The Lion of Judah by Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider

Author:Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Charisma House
Published: 2018-12-02T00:00:00+00:00

God proclaimed His own nature and character to Moses, and the very first way He described Himself was as “compassionate and gracious.” God’s compassion flows out of His grace. In fact, the Hebrew word that is translated in English as “compassion” is rachum. The root word actually means “womb,” so rachum is a word picture describing the same compassion and love a mother would have toward her baby. It is emotional and passionate—the complete opposite of heartless and unfeeling. So when the Lord revealed more of His nature to Moses, this grace-filled, merciful compassion is what He presented first.

The Lord had rachum for Moses because that is in His nature. In the same way, He had rachum for His people, Israel, despite their disobedience, stubbornness, hard-heartedness, grumbling, and frequent opposition toward their God. The Lord is full of grace. He offers love and compassion where none is deserved. He shows mercy to those who should rightfully be punished. And like a mother with her child, He loves with a fervent, passionate, embracing love.

Generations later David would attest to the same attributes of God in the psalms he wrote. David knew God as a God of grace and love because of their unique relationship. While Moses was a friend of the Lord who met with Him face to face, God called David “a man after My own heart” (Acts 13:22). Because of their intimate relationship, David could write from experience, “You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in mercy and truth” (Ps. 86:15). In one of my favorite psalms, Psalm 18, he wrote, “Your gentleness has made me great” (v. 35). David certainly knew the holiness of God that we find featured prominently throughout the Old Testament, yet he also knew God’s grace just as well.

Whether it is in the writings of Moses, David, Isaiah, or the apostle John, we find the same truth echoed throughout the Bible: God is one. The Shema holds such power for Jews because it is a touchstone for understanding God’s nature. He is not inconsistent. His holiness is not in contrast to His grace. His love does not nullify His justice or even His right to judge. He is the same God throughout the entire Bible. The God who appeared in fire atop Mount Sinai is the same God who appeared in flesh through Jesus, healing those who followed Him throughout Galilee, Judea, and beyond.

The more we grasp this revelation and truly see God for who He is, the more we will also see a unity in His Word like never before. When that happens, the Old Testament begins to fit together with the New Testament like a hand in a glove. As you and I continue to seek His face and draw near to Him, He will continue by the Holy Spirit to reveal His nature more and more to us.

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