There is a particular episode in the Old Testament that I find extremely fascinating. It is the one when Moses has a face-to-face encounter with the Lord in Exodus chapter 34. It is a well-known story; Moses had eagerly asked God to reveal Himself to him. The Lord, having compassion on his request, hid His servant in the crack of the mountain and showed Himself to Moses from the back (as a human, Moses was not able to bear the sight of God’s full glory). As Moses was contemplating this scene of glory, he heard a voice saying: “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” Exodus 34:6–7. Not only was Moses able to contemplate God’s glory, he also had the opportunity to know God’s true character.

The Spirit of Prophecy talks about this episode: “It is our privilege to reach higher and still higher for clearer revealings of the character of God. When Moses prayed, ‘I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory,’ the Lord did not rebuke him, but He granted his prayer. God declared to His servant, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee.’ Exodus 33:18–19

“It is sin that darkens our minds and dims our perceptions. As sin is purged from our hearts, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, illuminating His word and reflected from the face of nature, more and more fully will declare Him ‘merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’ Exodus 34:6

“In His light shall we see light, until mind and heart and soul are transformed into the image of His holiness.” –The Ministry of Healing, p. 464–465

In this article, which is the first of 5 parts, I invite you to meditate with me upon the true essence of God’s character, focusing on each characteristic mentioned in Exodus 34:6–7.

The very first word used in this description of God is “merciful” or “compassionate”. I find it very interesting, and here is why: the God of heaven, the Maker of the entire universe whose powers far surpasses our understanding, chooses to introduce Himself as a God who is merciful towards men—His creatures, insignificant little beings on planet Earth. It is truly marvelous. The word “merciful” is translated from the Hebrew word “rakhum”, also known as “rakhamim”. Both are closely related to “rekhem”, the Hebrew word for “womb”. So, compassion in the Hebrew Bible is centered in a person’s core and the Word invites us to imagine a mother’s tender feelings for her vulnerable infant.

“Rekhem” is a word that conveys deep emotion and sometimes is also translated as “deeply moved”. An example is that of King Solomon, who finds himself judging the case of two women who were each claiming the same baby as their child. To discern the truth, Solomon commands to cut the baby in two and give each mother a half; the baby’s real mother is deeply moved: she would rather have the other woman take her baby than see her child die. “Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it.” 1 Kings 3:26. Her compassion (“rekhem”) revealed that she was the true mother.

However, “Rakhum” is not just an emotional word, it also involves action. Interestingly, the word is used most often to describe God’s actions motivated by His emotions. For example: there was the time in the Old Testament when the Israelites called upon the Lord for help, while they were held captive in Egypt. “And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows.” Exodus 3:7. God heard their cry and, out of compassion, He not only miraculously delivered His people, but also took care of them while they were wandering in the desert. He provided for them as He would His own child. He continuously proved Himself to be a merciful God, so it does not surprise us that the term “rakhamim” appears in His personal description delivered to Moses on the mountain. But despite Yahweh’s continual “rakhamim”, the Israelites turned away from Him time and time again. They rejected His compassion and instead gave their allegiance to other gods. Rather than showing compassion to each other, they engaged in wars, they fought, and their rebellion resulted in them being sent into exile, scattered among the nations.

It is then in the darkest moment of Israel’s history that we come to the book of Isaiah, where God compares Himself to a mother full of compassion for her newborn baby: ”Can a woman forget her suckling child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yeah, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” Isaiah 49:15. God is full of motherly compassion, and He promises to rescue His people. The fulfillment of this promise arrives when Jesus comes on the scene: He IS Yahweh’s deep compassion become human. The Greek word used for compassion” is “oiktirmos”, and Jesus is its full embodiment. He takes care of the outcasts, He heals the sick, and He is deeply moved by human suffering and misery. Jesus even calls Himself a mother hen, who spreads her wings to shield her chicks from danger. In the ultimate expression of “oiktirmos”, Jesus is moved by compassion to enter into humanity’s suffering, into death itself, to rescue us and bring us near to God.

As Jesus’ followers, we also are called to be merciful and to show compassion: “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” Luke 6:36. Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to gift us with this deep Christ-like compassion for our fellow brethren who are in need. Let us strive to relieve each other’s sufferings.

May the merciful God bless you greatly. See you in the next article. Amen.

Ylenia Gallo