5:06
Compassion
In the Bible, “compassion” is a deeply emotional word used to convey the strong bond between a parent and their child. It’s also the first word God uses to describe himself in Exodus 34:6-7. God is portrayed as a compassionate parent throughout Scripture—both as a mother and a father—and his compassion is embodied in the person of Jesus.
Reflect
In the Bible, God’s compassion is consistently shown as both an emotional and active reality. What does God do when he feels compassionate? How does he respond when his people return to him in order to follow him? (See Deuteronomy 4:29-31, Micah 7:19, Isaiah 14:1, Isaiah 49:10, and Jeremiah 30:18.)
God’s ancient people fail to return to his ways and end up in exile. Read Isaiah 49:15-16, where God assures his people of his compassion during a dark chapter in Israel’s history. What comes to mind when you consider God’s compassion for his people being related to a mother’s care for her infant?
God’s compassion compels him to rescue his people from their self-destructive ways. Learn how God does this by entering into humanity and all of its suffering (see Isaiah 53). Discuss your observations.
Jesus entered into the suffering of humanity to bring restoration (see Matthew 9:35-36, Luke 13:34). What are some of the ways Jesus embodies the compassion of God?
Describe the ways followers of Jesus are called to live out the same self-giving compassion of God (see Luke 6:35-36; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; Colossians 3:12-13). What is one specific example of how this could be practiced in the life of the Church today?
Keep Exploring
Want to Learn More About the Book of Exodus?
Downloads
Here are some other resources related to this video that you might find helpful.
Next Episode
Character of God Word Studies
6:06
Episode 1
Visual Commentary: Exodus 34:6-7
The list of God’s character traits found in Exodus 34:6-7 is the most repeated and re-quoted text in the Bible. But what does it mean when God describes himself as compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and overflowing with loyal love and faithfulness? Understanding the significance of these Hebrew words will bring God’s character into clearer focus.
5:06
Episode 2
Compassion
In the Bible, “compassion” is a deeply emotional word used to convey the strong bond between a parent and their child. It’s also the first word God uses to describe himself in Exodus 34:6-7. God is portrayed as a compassionate parent throughout Scripture—both as a mother and a father—and his compassion is embodied in the person of Jesus.
4:39
Episode 3
Grace
Grace is a word we hear a lot in Christian circles, but the deeper meaning of this rich Hebrew word, especially how it relates to God's character, can get lost. In this video we look at what means for God to be gracious.
5:20
Episode 4
Slow to Anger
In Exodus 34, God describes himself as being "slow to anger," but what does this mean? The literal translation is a Hebrew idiom that has the potential to make this description even more confusing to modern readers. Something about a long nose? What? Learn more in this video.
5:11
Episode 5
Loyal Love
The Hebrew word “khesed” is one of the most common descriptions of God in the Hebrew Bible, and it’s almost impossible to translate into any other language! This word combines the ideas of love, loyalty, and generosity. Meditating on the meaning of this word can shape our understanding of God’s character.
5:12
Episode 6
Faithful
The word *emet* is a common word used to describe God in the Bible. It can be translated as “faithfulness” or “truth.” So when the authors say that God is “full of *emet*,” they are saying that he is trustworthy—we can trust him. But trusting isn’t always an easy thing. In this video, we look at why we can trust that God is full of *emet*.