The Compassion of God Found in the 10 Plagues by: Marsha Stephenson

Each month, our Northside women meet in small groups for prayer, fellowship, and to read and discuss a devotion written by our writers' group. This year we're studying the book of Exodus as we delve into the character of God. The following is from our May devotion:

  

 “Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble

yourself before me?’” Exodus 10:3 

 

    There were many beliefs and myths that surrounded the idea of Pharaoh, and most were

based on the concept that all Pharaohs were sons of gods. While we don’t know much about the

Pharaoh leading Egypt during the Israelites’ slavery, we can surmise that he was arrogant and defiant

which eventually leads to the destruction of his land and people.

    In contrast, we know God holds characteristics we can never fully duplicate or even understand.

In Exodus 7:4-5, God tells Moses, "...I will lay my hand upon Egypt and bring

my people the Israelites, company by company, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.

The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the

Israelites from among them.” (NRSV) While His judgment is for those against the Israelites, His

compassion is focused on His chosen people. But, as we’ll see, His compassion can also extend to the

Egyptians. All of this – the slavery, plagues, and release of the Israelites – is a fulfillment of God’s

covenantal promises with both Abram and Moses!

#1 Nile River to Blood (Ex 7:14-25)

After Aaron’s staff becomes a serpent that swallows up the serpent conjured by the magicians,

Pharaoh’s heart is hardened. Presumably, this is because he was unimpressed by God’s power. So,

God turned the Nile to blood - “its rivers, its canals, and its ponds, and all its pools of water...even in

vessels of wood and in vessels of stone” - but the magicians were able to duplicate it. There is a

distinct difference, though. The Tony Evans Bible Commentary says that “even if they were able to

mimic God’s miracle, they were unable to reverse it. The Egyptians thus had to dig for water while the

Nile ran polluted and stank for a week (Ex7:24).

So, where is compassion found? We see it in two ways: First, although they had to dig for it, the

Egyptians still had access to clean water. Second, since the Bible doesn’t say that the Israelites had to

dig for water, we can safely assume that their water was not affected by the blood.

#2 Frogs (Ex 8:1-15)

Pharaoh’s magicians manage to replicate this plague as well. But, again, though they can create, they

cannot dispose, and Pharaoh asks Moses to “pray to the LORD to take away the frogs from me and

my people...” God does so, but not by sending them back to the water. Instead, they die where they

are “in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. And they gathered them together in heaps, and the

land stank.” Eww.

Look for God’s compassion - the frogs are only found in Egypt, not affecting the Israelites, and He

does remove them, in His own way.

#3 Gnats (Ex 8:16-19)

This time compassion is again seen in God’s protection of the Israelites because only the Egyptians

are affected. The magicians are also forced to acknowledge, “This is the finger of God!” (v19). Their

recognition of their own failure leads others to be aware of God’s power even if Pharaoh ignores

their wisdom.

#4 Flies (Ex 8:20-32)

We aren’t told this, but some experts believe these could have been biting flies, making this the first

potentially afflicting plague. It’s also important to notice that the magicians aren't mentioned this

time.

Where is compassion here? Although only the Egyptians are affected again, this is the first time God

declares His compassion for the Israelites, saying that “on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen,

where My people live, so that no swarms of flies shall be there...Thus, I will make a distinction

between My people and your people” (v21-23). God’s compassion is found in His continued protection

of the Israelite people.

#5 Death of Livestock (Ex 9:1-7)

This is the first definitively afflicting plague killing all the Egyptians’ livestock.

God’s compassion: The obvious answer is His protection of His people’s livestock, but an easily

overlooked aspect is that He first gave warning - “The LORD set a time, saying, ‘Tomorrow the LORD

will do this thing in the land’” (vs 6). By announcing a specific time, He was both declaring His power

as being behind the plagues while also giving anyone who believed an opportunity to prepare.

#6 Boils (Ex 9:8-12)

Where can we see compassion? Once more, the Israelites are protected as God’s chosen people,

leaving only the Egyptians to be afflicted. In addition, although they are clearly in pain, the Bible does

not state that anyone died.

#7 Hail (Ex 9:13-35)

How can you say there’s compassion in death and destruction? Here is the harshest plague yet,

killing people as well as animals and crops, yet it also holds the most compassion.

According to verses 15 and 16, God could have easily killed Pharaoh just to have him out of the way,

but He didn’t. He could have caused all the Egyptians to drop dead, allowing the Israelites to simply

walk out of Egypt. But He didn’t. Why? Because God is merciful, offering Pharaoh opportunity after

opportunity to acknowledge His power.

Secondly, God again gives a warning in verses 18 and 19 of what is to come as well as when it will

happen. Verse 20 tells us that some of Pharaoh’s officials believed in God and “hurried their slaves

and livestock off to a secure place.” This means that even the Egyptians could be protected from

God’s wrath, but it was still only in Goshen where the Israelites lived that no hail fell.

Third, God keeps his promises. He told Moses where and when and He did just that. There was no

waiting and wondering, just fulfillment of His promises.

Last, all of the crops in the fields of the Egyptians were destroyed, but we’re specifically told in verses

31-32 that “the wheat and spelt were not ruined, for they are late in coming up.” God didn't leave the

Egyptians destitute.

#8 Locusts (Ex10:1-20)

In verse 3, God asks Pharaoh, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?” It reminds

me of Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Pharaoh’s

refusal to humble himself has already brought about the destruction of his country, economy, and

people.

Where is God’s compassion? When God asks Pharaoh why he refuses to humble himself, He is

telling Pharaoh exactly why all of this is happening. But it’s up to Pharaoh to change. God also gives

another warning of the coming destruction in verse 4. Once again, only the Egyptians are affected;

the Israelites are protected. Lastly, when Moses prays to God, He removes the locusts.

#9 Darkness (Ex 10:21-29)

God did not give a warning for this plague. It must have been terrifying especially considering their

“belief that the regular circling of Amun-Re, the sun god, meant his blessing on Egypt. Any

interruption in that cycle spelled disaster” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible).

Look for compassion. Even though there was no warning, the timing was set and after three days

there was light. (Yes, there are parallels with Jesus’ death and resurrection; no, we don’t have time.

😊) The Israelites did not experience this darkness as they were again protected by God.

Warning of the Final Plague (Ex 11:1-10)

Before God describes the final plague to Moses, He shares with him that His covenant with Abram in

Genesis 15 is about to be fulfilled. He tells him that after this last plague, Pharaoh will let them go,

and that they will come out with great possessions.

Find God’s compassion. The entirety of this section is a warning for all who hear, and He even

includes the time, “about midnight.” The horror coming is only directed toward the Egyptians -from

Pharaoh down to the female slave and livestock; once again, the Israelites will be shielded.

Aside from the specific glimpses of God’s compassion found within each plague, there are several

overall instances of compassion to recognize. First, God planned and held to it, to only have 10

plagues. Second, for many of the coming plagues, there is either a warning for the people of what it

will be or when it will occur. Third, because God offers the warning and/or time, His provision can

carry over to anyone who believes in or fears him. Fourth, we cannot finish without recognizing God’s

compassion toward Pharaoh to not kill him even in his stupidity. Do not fall under the belief that God

needed him or was simply using him. God could have easily found another way, but He didn’t.

The Rock-Solid Shadow by: Cindy Browning

 

I have a bird. Her name is Shirley, as in, “Shirley, goodness and mercy shall

Shirley

follow me all the days of my life.” She is fairly large, and black, and Kent and I glued her feet down on the top of the column under our front porch. Okay, she is made of resin, but I like to pretend she is real. I always like to see if guests notice her. She is an attention-getter. 

This spring, a wonderful thing happened to her. Two very small birds, House Finches, built their house right under her. They tediously flew back and forth with little bits and pieces of twigs to weave the sweetest little nest right in her shadow. I don’t know why they chose that spot. Perhaps they knew that Shirley would provide protection for their nest and for the eggs they soon would lay.

I looked forward to the day when I would see little baby bird heads sticking up out of that nest. In due time, sure enough, babies were born.

 One of the grandest sights was seeing Mama and Daddy Finch feeding the babies. Daddy stood right on top of Shirley, supervising as Mama dropped the tiniest bits of insects into those stretching and squawking mouths. Aren’t birds smart?

Watching Shirley and the finches reminded me of the beautiful promises given to us in the Book of Psalms.

Psalm 91:4

Like a bird protecting its young, God will cover you with his feathers; He
    will protect you under His great wings.

    His faithfulness will form a shield around you, a rock-solid wall to protect you.

 

Psalm 36:7

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

Needless to say, I have never seen God, but I don’t think that He is covered in feathers or has wings. I believe that the writer of this psalm is using familiar imagery for us to better understand God’s Holy Faithfulness.

Recently, Christie Hale (one of our Northside women) shared an incident that happened in her backyard. She and her family have some hens. A snake got under one of the hens as she was sitting on her eggs. She never moved. All that mattered to her was protecting what belonged to her.

When evil slithers about to devour us, surely goodness and mercy will surround us. We are not promised that evil will not show up. We are not promised that bad things are not going to happen to us. But those who belong to God are promised that He will shield us with His faithfulness. Why? To protect us. We may not know it or feel it. After all, those chicks inside the shells had no idea a snake was nearby. Mama did. God knows what threatens us too. Trust the covering of His impenetrable Shadow. It is rock-solid!

The Eternality of God by: Bethany Hawkins

Each month, our Northside women meet in small groups for prayer, fellowship, and to read and discuss a devotion written by our writers' group. This year we're studying the book of Exodus as we delve into the character of God. The following is from our April devotion:

Exodus 3:15 – God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: The Lord,
the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent
me to you. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.”

We in America do not have a long history. We will be celebrating our 250^th birthday on July 4, 2026, making us mere children among many of our fellow countries. The first White people to develop a settlement on our shores did so in 1607. For comparison, here are some of the things that happened in world history before 1607:

•          By 1607, King Henry VIII in England had been dead for over fifty years.
•          The Magna Carta, one of the bases of the U.S. Constitution, was signed in 1215.
•          Indigenous Peoples in what is currently New Mexico started building permanent structures in 800-900 AD.
•         Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD destroying the city of Pompeii.
•          Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC.
•          The Pyramids of Giza date back to 3200 BC.

Exodus, believed to be written between 1445 and 1405 BC, is a narrative history which details the story of the Israelites along with Genesis, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Moses is believed to be the author of all five books. The book not only documents the history of the Israelites but illustrates the eternality of God. The history of mankind is long, but the history of God is innumerable.

Eternality is not a word we use much in casual conversation. It means the state of being eternal. Synonyms include everlasting, lasting, permanent, enduring. There is no beginning in eternality. It means something had always been and always will be. God is the only thing in this world that is truly eternal.

In Exodus 3, when God calls Moses to lead His people out of Egypt, God reminds Moses of His covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3: "The Lord said to Abraham: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you in contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

God also made a covenant with Isaac: "There was another famine in the land in addition to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines and Gerar. The Lord appeared to him and said, 'Do not go down to Egypt. Live in the land that I tell you about; stay in this land as an alien, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm that oath that I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky. I will give your offspring all these lands, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because Abraham listened to me and kept my mandate, my commands, my statues, and my instructions.' So Isaac settled in Gerar." (Gen. 26:1-6)

God reminded Jacob of His covenant with his father and grandfather in Genesis 28:13-31. God speaks to Jacob in a dream. He says, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land on which you are lying. Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north, and the south. All the people around will be blessed through you and your offspring. Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you.”

In Exodus 3, God reminds Moses of these covenants three times. He is showing Moses His perspective is everlasting. He was I AM; He is I AM; He will always be I AM. God is also showing Moses his omnipotence by acknowledging these covenants made 400 years before were still not fulfilled. He wanted to use Moses to fulfill His promise of a sacred land for the Israelites. Moses ultimately would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land but did get a glimpse of the land that was part of the covenant with Abraham. (Deuteronomy 34) God reminded Moses that he was seeing part of the covenant with Abraham coming to fruition. God is faithful and true, but on His time, not ours.

Think about what you are waiting for God to do right now. Pray and thank Him for His faithfulness over the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. Thank him for the blessings He has given you before and will give to you in the future.

Grape-ful for Vacation Bible School by Cindy Browning

 “I just like to smile. Smiling’s my favorite.” Buddy the Elf

“I just like vacation Bible School. Vacation Bible School’s my favorite.” Cindy Browning

It’s true! I really like VBS! I always have. And guess what? I think that God does too! How do I know? Well, I know that He loves children.

My childhood summers always included VBS, sometimes more than one. As a teenager, I served as a helper. As an adult, a teacher. As a parent, I was the chauffeur for little attendees. Vacation Bible School has always been the highlight of my summers.

Years ago, the church I attended decided that the theme for that year’s VBS would be Bible Times. We emptied the fellowship hall to create what we imagined a little Judean village to look like 2,000 years ago. We set up a tent to serve as an ancient Judean bakery where snacks would be served. We set up another tent where we would pretend to sell pottery and wares. We had another tent space for the Bible lesson. We dressed in robes and sandals and head coverings. We had big plans to travel back in time the best we could.

About a month before we were to set up our little village, adult small groups were asked to donate various items. Our small group leader for the Young Marrieds class announced that they would provide the grapes for the wine press. A wading pool would be filled with grapes and the children would stomp on the grapes as one of their activities. Now, at that time, there must have been a grape shortage, because grapes were expensive. I couldn’t believe that a bunch of young adults with hardly two nickels to rub together would have been volunteered to buy a swimming pool full of grapes just to be stomped. So, I thought we could get local grocery stores to donate enough grapes that we would only have to buy a little--if any at all. I volunteered to go around town asking for donations. I didn’t have much luck. Each store only offered a little bunch of grapes that I was to pick up closer to VBS time. When the day came for me to collect what had been donated, my little bunches were not amounting to much. I maybe had enough to fill a bucket, but certainly not enough to fill a kiddie pool.  At the last stop, which was Albertson's, I went to the produce department and waited for the manager to come out so I could get the grapes he promised. When he came out, he said, “I had several boxes of grapes come in that I cannot sell. They're just too ripe, and I'm going to have to throw them away. You wouldn't want these, would you?” What?! Yes, yes, yes! I did want them. That was exactly what we needed--grapes that were just right for stomping. And for free! I took those boxes, filled up the pool, and kept the good grapes to serve as snacks. I know without a doubt that God provided those “stomping” grapes for us! He enjoys VBS too!

I could go on about how God has blessed Vacation Bible Schools throughout the years. If you want to see the widest smiles and hear the most joyful laughter, it is the place to be. If you want to hear earnest prayers and sincere praises, it is also the place to be. The sweetest singing can be heard throughout the church during that week. Jesus draws near to children and children are drawn to Him. Do you remember what happened after Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem a week before His crucifixion? Children could be heard praising Him in the Temple. And Jesus had a reminder for the adults:

Matthew 21:15-16 (CSB)

When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonders that he did and the children shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to him, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" Jesus replied, "Yes, have you never read: You have prepared praise from the mouths of infants and nursing babes?"

Before you know it, preparations will begin for next summer’s Northside VBS. Come Spring you will see a table set up promoting opportunities for you to participate in one of the best weeks on our church’s calendar. Don’t pass it by. Stop. Check it out. See where you might like to participate. Be “grape-ful” for the opportunity to serve.  If you decide to come and be a part, you might just say that Vacation Bible School’s your favorite too!  

*Pictures are from Northside Church VBS 2024

 

The Attributes of God: God Is Sovereign

     

Each month, our Northside women meet in small groups for prayer, fellowship, and to read and discuss a devotion written by our writers' group. This year we're studying the book of Exodus as we delve into the character of God. The following is from our March devotion:

"God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the Israelites, and God knew." (Ex. 2: 24-25, CSB)

    The book of Genesis ends with a reminder of God’s promise to the children of Abraham. Joseph reminds his brothers, “...God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Gen. 50: 24, NIV). Turn the page to the book of Exodus, and you see that things have not gone well for the Israelites. God allowed their numbers to flourish, but a paranoid Pharoah eventually takes the throne of Egypt. Viewing the Israelites’ numbers as a threat, he enslaves them out of fear that they will unite with Egypt’s enemies. How could God allow this to happen to His chosen people? Didn’t God tell them they were the people by whom “all the peoples on earth will be blessed?” (Gen. 12:3). For nearly 400 years, the Israelites were kept in bondage by the Egyptians. Why would a sovereign God allow His chosen people to languish in hardship? 

    God’s sovereignty means that He is the ruler of all things. He has power over all creation— as well as all of time — and works through human events according to His divine purpose. To believe in a God who is sovereign implies a belief in a God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present. For God to be sovereign means that there is nothing and no one greater than Him, and nothing and no one can interfere with His plans. Job 23:13 says, “But he [God] stands alone and who can oppose him?” The Psalmist sings, “But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations” (Ps. 33:11, NIV). Isaiah was told by God Himself, “The LORD Almighty has sworn, ‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will happen” (Is. 14:24, NIV). Scripture is clear: God is in control. So why, as we read the opening chapters of Exodus, does it look like God has lost control of the situation in Egypt?

    God’s timing is not our timing (Ex. 1:8-14). Humans are impatient by nature. We want our needs met now. We want out of difficulty now. We want our technology to work when we need it, and we expect our online orders to come when promised. Our modern, fast-paced culture may have made our impatience more pronounced, but impatience has always been a human failing. We need to be constantly reminded that God—the eternal God—takes a long view of things. He promised Eve that a Savior was coming to redeem mankind on the day she and Adam sinned in the Garden. He fulfilled that promise—and He fulfilled it at the perfect time—but it was thousands of years later. God promised Abraham a son and offspring as numerous as the stars in the sky, but Isaac was not born for another 25 years! Sometimes God uses this time of waiting to stretch and grow us and teach us to trust in Him. Other times it may be because He can see things that we can’t. Sometimes we don’t know why God makes us wait. We are finite beings, and we may never fully understand why the everlasting God chooses to do things the way that He does them. But just as God is sovereign, God is also good and loving and compassionate. Remember the first half of our theme verse for this year: “The LORD—the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love” (Ex. 34:6, NIV).

    God is at work even when we can’t see it (Ex. 2:1-10, 23-25). You can see God’s fingerprints all over the story of Moses. The coincidences are too many to ascribe to chance. He rescued Moses from death as an infant, reunited him with his mother, and even elevated his social position, but who would have guessed that this was God’s response to the cries of His people? Even though we may not see God working, it does not mean He isn’t at work.

    Your circumstances are not a surprise to God (Ex. 3:1-10). When God calls to Moses from the burning bush, he identifies himself as “the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Ex. 3:6, NIV). He is reminding Moses that He has not forgotten the covenant promises He has already made. Part of the promise God made to Abraham centuries ago included this warning: “Know this for certain: Your offspring will be resident aliens for four hundred years in a land that does not belong to them and will be enslaved and oppressed. However, I will judge the nation they serve, and afterward they will go out with many possessions” (Gen. 15:13-14). The enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt did not leave God scrambling for a Plan B. The children of Israel are still the children of the promise even while in bondage. 

     Sometimes, when we look at our lives and all we can see is a mess, God is in the middle of working out a beautiful story. The story of Moses and the Exodus echoes across Scripture. In the book of Acts, Stephen, in his gospel-filled speech to the Sanhedrin before he is stoned for the cause of Christ, holds up the story of Moses as a foreshadowing of Jesus. He quotes Moses’ prophecy from Deuteronomy 18:15 when he tells the Israelites, “God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.” Moses was a prophet who served as mediator between God and His people. He went into Egypt and rescued His people from bondage. Yet, the leadership of Moses was not always well received. Moses was imperfect and just as in need of a savior as the rest of us, but God’s sovereignty over the life of Moses pointed people to Jesus, Our One and Only Savior, thousands of years later.

    God’s Sovereignty in our lives does not excuse us from obedience. God chose Moses. From the very beginning, God knew Moses was the man who would lead His people out of bondage. He also knew each time Moses would succeed in his faith journey as well as all the times he would fail. Even before He called to Moses from out of the burning bush, God knew each objection Moses would make, his insecurities, and what he would need to complete the task set before him. God knew the story from beginning to end, but it was still Moses’ responsibility to move. It was still his choice to say “Yes.” It can be easy to fall into the trap of believing that because God is sovereign, the choices we make don’t matter. You may wonder if we even have the ability to make our own choices. Deuteronomy 30:19-20a says, “This day I [God] call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him.” In this verse, God gives choices and consequences. Just because God knows what choices you are going to make, it does not absolve you of responsibility in making those choices. This is where God’s sovereignty intersects with His eternality. He sees the whole timeline; and, on a personal level, He sees your whole timeline. He already knows when and how often you are going to fail. And He chooses to love you in spite of yourself. Even better than that, it’s God who makes the first move in relationship with us. He chose you first. Ephesians 1:4 tells us He chose us “before the foundation of the world.” Despite knowing everything about us, God still chooses to reach down and use flawed humans to participate in the story He is writing across eternity.

The End of Endings by: Alaina Mankin

 

I hate endings. When my husband and I were first married, I would often binge-watch a television series only to get to the last two episodes and take a break. Sometimes it would be a break we would never come back from. I left the story unfinished because I didn’t want it to end. Endings are just too sad.

     I understand that some things can’t begin unless something else ends. The end of high school makes way for the beginning of college and all the freedoms (and responsibilities) of adulthood. The end of a honeymoon marks the beginning of a marriage. But with some things, there isn’t an after. Sometimes things just end. Period.

I recently returned from my grandmother’s funeral. As we drove through Springfield, IL on our way to the funeral service, I was reminded of many “last times” that I hadn’t realized were “last times” in the moment. I remembered the last time my grandparents sat in their driveway while I caught fireflies and the last time my grandmother took me with her to a garage sale. I thought about our last conversation. If I’d known at the time that I wasn’t going to have another opportunity to talk with her, we would have talked about something else. Something deeper. Something more meaningful. I know many of you could tell a similar story. Everything ends. That’s part of what makes this world so sad.

But for those who trust in Jesus, the end isn’t The End. When Jesus was preparing his disciples for his own ending (the end of one thing, but the beginning of something new), he told them, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12: 24-25, NIV). For the Christian, death is an ending. But it’s also the beginning of something that has no ending. Jesus’ death and resurrection brought an end to many things: an end to the power of sin, an end to death’s victory and the separation between sinful man and a holy God. An end to endings. Like the seed he described to his disciples in John chapter 12, his death put down roots that have sprouted within the hearts of each one of us who chooses to put her trust in Him. Every sprout leads to many more seeds. An endless cycle.

My children came with me to my grandmother’s funeral. During the service, her pastor spoke of the ways my grandmother had served in their church, including her involvement in children’s ministry. As I listened, I remembered one summer, many years ago, when my grandmother shared the gospel with me. But what stuck out in the mind of my five-year old was when her pastor reminded us that “Heaven is not s place for good people, but for forgiven people.” My son asked me about that as we drove home, and I shared the gospel with him. The seed continues.    

The Attributes of God by: Alaina Mankin

Each month, our Northside women meet in small groups for prayer, fellowship, and to read and discuss a devotion written by our writers' group. This year we're studying the book of Exodus as we delve into the character of God. The following is an excerpt from our February devotion:

“The LORD passed in front of [Moses] and proclaimed: The LORD—the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation” (CSB). 

     God speaks these words to Moses during a time of restoration. In chapter 32 we read that Israel had rebelled against God. While God was establishing his covenant with Israel on the top of Mt. Sinai, the Israelites were at the base of the mountain, giving their worship to a golden calf. Over the course of the next two chapters, we read about Moses’ angry response as he by breaks the tablets on which were written God’s commandments, and then sends the Levites (the one tribe in Israel who responded to Moses’ call that “whoever is for the LORD, come to me”) to go from one end of the camp to the other “each killing his brother and friend and neighbor” (Ex. 32:27, NIV). God then sends a plague among the people as punishment for their sin and removes his presence from the Israelite camp. But even in the midst of sin and punishment and brokenness, God does not forget his people. A tent is set up away from the camp, and it is in this tent that God continues to meet with Moses. It is during this time that we read these unfathomable words: “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Ex. 33:11a, NIV). And it is during this time that God renews his covenant with his people and reminds Moses of who he is: He is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, loving, faithful, forgiving, and just. 

When we think about the attributes of God, we can divide them into two categories: communicable and incommunicable. Communicable attributes are things that are true about God, but they can also be true about us as we continue to grow in Christ. Attributes like love, mercy, righteousness, and goodness fall into this category. Incommunicable attributes are those things that are only true about God. God is all-seeing, all-knowing, eternal, sovereign. These are things finite beings can never be. Another of God’s incommunicable attributes is his immutability. God never changes. He is the same now as he was at the beginning of time. The same God who struck the Israelites with a plague at the base of Mt. Sinai is the same God who came to earth as a man and became the atoning sacrifice for our sin. James, the brother of Jesus, refers to God as “the father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17b, NIV).  The eighteenth Psalm asks and answers: “And who is a rock? Only our God” (Ps. 18:31, CSB) The writer of Hebrews proclaims, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8, CSB). Sometimes in our humanity we can forget that the same God we worship today is the same God who spoke the universe into existence, parted the Red Sea, brought down giants and empires, and calmed raging storms with a word. He’s still the same God. He hasn’t become disinterested. All of God’s attributes are still just as true of him today as they were then. 

Culturally, we can be guilty of elevating one of God’s attributes above the others. For example, the over-emphases of one phrase from 1 John 4:8 has left some with the impression that because “God is love,” they are free to live however they please; but they have forgotten that God is also holy, just, and wrathful toward sin. But to lean too far in the other direction also distorts the character of God. God doesn’t sit on his heavenly throne stewing in righteous anger and gleefully hurling down judgments. To understand who God is, we need to consider the complete picture of his character. We cannot pick and choose only the attributes that we like and discard those that we don’t. 

 Another important thing to remember is God's attributes do not exist in isolation from each other. All of God’s attributes are on display in everything that he does, and that’s good news! God is sovereign all the time! God is holy all the time! God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present at the same time that he is loving, merciful, compassionate, and gracious! And even though we humans are a mess of contradictions, there is no contradiction in the character of God. When life feels unfair, God is still good. When it looks as though the wicked prosper over the righteous, God is still just. When it feels like our circumstances are spiraling out of control, God is still sovereign. Remember, our lives compose just a few stitches on the tapestry of time, but God not only sees the finished product—he’s the one weaving everything together. And it’s beautiful!