We are in chapter thirty-four of Exodus with our word for today. חַנּוּן gracious, kind, merciful. It is used 13 times in the Old Testament. A good example of what our word means is seen in the first time it is used in the Bible. Exodus 22:25-27 If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. If ever you take your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am חַנּ֥וּן compassionate. God’s character is seen in his kindness to people by this instruction so that the person can stay warm and be able to sleep. This character quality of God is seen throughout the Bible. Psalm 111:3-4 Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is חַנּ֖וּן gracious and merciful. Psalm 116:4-6 Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!” חַנּ֣וּן Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. During the public confession of sin during Ezra and Nehemiah’s time the Levites prayed using our word. Nehemiah 9:29-31 And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a חַנּ֥וּן gracious and merciful God. Did you catch that they prayed referencing this quality of God? In our chapter as we looked at yesterday is the first time God gives us a list of characteristics about himself which includes our word for today. Exodus 34:6-7 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful וְחַנּ֑וּןand gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” All the uses of our word are in reference to God except for one. The only time our word is not used of God is in the description of the man who fears God. God desires us to become like him in holiness and graciousness. Psalm 112:1, 4-5 Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! … Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is חַנּ֖וּן gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. God calls us to become like him which includes being gracious. I’ll close with this great challenge from Jesus to all who would follow him and desire to be like him which brings God glory. Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
