Next, God says that He is truth. Not just truthful, or knows all truth, but that He IS Truth. He is never a lie. We can depend on Him to always be exactly Who He is. Truth is an essential aspect of His Being, like goodness, longsuffering, mercy, and graciousness (as He defined Himself here). God could have defined Himself as just or wrathful (which He rightly is) but God here with Moses after the great idolatry of the golden calf, emphasizes these qualities that offset His justice and wrath by executing these upon Jesus instead of sinners. He cannot not punish sin with His justice. But, because of His mercy, grace, and love, He spent these upon His Son, Who alone could bear the infinite punishment for sin, which is infinitely abhorrent to God.
Next, God elaborates about Himself: keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. Interesting that He uses three word for our actions towards Him that require punishment. He goes on to say "by no means clearing the guilty".
So which is it, forgiving sin in all of its manifestations or not clearing the guilty? He both forgives and judges sin. So He may be speaking of those who trust Him by faith will be forgiven, but those who will not repent and put their faith in Him, He will not clear them of their guilt. Forgiveness is given to those who seek God's way for this forgiveness to come to them-through faith in Jesus, believing the Gospel, repentance and turning to God from rebellion against Him. He may be speaking to two different groups of people in how He deals with their sins.
He goes on to say that those He does not clear the guilt of their sin, He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children, their children's children to the 3rd a nd 4th generation. What does this mean. Surely, God would be merciful to children, grandchildren, etc. But perhaps He is speaking of such unrepentance of a father is replicating in succeeding generations without God's intervention
Next, God says that He is truth. Not just truthful, or knows all truth, but that He IS Truth. He is never a lie. We can depend on Him to always be exactly Who He is. Truth is an essential aspect of His Being, like goodness, longsuffering, mercy, and graciousness (as He defined Himself here). God could have defined Himself as just or wrathful (which He rightly is) but God here with Moses after the great idolatry of the golden calf, emphasizes these qualities that offset His justice and wrath by executing these upon Jesus instead of sinners. He cannot not punish sin with His justice. But, because of His mercy, grace, and love, He spent these upon His Son, Who alone could bear the infinite punishment for sin, which is infinitely abhorrent to God.
Next, God elaborates about Himself: keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. Interesting that He uses three word for our actions towards Him that require punishment. He goes on to say "by no means clearing the guilty".
So which is it, forgiving sin in all of its manifestations or not clearing the guilty? He both forgives and judges sin. So He may be speaking of those who trust Him by faith will be forgiven, but those who will not repent and put their faith in Him, He will not clear them of their guilt. Forgiveness is given to those who seek God's way for this forgiveness to come to them-through faith in Jesus, believing the Gospel, repentance and turning to God from rebellion against Him. He may be speaking to two different groups of people in how He deals with their sins.
He goes on to say that those He does not clear the guilt of their sin, He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children, their children's children to the 3rd a nd 4th generation. What does this mean. Surely, God would be merciful to children, grandchildren, etc. But perhaps He is speaking of such unrepentance of a father is replicating in succeeding generations without God's intervention
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