Exodus 32:11-14

“And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.” vs. 14

For some the view of God conjured up by this verse is less than satisfying. They’re troubled by the notion of the Lord planning to bring disasters on anyone, let alone the people of promise. If that’s true then maybe God did intentionally cause Katrina to ravage New Orleans to get even with its people for the excesses of Mardi Gras. And maybe the death of a child should be seen as an act of God, a punishment for sinful parental behavior. Certainly many have come to believe exactly these kinds of things. But what we fail to see is that this almost amusing little story was artfully crafted by the ancient Hebrews to introduce us to a God of boundless mercy. The point is not that God is going to get us if we’re bad! The truth is that when we’re bad, as we inevitably will be, out of God’s steadfast love comes amazing reconciliation and forgiveness. The good news that “the Lord changed his mind” is the underlying theme of scripture, the very foundation of the new life that we have in Christ Jesus. As we sing together, “Lord, have mercy,” echoing the plea of Moses, we can be confident that God will indeed smile on us in our brokenness and offer countless fresh starts on the journey.

Thought for the Day: What does the phrase “act of God” mean?