experienced this idea when we would meet the Zolkabeer. 117 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:20.000 Now, zol kebir is Arabic for big man, the village chief, the governor, or simply the guy with the biggest gun. 118 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:34.000 Now, as a little person with no rights, you would go to the Zolkabeer and you would hope that he would show kindness and grant favour to your request. 119 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:42.000 If you met a Zoll kabir who was kind, you could use this Hebrew word to describe him. 120 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:48.000 This big man is hanun. 121 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:54.000 Now, because Yahweh is rakum, compassionate womb like compassion. 122 00:16:54.000 --> 00:17:00.000 He is also hanun, granting favour and kindness. 123 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:08.000 He gives freely and generously to the lowly and the vulnerable and the undeserving. 124 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:21.000 Now this is foundational for all of Yahweh's future interactions with humanity and it also motivates many of the prayers of the Psalms. 125 00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:26.000 As you read through them, you will see these words popping out again and again. 126 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:38.000 The psalmist cries out to the Lord for him to be hanun to him to them, knowing that Yahweh delights to be so. 127 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:42.000 Listen to Psalm 25:16. 128 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:49.000 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. 129 00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:55.000 Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish. 130 00:17:55.000 --> 00:18:02.000 What a wonderful invitation to come and pray to this Zolkabeer. 131 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:07.000 What a wonderful God he is. 132 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:11.000 Now we're skipping over to word number four. 133 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:15.000 We will come back to slow to anger in a moment. 134 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:17.000 Hesed. 135 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:21.000 This is a noun meaning loyal love. 136 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:41.000 It appears 245 times in the Hebrew Bible. These are commonly repeated words and this one always occurs in the context of a relationship of commitment, marriage, family, deep friendship. 137 00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:48.000 Now one of my friends engraved the word hesed in Hebrew onto his wedding ring. 138 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:55.000 He wanted to promise his hesed to his bride. 139 00:18:55.000 --> 00:19:09.000 Hesed refers to actions that demonstrate loyalty in the relationship, actions that preserve it, protect it, actions that make it flourish. 140 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:18.000 It's a posture of loyal, loving, steadfast commitment that promotes life and well being. 141 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:24.000 Now the Lord abounds in hesed towards us. 142 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:29.000 Listen to these verses. Psalm 118:1. 143 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:32.000 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. 144 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:37.000 His chesed endures forever. 145 00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:49.000 Psalm 103:11 for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his chesed for those who fear him. 146 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:57.000 And notice in Psalm 51:1 how all of these three ideas come together. 147 00:19:57.000 --> 00:20:06.000 Show me favour, show favour to me, O God, according to your unfailing love. 148 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:11.000 Hesed according to your great compassion. 149 00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:18.000 Rahum Blot out my transgressions. 150 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:26.000 Because Yahweh is like this, people like you and me can come to him. 151 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:32.000 What a wonderful God this is. 152 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:40.000 Emet A little bit easier for us to say. This is a noun meaning faithfulness or truth. 153 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:52.000 329 times in the Hebrew Bible Emet describes a personal quality of faithfulness and reliability. 154 00:20:52.000 --> 00:21:00.000 A person whose character is true one in whom you can put your trust. 155 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:08.000 And this is particularly true of Yahweh, because he abounds in Emetz. 156 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:11.000 Psalm 19:7. 157 00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:21.000 The words of Yahweh are trustworthy, and they make wise the simple. 158 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:25.000 Deuteronomy 32. 4. He is the rock. 159 00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:28.000 His work is perfect. 160 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:30.000 All his ways are just. 161 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:37.000 He is a God of faithfulness who does no wrong. 162 00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:42.000 Upright and just is he. 163 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:47.000 See, Yahweh is stable, trustworthy, reliable. 164 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:52.000 He does not change because he's abounding in Emma. 165 00:21:52.000 --> 00:22:06.000 All of these other attributes, his womb like compassion, his generous favour, his loyal love, all of these attributes are constant and enduring. 166 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:12.000 Listen to Lamentations 3. Right at the centre of this book. 167 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:22.000 Because of the Lord's great hesed, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 168 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:25.000 He is rakum. 169 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:27.000 They are new every morning. 170 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:32.000 Great is your Emet. 171 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:41.000 Whenever you come to the Lord, you can be confident he is who he is and he always will be. 172 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:45.000 What a wonderful God this is. 173 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:49.000 Now we've considered four attributes of the Lord. 174 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:54.000 It's now time to consider the one at the centre. 175 00:22:54.000 --> 00:23:00.000 This complex topic of anger as applied to Yahweh. 176 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:08.000 Remember the context of the story, the idolatry of the golden calf episode. 177 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:20.000 How does the Lord, with his particular personality, how does the Lord respond to sin and evil? 178 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:22.000 Now, are you ready for this one? 179 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:31.000 Erech Apayim, it means long of nostrils. 180 00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:36.000 Now you might think, what does this have to do with anger? 181 00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:39.000 And that's a good question. 182 00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:49.000 Now, in Hebrew, a common phrase for becoming angry was, his nose became hot. 183 00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:56.000 So if clay gets out for a duck in cricket, his nose becomes hot. 184 00:23:56.000 --> 00:24:03.000 Would that be right? Mo Several times. Never happened before. 185 00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:09.000 In some ways, this makes sense even to us as English speakers. 186 00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:15.000 We know an angry person often because they've got a flushed red face. 187 00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:25.000 And we have slang relating heat to anger. Steam was coming out of her ears. He reached the boiling point. 188 00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:34.000 So for a Hebrew to be long of nostrils, it was a way of expressing patience and long suffering. 189 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:39.000 Someone who is not easily angered. 190 00:24:39.000 --> 00:24:49.000 For a Hebrew to be long of nostrils was the opposite of having a short fuse. 191 00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:53.000 How reassuring is this? 192 00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:57.000 The Lord is not easily triggered. 193 00:24:57.000 --> 00:25:01.000 He never flies off the handle. 194 00:25:01.000 --> 00:25:04.000 He never blows his stack. 195 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:07.000 He is slow to anger. 196 00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:10.000 He is Erech Apayim. 197 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:16.000 He is the God who is long of nostrils. 198 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:19.000 Now, he's not indifferent to sin. 199 00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:25.000 When faced with evil, he will not turn a blind eye. 200 00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:32.000 He will intervene rightly, appropriately, justly. 201 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:36.000 His anger at sin is controlled. 202 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:38.000 It's measured. 203 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:41.000 It's proportionate. 204 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:49.000 Our default mode as humans is to be quick to anger and slow to love. 205 00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:53.000 But the Lord is not like us. 206 00:25:53.000 --> 00:26:02.000 His default is to be slow to anger and abound in love. 207 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:07.000 Now, in Exodus 34, we're given a numerical contrast. 208 00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:17.000 To help us understand this quality of the Lord, we're asked to compare a thousand with three or four. 209 00:26:17.000 --> 00:26:19.000 Look at verse seven. 210 00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:29.000 Yahweh maintains love to thousands of generations, forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. 211 00:26:29.000 --> 00:26:34.000 But he does not leave the guilty unpunished. 212 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:43.000 He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation. 213 00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:50.000 Now this verse may have raised a really troubling question for you. 214 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:58.000 Does Yahweh punish children and grandchildren for sins of previous generations? 215 00:26:58.000 --> 00:27:08.000 In Deuteronomy 5, this verse is told again, but with a really helpful clarifying phrase. 216 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:14.000 To the third and fourth generation of those who hate me. 217 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:24.000 The children and grandchildren in the third and fourth generation are continuing in the sinful ways of the ancestors. 218 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:30.000 The Lord does not judge wrongly or unjustly. 219 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:43.000 Let's get back to the comparison. Try visualising 3cm tall and 10,000cm tall. 220 00:27:43.000 --> 00:27:48.000 This big compared to 100 metres high. 221 00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:59.000 You see, the Lord overflows with grace and compassion and loyal love and faithfulness to a thousand generations. 222 00:27:59.000 --> 00:28:19.000 He judges sin and evil appropriately and proportionately, but he delights to forgive and heal and transform so that life and love and blessing would flow from now and into all eternity. 223 00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:25.000 Now, this was incredibly good news for Moses. 224 00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:34.000 Not even the blatant rebellion of the golden calf incident would be able to block the Lord's love for his people. 225 00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:39.000 Yahweh says Moses, this is who I am. 226 00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:50.000 This is what I am like compassionate and gracious. Rahum and Khanun overflowing with loyal love and faithfulness. 227 00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:57.000 Chesed and Amet, and therefore I am Erech Apayim. 228 00:28:57.000 --> 00:29:10.000 It's no wonder that Moses responded as he did. In verse eight, Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. 229 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:13.000 Do you feel like joining him? 230 00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:20.000 Do you feel like worshipping this unique and wonderful God? 231 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:28.000 It's no wonder that this verse became the recurring melody of the storyline of the Bible. 232 00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:35.000 You will see these phrases bouncing off the page again and again. 233 00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:49.000 But this melody, like a good musical, was also building to a climax, preparing us for the glory of the Lord Jesus. 234 00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:54.000 Where does this melody show up in the New Testament? 235 00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:59.000 One particular place is John 1, verse 14 to 18. 236 00:29:59.000 --> 00:30:17.000 You'll notice many links to this story. In Exodus, the apostle John writes, the word Jesus became flesh and made his dwelling amongst us, tabernacled amongst us. 237 00:30:17.000 --> 00:30:29.000 We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 238 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:33.000 The law was given through Moses. 239 00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:37.000 Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 240 00:30:37.000 --> 00:30:46.000 No one has ever seen God but the One and Only, who is himself God and is one with the Father. 241 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:52.000 He has come and made him known. 242 00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:56.000 The Lord came down and tabernacled amongst us. 243 00:30:56.000 --> 00:31:09.000 The disciples were able to see his glory fully revealed in the Lord Jesus and notice the words that are used to describe the character of Jesus. 244 00:31:09.000 --> 00:31:12.000 He is full of grace and truth. 245 00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:16.000 He abounds in them. 246 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:22.000 It's shorthand for these five Hebrew words that we've been exploring today. 247 00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:36.000 Later in Ephesians, we hear Paul singing from the same songshi as he described the work of Jesus in Ephesians 2:4 5. 248 00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:40.000 Because of his great love for us. 249 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:51.000 God, who is rich in grace and mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. 250 00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:58.000 It is by grace that you have been saved. 251 00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:02.000 So how should we respond? 252 00:32:02.000 --> 00:32:15.000 Or to put it another way, if Exodus 34:6 is the recurring melody line of the Bible, do you hear the music? 253 00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:19.000 Has it resonated with your heart? 254 00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:23.000 And are you singing along? 255 00:32:23.000 --> 00:32:26.000 Let me suggest two ways for us to respond. 256 00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:30.000 Firstly, worship the Lord. 257 00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:43.000 We could join with Moses and join with the disciples and simply worship the Lord with wonder and gratitude and joy. 258 00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:54.000 We can praise him that he is not aloof, unkind, easily triggered, fickle and unpredictable. 259 00:32:54.000 --> 00:33:07.000 We can praise him because he is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness. 260 00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:16.000 This week, begin each day with Yahweh in worship. 261 00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:21.000 Can I suggest Psalm 86 as a place to start? 262 00:33:21.000 --> 00:33:29.000 Read it seven days this week and let it do its thing. 263 00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:31.000 Read it, pray it. 264 00:33:31.000 --> 00:33:37.000 You might want to memorize Exodus 34:6 and take it to heart. 265 00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:45.000 Be amazed, be thankful, be full of joy that this is who God is. 266 00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:49.000 A second way to respond is to walk in his ways. 267 00:33:49.000 --> 00:33:58.000 The true evidence of worship is that we become like the one that we worship. 268 00:33:58.000 --> 00:34:03.000 Our sporting heroes tend to bring this out of us, don't they? 269 00:34:03.000 --> 00:34:12.000 A whole lot of Aussie kids watching the Winter Olympics and trying to emulate all these incredible athletes. 270 00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:16.000 We become like the ones that we worship. 271 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:27.000 Genesis 1 taught us that we've been made in God's image, something of his character. His glory is actually written on our hearts. 272 00:34:27.000 --> 00:34:44.000 And as saved people, he's doing a work of grace within us so that we will be changed, transformed into his image, so that we can walk in his good ways. 273 00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:49.000 So, some probing questions to reflect on. 274 00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:58.000 How would people describe your character? My character or your personality? 275 00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:05.000 Would they describe you as aloof and unkind? 276 00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:21.000 Or might they describe you as compassionate and gracious, one who shows favor and kindness to the poor, the helpless, the undeserving? 277 00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:26.000 Would they describe you as fickle and unpredictable? 278 00:35:26.000 --> 00:35:42.000 Or perhaps a person who honours their word, who is steadfast, reliable, trustworthy, who overflows with loyal love? 279 00:35:42.000 --> 00:35:48.000 Would they describe you as irritable, quick to anger? 280 00:35:48.000 --> 00:36:01.000 Or would they think of you as someone with long nostrils, someone who is patient, long suffering, persevering? 281 00:36:01.000 --> 00:36:12.000 Imagine if you are known as that type of person, a person who reflected God's personality. 282 00:36:12.000 --> 00:36:22.000 Imagine if you were known like that in your workplace, your soccer team, your family, your friendships. 283 00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:25.000 I want to finish with a story. 284 00:36:25.000 --> 00:36:31.000 You may have heard of Hudson Taylor, famous missionary to China. 285 00:36:31.000 --> 00:36:36.000 You may not have heard of William Burns. 286 00:36:36.000 --> 00:36:46.000 Both of them were missionaries to China, taking the gospel to the great interior, where the name of Jesus was not yet known. 287 00:36:46.000 --> 00:36:50.000 William Burns served there for 21 years. 288 00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:55.000 He lived simply, dressed like the locals. 289 00:36:55.000 --> 00:36:58.000 He learned eight languages. 290 00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:02.000 He shared the gospel with thousands. 291 00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:14.000 He walked with the Lord, it was said of him. Prayer was his life, an extension of who he was. 292 00:37:14.000 --> 00:37:23.000 Now. This was back in the day before Internet phones, even before radio, to hear about other places in the world. 293 00:37:23.000 --> 00:37:30.000 Travellers would arrange meetings and share stories about their travels. 294 00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:46.000 At one event in the uk, a return traveller from China was asked, sir, in all of your travels in China, have you come across a man called W.C. burns? 295 00:37:46.000 --> 00:37:56.000 And the traveler paused, looked at the crowd of 2,000 and said, all of China knows this man. 296 00:37:56.000 --> 00:38:01.000 He is the holiest man alive. 297 00:38:01.000 --> 00:38:06.000 Now, William Burns would be shocked at that description. 298 00:38:06.000 --> 00:38:18.000 In his mind, he was simply an ordinary man with a humble devotion to an extraordinary God. 299 00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:33.000 But walking so closely with the Lord, he became radiant and the people around him saw the glory of God. 300 00:38:33.000 --> 00:38:38.000 Now we are invited to do the same. 301 00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:45.000 We're invited to look to the Lord and worship the perfection that we see. 302 00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:54.000 As we worship him, we are slowly changed, to become like him, almost without us not even noticing. 303 00:38:54.000 --> 00:39:17.000 And then we will sense a growing compulsion from him, an impulse of the spirit to go and serve, to scatter and spread out so we can radiate the glory of the Lord for all the world to see. 304 00:39:17.000 --> 00:39:31.000 This is what we are called to, to worship the Lord and walk in his ways, to glow with his glory for all of our days. 305 00:39:31.000 --> 00:39:37.000 Now we'll close with a prayer, Psalm 86 will help us. 306 00:39:37.000 --> 00:39:46.000 The words come from that psalm. Let's pray. 307 00:39:46.000 --> 00:39:51.000 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord. 308 00:39:51.000 --> 00:39:55.000 No deeds can compare with yours. 309 00:39:55.000 --> 00:40:00.000 All the nations you have made will come and worship before you. 310 00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:04.000 They will bring glory to your name. 311 00:40:04.000 --> 00:40:08.000 For you are great and you do marvelous deeds. 312 00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:11.000 You alone are God. 313 00:40:11.000 --> 00:40:18.000 Teach us your way, Lord, that we may rely on your faithfulness. 314 00:40:18.000 --> 00:40:25.000 Give us undivided hearts that we may honour your name. 315 00:40:25.000 --> 00:40:29.000 We will praise you, Lord, with our whole hearts. 316 00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:33.000 We will glorify your name forever. 317 00:40:33.000 --> 00:40:37.000 For great is your chesed towards us. 318 00:40:37.000 --> 00:40:39.000 Amen.