Today, we read of the response God had when the Israelites built a golden calf to lead them through the wilderness. Moses had gone up the mountain to get the Ten Commandments. He had left the Israelites behind for forty days and they grew impatient. Therefore, they forced Aaron to build them the golden calf.
And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people;
now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; but of you I will make a great nation." (Exodus 32:9-10)
Moses declined the offer, reminded God of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses had successfully persuaded the Lord to change His mind.
And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do to his people (Exodus 32:14).
And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people;
now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; but of you I will make a great nation." (Exodus 32:9-10)
Moses declined the offer, reminded God of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses had successfully persuaded the Lord to change His mind.
And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do to his people (Exodus 32:14).
How could God change His mind? Listening to the judgment Ezekiel passed on the bloody city, Jerusalem.
I the LORD have spoken; it shall come to pass, I will do it; I will not go back, I will not spare, I will not repent; according to your ways and your doings I will judge you, says the Lord GOD (Ezekiel 24:14).
Isn't God eternal and all-knowing? Should we understand the portrayal of God in Exodus as an anthropomorphism?
In Torah, this is the only place where we find God repented of the evil He intended for the Chosen People. In order to have a fuller picture of God's repentance, let me do a little survey to find out where else God had repented.
I the LORD have spoken; it shall come to pass, I will do it; I will not go back, I will not spare, I will not repent; according to your ways and your doings I will judge you, says the Lord GOD (Ezekiel 24:14).
Isn't God eternal and all-knowing? Should we understand the portrayal of God in Exodus as an anthropomorphism?
In Torah, this is the only place where we find God repented of the evil He intended for the Chosen People. In order to have a fuller picture of God's repentance, let me do a little survey to find out where else God had repented.
Amos served as a prophet in 750 B.C. We find God repented after Amos begged Him to stop sending locusts and fire to punish the people.
I said, "O Lord GOD, forgive (cease), I beseech thee! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!"
The LORD repented concerning this; "It shall not be," said the LORD (Amos 7:2b-3, 5-6).
Here, we read of how a prophet interceded for the people and God repented. The Exodus story rings a similar tone.
Jeremiah served as a prophet in 626-586 B.C. His prophecy was unpopular. The priests and prophets spoke against Jeremiah in front of the princes and the people. They wanted to put Jeremiah to death (Jeremiah 26:11). Some elders of the land defended Jeremiah, quoting the case of Micah of Moresheth who prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and did not the LORD repent of the evil which he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great evil upon ourselves (Jeremiah 26:19)
In this case, it was a king, King Hezekiah who entreated the favour of God and God repented.
Jonah was a legendary prophet serving in 450 B.C. He fled from God's commission to proclaim judgment on Niveveh. Nevertheless, Jonah accomplished his mission but he was angry of the mercy God shown to the people of Niveveh. In his prayer, Jonah expressed his understanding of the mercy of God.
And he prayed to the LORD and said, "I pray thee, LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repentest of evil." (Jonah 4:2)
In this case, God did not need a mediator to intercede for the sinners. God is merciful by nature.
Joel served as a prophet in about 400 B.C. The Jews had already returned from the Babylonian Exile for more than a century. The editing of Torah had probably completed but the spiritual life of the people was deteriorating. Joel urged them to repent.
"Yet even now," says the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.
Who knows whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal offering and a drink offering for the LORD, your God? (Joel 2:12-14)
Joel taught the people to return to God because God is merciful and repents of evils.
The Prophets are relatively easy to date but it is more difficult to do likewise for the Torah and other history books such as Samuel's because they are works of compilation. For example, we find the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel (1 Samuel 15:35) or when the Lord sent an angel to kill off the Israelites because David had conducted a census, God repented and stopped the angel of destruction (2 Samuel 24:16). It is difficult to determine what stage of development of this concept of God's repentance had reached.
In short, through the stormy relation which the Chosen People had engaged with God, we know that God is merciful. It takes only one person to persuade God to turn away from His intended punishments of the people.
Throughout the whole Old Testament, men failed to listen to God, obey His words and keep His commandment on their own. Time and time again, God had to withdraw His intended punishments, to give men a second chance, a third chance and many more chances. The age of Law was a failure. Thus, God initiated the age of Grace. It is the New Testament. Perhaps God has grown tired of chastening His Chosen People. Therefore, God forgives them once and for all through Jesus.
I said, "O Lord GOD, forgive (cease), I beseech thee! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!"
The LORD repented concerning this; "It shall not be," said the LORD (Amos 7:2b-3, 5-6).
Here, we read of how a prophet interceded for the people and God repented. The Exodus story rings a similar tone.
Jeremiah served as a prophet in 626-586 B.C. His prophecy was unpopular. The priests and prophets spoke against Jeremiah in front of the princes and the people. They wanted to put Jeremiah to death (Jeremiah 26:11). Some elders of the land defended Jeremiah, quoting the case of Micah of Moresheth who prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and did not the LORD repent of the evil which he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great evil upon ourselves (Jeremiah 26:19)
In this case, it was a king, King Hezekiah who entreated the favour of God and God repented.
Jonah was a legendary prophet serving in 450 B.C. He fled from God's commission to proclaim judgment on Niveveh. Nevertheless, Jonah accomplished his mission but he was angry of the mercy God shown to the people of Niveveh. In his prayer, Jonah expressed his understanding of the mercy of God.
And he prayed to the LORD and said, "I pray thee, LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repentest of evil." (Jonah 4:2)
In this case, God did not need a mediator to intercede for the sinners. God is merciful by nature.
Joel served as a prophet in about 400 B.C. The Jews had already returned from the Babylonian Exile for more than a century. The editing of Torah had probably completed but the spiritual life of the people was deteriorating. Joel urged them to repent.
"Yet even now," says the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.
Who knows whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal offering and a drink offering for the LORD, your God? (Joel 2:12-14)
Joel taught the people to return to God because God is merciful and repents of evils.
The Prophets are relatively easy to date but it is more difficult to do likewise for the Torah and other history books such as Samuel's because they are works of compilation. For example, we find the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel (1 Samuel 15:35) or when the Lord sent an angel to kill off the Israelites because David had conducted a census, God repented and stopped the angel of destruction (2 Samuel 24:16). It is difficult to determine what stage of development of this concept of God's repentance had reached.
In short, through the stormy relation which the Chosen People had engaged with God, we know that God is merciful. It takes only one person to persuade God to turn away from His intended punishments of the people.
Throughout the whole Old Testament, men failed to listen to God, obey His words and keep His commandment on their own. Time and time again, God had to withdraw His intended punishments, to give men a second chance, a third chance and many more chances. The age of Law was a failure. Thus, God initiated the age of Grace. It is the New Testament. Perhaps God has grown tired of chastening His Chosen People. Therefore, God forgives them once and for all through Jesus.
Dear Lord, through Your passion, You have earned for us our redemption. May we partake in Your fasting and sufferings so that we may become truly the sons of God. Amen.
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