Day 6: A God of Love and Justice

What does it mean that God is both loving and just? If you spend any amount of time on the internet these days, you know some believers constantly harp on God’s love and grace, while on the other hand, there are believers who constantly harp on his justice. One camp seems to prefer one part of God’s character, and another appears to hone in on the end of this passage. It’s challenging to study God’s character without trying to “balance” out his love and justice or pit one against the other.

Biblical characters felt similarly when they quoted this passage as encouragement in different situations. On the one hand, Jonah quoted only the beginning of this passage, using it to explain why God spared the Ninevites. “But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, ‘Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish.’ I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live” (Jnh. 4:1–3).

On the other hand, we have the prophet Nahum quote the same passage but leave out the beginning of the passage to stress God’s judgment: “The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished” (Nah. 1:3).

Both biblical authors quoted Exodus 34:6–7, so were they quoting the passage out of context?

Parts of God’s character speak differently to us in different seasons or life circumstances. This does not change God’s character or make specific attributes of God larger than others. Sometimes we need to hear of his mercy; we need the reminder of his steadfast love. Other times, we need to be reminded of his justice and his punishment for sinners. He is, all in all, the I AM.

He does not change and all of his character is as pertinent today as it was long ago to each of these biblical characters. But, sometimes, we are comforted by his love and mercy, and other times we take great comfort in his justice. Both are true without us needing to rationalize, explain, or understand everything. That is the beauty of God’s character.