Does God Exist? Is God Loving or Judgmental? |  Bible Reading Plan for Seekers | January 16 

🌱 A Warm Welcome

Welcome to our 365-Day Journey to Discover God!

When you hear the word "God," what kind of picture comes to mind?

Perhaps you imagine a powerful being who created the universe. Maybe God seems distant, someone who has little to do with our everyday lives. Or perhaps you picture a strict judge, always watching what people do and waiting for them to make mistakes.

Our impressions of God can come from many places—movies, books, childhood experiences, or religious stories we've heard over the years.

But if we really want to understand the God described in the Bible, there's an important question we should ask: How does God describe Himself?

Today, we're going to read a remarkable passage from Exodus 34. In this chapter, God reveals His name to Moses and declares what He is like.

What's especially interesting is that God doesn't begin by describing how powerful He is. Instead, He speaks of His mercy, grace, patience, and abundant goodness.

Let's explore this passage together and consider how it compares with our own ideas about God.

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📖 Bible Background | What Is the Book of Exodus About?

Exodus is the second book of the Bible's Old Testament. It continues the story that began in Genesis.

Genesis introduces God as the Creator of heaven and earth and tells the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and their families. By the beginning of Exodus, the Israelites have been living in Egypt for many years, where they have become an oppressed people living under slavery.

According to the Bible, God sees their suffering and calls Moses to lead them out of Egypt.

The Israelites experience the Passover, cross the Red Sea, and eventually arrive at Mount Sinai. There, God establishes a covenant with them and gives them commandments to guide their lives.

But their relationship with God soon faces a serious test.

While Moses is on the mountain receiving God's commandments, the Israelites make a golden calf and begin worshiping it, treating it as the god who brought them out of Egypt.

This event, recorded in Exodus 32, represents a serious betrayal of their covenant with God.

That's why the setting of Exodus 34 is so important.

When God declares that He is merciful and gracious, He is not speaking to people who have done everything right. He is speaking in the aftermath of a serious failure.

This background helps us understand why today's passage is so significant.

🌿 A Look Back | From God's Power to His Character

Throughout our journey so far, we've been exploring how the Bible describes God.

Genesis introduces Him as the Creator of heaven and earth. Psalm 19 invites us to reflect on His glory through the beauty and wonder of creation. Psalm 139 describes a God who knows our thoughts, words, and everyday lives.

But knowing how powerful someone is doesn't necessarily tell us what kind of person they are.

Someone can have great power without being kind. Someone can know everything about us without being willing to understand or accept us.

So today, we move to another important question: How does the God of the Bible treat people who make mistakes? Does He have compassion? Is He willing to forgive?

Exodus 34 offers an important starting point for exploring these questions.

🔎 Today's Introduction | When Someone Makes a Mistake, Do They Deserve Forgiveness?

We all make mistakes.

Sometimes we say something hurtful in a moment of frustration. Sometimes we make a poor decision even when we know better.

Afterward, we may regret what happened and hope someone will forgive us.

But what if you're the person who was hurt?

You might wonder: Can everything really be made right with a simple apology? If someone causes serious harm and faces no consequences, where is the justice?

This reveals a tension between mercy and justice.

We hope to receive forgiveness when we make mistakes, yet we also want wrongs to be taken seriously when others hurt us.

So if God is perfectly just, can He also be merciful? And if He forgives people, does that mean He overlooks what they've done?

Today's passage doesn't ignore these questions.

God describes Himself as merciful, gracious, patient, and abundant in goodness. But in the same passage, He also declares that wrongdoing matters and that guilt cannot simply be dismissed.

Both mercy and justice are part of the Bible's description of God.

🎯 Today's Reflection Focus | Discovering God's Mercy, Grace, and Justice

1. God Is Merciful and Gracious — How Does He Respond to Human Weakness?

Exodus 34:6 describes God as:

"merciful and gracious"

These are among the first qualities God declares about Himself in this passage.

Mercy reminds us of someone who sees another person's pain, weakness, or need and responds with compassion rather than indifference.

Grace reminds us that kindness and help aren't always things we earn. Sometimes they're freely given, even when we haven't done anything to deserve them.

Think about the setting of today's passage. The Israelites have just broken their covenant with God. Their actions certainly haven't demonstrated that they deserve His favor.

Yet God still reveals Himself as merciful and gracious.

This introduces an important biblical idea: God's willingness to show compassion isn't based solely on how well people have behaved.

For someone exploring Christianity, this may be different from the idea that we must first become good enough before we can approach God.

2. God Is Patient — His Love Isn't Just a Passing Emotion

God also describes Himself in verse 6 as:

"longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth"

The word longsuffering may sound unfamiliar today. It means being patient and slow to anger.

We know how quickly human emotions can change.

When we're in a good mood, we may find it easier to forgive someone. But when we're stressed or exhausted, even a small mistake can make us lose patience.

The Bible describes God differently.

Being slow to anger doesn't mean God never becomes angry. It means He is patient rather than quick-tempered or impulsive.

The words "goodness and truth" also point to something more dependable than a temporary feeling. God's goodness is connected to His faithful and trustworthy character.

Verse 7 goes on to describe Him as showing mercy and forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.

These words describe different aspects of human wrongdoing—our failures, disobedience, and actions that go against what is right.

Together, they emphasize that even when people have done wrong, the God of the Bible is willing to show mercy and forgiveness.

3. God Is Also Just — Love Doesn't Mean Ignoring Wrongdoing

At this point, we might wonder: If God is so loving and forgiving, does that mean He simply excuses everything people do?

Verse 7 tells us that this isn't the case.

It says that God:

"will by no means clear the guilty"

This is an important part of the passage.

God's mercy and justice are not presented as opposites. The Bible describes Him as both compassionate and committed to what is right.

Genuine love doesn't mean ignoring harm or pretending that wrongdoing has no consequences.

Imagine someone who has been seriously hurt. If the person responsible is simply told that everything is fine, while the victim's suffering is ignored, we would probably struggle to call that justice.

In a similar way, the Bible describes a God who is willing to forgive but who also takes evil and its consequences seriously.

Verse 7 also speaks about the consequences of wrongdoing extending through generations. This is a difficult part of the passage, and it reminds us that human actions can have effects far beyond ourselves. It should not be taken to mean that every descendant is automatically personally guilty of an ancestor's sins.

But this raises an even deeper question.

If God is both merciful and just, how can He forgive people without overlooking their wrongdoing?

This question runs throughout the Bible and will become especially important later in our journey when we explore Jesus, salvation, and the meaning of the cross.

For now, it's enough to recognize that the God of the Bible describes Himself as both loving and just.

💭 Life Reflection | What If God Knows My Mistakes and Is Still Willing to Show Mercy?

Most of us want others to see the best in us.

We're usually happy to share our achievements, but less comfortable talking about our failures. We want people to remember the good things we've done, yet we may worry that our past mistakes will change how they see us.

Sometimes we even struggle to forgive ourselves.

If there really is an all-knowing God who understands our thoughts, words, and actions—including the mistakes we'd rather keep hidden—we might wonder: How would He see me?

Today's passage introduces another side of God's character.

God doesn't say that wrongdoing is unimportant or that our actions have no consequences. But He does describe Himself as merciful, gracious, patient, and abundant in goodness.

And remember when this declaration takes place: shortly after the Israelites have committed a serious act of disobedience.

In the Bible's account, God's mercy isn't reserved only for people who have never done anything wrong.

We may not yet understand how God's forgiveness and justice can work together. But today, we can begin with a simpler question:

If God really exists, could He be more merciful—and more deeply committed to justice—than I've ever imagined?

Perhaps you've had experiences that left you with a negative impression of God or religion. Maybe you've wondered whether your own mistakes make you unworthy of exploring faith.

Today's passage invites us to look beyond our assumptions and consider how the Bible says God describes Himself.

Discovering God isn't only about understanding His power. It's also about gradually learning what kind of God He is.

✍️ Questions & Small Action | Rethinking Mercy and Justice

Questions to Think About

1. Before reading today's passage, what was your impression of God? Did you picture Him as a strict judge, a loving God, or someone completely different? Why?

2. How do you feel when you read that God is merciful, gracious, and slow to anger? Does this challenge any assumptions you've had about Him?

3. Do you think forgiving someone means overlooking what they did? How might mercy and justice exist together?

Today's Small Action

Take a few minutes today to remember a time when someone showed you understanding, patience, or forgiveness.

Maybe you made a mistake, but someone gave you another chance. Perhaps you were going through a difficult time, and instead of criticizing you, someone offered kindness and support.

Think about why that experience mattered to you.

Then ask yourself:

"If God really is merciful and gracious, would I be willing to learn more about Him?"

You don't have to make a decision today. Simply notice your thoughts and feelings, and write them down if you'd like.