Exodus 34

The time is now to repent of sin and protect the future generations.

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. And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

Exodus 34:7-8

As Moses is renewing the covenant with God, God declares who His character is. In verse six He describes who He is, and then in verse seven He continues by saying that He has steadfast love, that He will forgive iniquity, transgression, and sin, but for those who are still guilty, their iniquity will continue to visit the generations to come. In the new covenant with Jesus Christ, we are gifted the Holy Spirit, and the only sin that will not be forgiven is the sin of not accepting the Holy Spirit. God will forgive any of our other sins and gift us eternity if we turn towards the Holy Spirit and accept the gift that Jesus Christ has freely given us on the cross. But God says that if we do not repent of our iniquity, our iniquity will visit the future generations. This means that if we want to make generational change within our family and within our nation, we must repent. We must not hold onto these things ourselves, but give them to God, ask Him for forgiveness, and trust in Him.

Moses's response is to quickly bow his head and worship God. When God states who He is and what He will do, it shows His power, His mercy, and His grace, and the only right response is to worship. The consequences of not following are so much greater, and so my response to this passage is to be more like Moses, to bow my head more often and worship more often, and to recognize God's power. Following this interaction, God fills Moses to the point where his face shines because he had been with God. This looks like being filled with the Holy Spirit, where we shine with the Spirit of God. I believe this is shown through a righteous fear of God, a fear that draws us closer to Him because we have trust, because we have belief, because we recognize the power.

I don't want the future generations to struggle with the same problems that we do. I hope to leave a better life for my children and for the people that are to follow, and because of that I feel called to act now, to share now, to be more bold, and to make more statements of faith.