Here He Goes Again

"Go assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, "The LORD, the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--has appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.  And I have promised to bring you out of your misery...'"  Exodus 3:16-17

There He Goes Again!
By Rev. William Dohle

I am a big movie buff.  Always have been...always will be.

In addition to keeping a movie blog(found at http://seenthatmovie.wordpress.com)... I watch movies, collect movies, and go to a lot of movies.  I really enjoy the theater.

One of my favorite things to do at the movies is to watch how the actors and actresses pry their trade.  Some are so predictable in their performance.  From one movie to another, you pretty much know how they're going to act.  Some are more surprising.  Each role is unique to them.  Some actors take on roles that are completely out of character for them...while others pretty much stay in character.

Take Tom Cruise for example.  Tom Cruise plays roles that are...well...Tom Cruiseish.  He never plays something that he couldn't be recognized in.  Watch all his movies, starting with Mission Impossibles, continue with some of his sci-fi ones like Minority Report and then round it all out with the classic, Top Gun.  Tom Cruise is the same type of character in every single one of his movies.  He doesn't change.

Whereas actors like Johnny Depp play characters very different from one another.  True, once you watch more than one of his movies in a row you can pick out his acting ability, but each of his characters are very different from one another.  Very unique.

So...if God was an actor on stage, would he be more like Tom Cruise(the same at every performance) or would he be more like Johnny Depp(different characters every time).  Is God predictable, his character the same?  Or does God switch it up a bit?  Which of these two actors are more like the God we find in Scripture?

We might think that since God is so creative, that he would play more creative roles.  But ironically the God we read about in Scripture is anything but creative in his persona.  God's character is more like Tom Cruise than Johnny Depp.

How so?  Well... God is the same at every turn.  He's always loving.  Always compassionate and merciful.  God is a God of steadfast love and faithfulness, of mercy and grace.  And that doesn't ever seem to change!  Ever!

God reveals himself as a God of compassion way back in Abraham's time.  That compassion continues through Isaac and Jacob and all their family.  Every time they meet God, God seems to have compassion, mercy, grace, and love up his sleeve.  Every time!  And then, God's compassion takes action.  The people of Israel are in trouble and, in his infinite compassion, God reveals himself to Moses and sends Moses to act on God's behalf.

God explains to Moses who God is.  "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt.  I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.  So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land."(Ex. 3:7-8)

God sends Moses to rescue Israel because God is a God of compassion and mercy.

And that doesn't change after the exodus either.  God is always the God of compassion and mercy.  From Moses to the prophets and kings, to Jesus Christ himself.  God is the same character throughout Scripture.

When God sends His Son, Jesus, into the world, he does because he is a God of compassion and mercy.  He sends Jesus to rescue us, this time from sin and death.  God doesn't change from the exodus story.  He doesn't suddenly become a different character.  He's the same God to Moses as he is in Jesus Christ.

And, guess what, God still hasn't changed!  Despite all the pain in the world.  Despite all the violence and the heartache and the hurt.  Despite sin and all its darkness, God is still a God of compassion and mercy.  He is the same character!  He's the same God!

So, if you start thinking that suddenly God's going to change his mind about this world.  Suddenly God's going to change from being a God who cares about people and is compassionate and merciful to a God who judges with a vengeance and condemns people, then think again!  God doesn't change.  He doesn't change his mind about this world.  God loves the world so much He gave Jesus!  And God's mercy and grace and compassionate love extends to all...no matter what!

God give me grace that I may see the world as you do, with compassion, mercy, and grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.