God holds very little back, only telling Moses that he "cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." Even this is an act of unconditional and full grace in that God has withheld from Moses what would destroy him. He then makes a statement that is connected with grace throughout Scripture, one that Paul will quote in the context of election in Romans 9: "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." This is a remarkable example of the unconditional and full character of the grace of God. He promised to "cause all my goodness to pass in front of you" and that he will proclaim his name "Yahweh" in Moses' presence. Moses then makes one of the most remarkable requests of God ever made in Scripture, asking God to "show me your glory." Just as remarkable is that God answers his request positively. God promises to go with him in the next verse because "I am pleased with you and I know you by name" (v. But he asks the reasonable question, "How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us?" (v. Moses demonstrates his humble dependence upon the grace of God by affirming that if God's Presence does not go up with them, he does not want to be sent, because he knows they will fail (v. 3), and that he has found favor with God he requests that God teach him his ways, so that he may "know you and continue to find favor with you" (v. Moses has just stated that he knows God's name (another echo of chap. Here, the Lord promises only that his "Presence" will go with Moses, and that he will give him rest (v. The statement echoes the original conversation between Moses and God at the burning bush in chapter 3, where God promises to send Aaron with Moses to help him get the people out of Egypt. Moses begins by reminding God that he has called Moses to lead these people, but that God has not let him know whom he will send with Moses. The Lord speaks to Moses "face to face, s a man speaks with his friend." In the passage, the conversation between Moses and the Lord has to do specifically with the favor that God shows to Moses, and Moses requests that God demonstrate that favor toward him. There, in the space of six verses, Moses is said to have found favor with God five times, hen being translated either "find favor" or "be pleased with." At the beginning of the chapter, Moses goes into the tent of meeting, while the pillar of cloud stands at the entrance to the tent, and the people of Israel stay outside, worshiping (v. Interestingly, the rest of the references to favor in Genesis all describe favor in the eyes of man (e.g., Jacob begging Esau's favor, 32:5 Genesis 33:8 Genesis 33:10 Genesis 33:15 ).Ĭrucial among the Old Testament passages on the unmerited favor of God is the conversation between Moses and God recorded in Exodus 33. Hence, concepts of election, salvation, mercy, and forgiveness are all linked in this first illustration of grace in the Old Testament. The themes of judgment and salvation, in which the vast majority of humankind are condemned to destruction, while God finds favor on a few (Noah and his family), reoccurs often in connection with the idea of grace. Noah is then described as having found favor in the eyes of the Lord. This statement about the Lord's antipathy toward man is followed by his promise that he will wipe humankind from the face of the earth, that is, completely destroy him, because of his anger at their condition. Noah finds "favor in the eyes of the Lord." The context is that the Lord was grieved at "how great man's wickedness on the earth had become" ( Gen 6:5 ). The term occurs most often in the phrase favor "in your (i.e., God's) sight" or "in the eyes of the Lord." This assumes the notion of God as a watchful master or king, with the one who is finding favor, a servant, an employee, or perhaps a soldier. There are examples of man's favor to man, but the theological concept of importance to us is the grace of God demonstrated toward man. The word hen occurs around sixty times in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, the term that most often is translated "grace, " is hen in the New Testament, it is charis. An accurate, common definition describes grace as the unmerited favor of God toward man. The word "grace" in biblical parlance can, like forgiveness, repentance, regeneration, and salvation, mean something as broad as describing the whole of God's activity toward man or as narrow as describing one segment of that activity. Bible Dictionaries - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Grace Grace
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |