Exodus 34:6-8
6 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, 7 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.” 8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.
Moses’ task took on great importance as he ascended into the heights of the mountain. There he would deliver to his Lord the two tablets that would seal the covenant God was to make with Israel. In his ascension to Mount Sinai, the Lord himself descended to meet the needs of an obstinate people. Though some would wonder how the needs of a people could be met by establishing laws, it is here in this magnificent event where grace would shine in greater light. The law itself would be a guide to all peoples of the earth. They would submit to the law of God and worship Him because of His law. Far from a forceful and legalistic duty, the peoples of the earth would worship their Lord out of gratitude and covenant loyalty.
The law did not only become their code for right living, but their code for right standing. This standing they had obtained by the gracious and merciful God who had delivered them from spiritual and physical bondage. As the shining sun of creation, the law would become a shining sign to a brilliant future reality. Jesus Christ, the exact image of God, condescended to take upon him human flesh and bring to fullness the law. In Him we abide; in him the law is not burdensome. Because of Christ, we bow our heads to the earth and worship and meditate on His law day and night (Psalm 119:15).
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