Exodus 34 and Christmas

34:5, Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.

The Lord came down and His name was declared.  Sounds like Christmas!

Luke 2:9-11, And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

34:6 -7, And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

What a God!  God is full of mercy and grace.  God is patient, good and truth.  God forgives and is just!  God is aware, engaged and dealing!  What a God!

34:8, So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. 

Such should be our response – it was that of the shepherds.

Luke 2:15-17, The shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.  Now when they had seen Him,  they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

34:9, Then he [Moses] said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”

Each and every person should agree with these words from Moses asking God for forgiveness and His acceptance.  Have you??

34:10, And He [God] said: “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord.

God brings contrite and repentant people into a covenant relationship with Him and thus He becomes their protector, provider, leader and friend.  The world will note a life changed by God through salvation.

34:10, For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.

Such is the salvation of God – AWESOME!

Such is the story of God’s taking on flesh – humanity – in order to die for sinners in order to adopt them into His family when they embrace Him by faith.  AWESOME!

Christmas is a key piece in this doing of God, thus making Christmas – AWESOME!