FOS 10b - Fruit of the Spirit Mini study Goodness and Faithfulness

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Exodus 34:6 ESV - The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness."


In the Fruit of the Spirit study we last looked at goodness, and after we finish that we will move into faithfulness. Goodness and faithfulness are both character qualities of God. Studying how He has exemplified these through the years in the Bible and in our own lives can help us better understand what they look like so we can encourage growth in those areas through the Holy Spirit.

In the verse above, the Israelites had just recently built a golden calf while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments and the Book of the Law. When God's response was that He would destroy the entire nation of Israel except Moses and carryout His promises through Moses, Moses interceded and God relented. Moses then asked to see God's glory (33:18) and God said no one can see His face and live, but God told Moses to stand in the cleft of a rock and He would cover him with His hand and then allow Moses to see His back. I included this about Moses and God passing by to show how He is both fiercly righteous and loving. 


This particular verse (Exodus 34:6) contains God's words about Himself that He spoke while passing by Moses again and renewing the covenant He wanted to make with His people.  He calls Himself slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. We see the truth of that in the people of Israel as they wandered through the desert for forty years and repeatedly questioned God, disobeyed Him, worshipped other Gods . . . and I could go on. And yet, He brought them to the promised land (although the generation who had started as adults forty years before had all died by then with the exception of Caleb and Joshua--that was part of His later punishment that He did not relent on).


Today, I encourage you to recount the ways God has been faithful and lovingly-kind in your life. Read Psalm 36 by David and see how he extols God steadfast love and faithfulness. He saw for himself those things after his great sin with Bathsheba and what he did to Uriah her husband. That contrast of His love and faithfulness in the light of Christ when we are sinners is astounding. Christ willingly went to the cross for me, for you, knowing all of our sins. Nothing you have done or will do is a surprise to Him . . . but He loves you still and if you have accepted Christ in payment of your sin, He will be faithful to the covenant He has made with you.


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