God's Love for us to the End

“And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.” (Ex. 32:9 ESV)

When God sees, He sees past, present and future. When God sees, He doesn’t just see the outward actions, but also the innermost being of the person. This is precisely why when God makes His judgement on someone, it is accurate and true, completely perfect and just. He doesn’t make a mistake in His judgement because He sees us as we were, as we are and as we will be.

So when God told Moses “I have seen this people and they are stiff necked”, it was with 2020 vision that He saw. And when God decided to give up on the people, His judgement just after all, they were NEVER going to change. They were beyond even His salvation.

And yet, through the intercession of Moses, God ‘changed his mind’. What exactly did Moses say to change the mind of God? If we look carefully, we discover Moses didn’t exactly change the mind of God. Rather he reminded God about God’s own heart. He reminded God of His wedding vows.

“Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’”” (Ex. 32:13 ESV)

You swore by your own self. You initiated this work of love. You pursued these people. You kept through the generations. You brought them out of Egypt. You covenanted to be their God. You made a promise based on your own character and self. So now, remain true to yourself. Remain true to Love.

Remain true to love even if they are not going to return your love. Remain true to love even if they will never change their heart toward you. Remain steadfast and true to yourself, even if the people you have chosen, reject and humiliate you, shame and despise you.

Exodus 32 reveals the very nature of Love. Love is not an idea but a Person who is faithful, even when all have been unfaithful. Love is a Person who continues to give before seeing any evidence of reciprocity or return. Love is a Person who is steadfast and true in His way of being with people.

What we see of God in the shadows Exodus 32, we finally fully see in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the true Son of God. My prayer is that we will continue to grow in the knowledge of God and His Son, and so come to enjoy the eternal joy of life together with one another. Yes, including the people whom we have already decided ‘cannot make it’.