INTRODUCTION — “THE FIRST FELT NEED IS TO KNOW ME.”

Every year—like many pastors—I usually start January with a “felt needs” message series. Something to help us get our feet under us for a new year: stress, relationships, habits, purpose, prayer, identity… the things we’re feeling right now.

But as I was preparing for the first series of 2026, I heard the Holy Spirit speak something that immediately captured my attention. “The first felt need is to know Me.”

I really believe The Lord is communicating to us, “The greatest need of My people is not a change in circumstances, but the greatest need of My people is clarity about who I AM.”

If you don’t know who He is… You won’t trust Him.

If you don’t trust Him… You won’t obey Him.

If you don’t obey Him…You won’t experience the life He promised.

[SO THIS YEAR…] before we talk about our needs, we are going to talk about His nature. We’re going to start right where God Himself starts when He describes His own character.

Not what culture says about God… Not what our trauma says about God… Not even what our feelings say about God… BUT WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT GOD.

And there is one place in Scripture where God gives the most repeated, most quoted self-description of Himself in the entire Bible:

FOUNDATIONAL SCRIPTURE

Exodus 34:6–7 (NIV) The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God,

slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.

This passage appears more than twenty times throughout the rest of Scripture. It is the Bible’s anchor text for understanding the heart of God.

[BUT IT DOES CREATE TENSION…] One moment God is compassionate, gracious, loving, forgiving… Then suddenly we read He “punishes the children”…

SO… Is God merciful or is He vengeful? To answer that question, we need to look at the story behind these words.

I. THE STORY BEHIND THE DESCRIPTION

Before Exodus 34, God makes a covenant with Israel—He saves them out of slavery, brings them to Mount Sinai, gives them the Ten Commandments, and calls them to be SHAPED BY HIS CHARACTER so they can REPRESENT HIM TO THE WORLD.

But as Moses is on the mountain receiving the covenant… Israel is at the bottom breaking the covenant… They build a golden calf. They worship an idol.

God is hurt. God is angry. God tells Moses, “They will keep doing this. This rebellion will never stop.” AND God is ready to call off the covenant—

And He would have been absolutely just in doing so!

But Moses intercedes and reminds God of His promise to rescue the world through Abraham’s family.

[SO NOW THE QUESTION IS…] Will God give Israel what they deserve,

or will He give them who He is?

In response to that question— In response to human rebellion, human weakness, and human failure— GOD REVEALS HIS CHARACTER.

II. THE FIVE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD (THE CENTERPIECE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT)

The description in Exodus 34:6–7 has five core traits:

Compassionate; Gracious; Slow to Anger; Abounding in Loyal Love; Faithful / Truthful

Compassion is listed first—not by accident. And today we’re going to begin with the first thing God wants us to know about Him:

III. THE GOD WHO IS COMPASSIONATE

“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate God…” —Exodus 34:6

The Hebrew word is raḥûm {ra-khum} (רַחוּם).

Its noun form is raḥamîm (compassion).

Both come from the Hebrew root rechem — womb.

To the ancient Hebrew mind, compassion is not a soft, vague feeling.

It is love ROOTED IN THE DEEPEST PLACE OF HUMAN EMOTION—

a mother’s fierce, protective, tender love for her vulnerable child.

Compassion is not distant pity. It is GUT-LEVEL MOVEMENT TOWARD SOMEONE IN PAIN.

A. Compassion HAS DEEP EMOTION — 1 Kings 3

In Solomon’s famous judgment between two mothers, the real mother is described as being “deeply moved”—the Hebrew is raḥamîm—compassion rising from her core, from her womb.

She would rather lose her child to another woman than see him harmed.

Compassion MOVES YOU TOWARD ANOTHER’S GOOD AT YOUR OWN COST.

{BIG KEY} THIS IS THE FIRST WORD God chooses to DESCRIBE HIMSELF!

B. Compassion MOVES GOD TO ACTION

Compassion isn’t just God’s feeling—it is God’s movement. When Israel cries out in Egypt, Scripture says God “heard their groaning” and was moved with raḥamîm to rescue them.

In the wilderness, though they complained and doubted, God sustained them like a mother with Food, Water, Protection, Clothing that did not wear out, Leadership, guidance, and mercy!

{BIG KEY} When God reveals His character, the very first trait He mentions is COMPASSION.

C. Israel Rejects God’s Compassion… but GOD REMAINS COMPASSIONATE

Despite His tenderness, Israel continually rejects Him. They worship idols. They oppress each other. They abandon Him and heir rebellion leads to exile.

In the darkest moment, God speaks through Isaiah: Isaiah 49:15 Can a mother forget her nursing child, or have no compassion (raḥamîm) on the child of her womb? Though she may forget, I will not forget you.

Even when Israel forgets God— God promises that He will not forget them!

He is more faithful than the most faithful mother. More tender than the most tender heart. More committed than the most committed parent.

[AND ISAIAH ANNOUNCES SOMETHING RADICAL…] God will rescue His people by ENTERING INTO THEIR SUFFERING HIMSELF.

IV. JESUS IS THE COMPASSION OF GOD IN HUMAN FORM

When Jesus steps onto the scene, He is the fulfillment of Exodus 34:6.

The Greek word for compassion in the New Testament is oiktirmos {oeek-teir-mose} (οἰκτιρμός).

It means deep pity; heart-moved mercy; compassion that expresses itself in action.

There is also another word often used of Jesus’ compassion:

splagchnizomai {splank-knee-ZOE-my}— compassion from the inner parts, the guts, the womb-like center of a person.

Jesus is the raḥûm of God walking among us.

JESUS HEALS Because He Is Compassionate

He touches the leper; He lifts the broken; He feeds the hungry; He embraces the outcast.

JESUS WEEPS Because He Is Compassionate

At Lazarus’s tomb, He is deeply moved; He enters our grief.

JESUS PROTECTS Because He Is Compassionate

In Luke 13:34, He compares Himself to: “a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings.” Again we see the mother-heart of God.

JESUS SAVES Because He Is Compassionate

The ultimate oiktirmos {oeek-teir-mose} is the cross. Jesus enters humanity’s suffering, sin, sorrow, death— Not because we deserved it, but because He COULDN’T LEAVE US WHERE WE WERE.

V. THE TENSION OF COMPASSION AND JUSTICE

[NOW LET’S TURN BACK TO…] Exodus 34.

God is compassionate… But He is also just. He forgives wickedness, rebellion, and sin… But He “does not leave the guilty unpunished.”

Is this contradiction? No—it is the balancing of God’s character.

A. The Third and Fourth Generations

The phrase “punishes to the third and fourth generation” does not mean God is punishing innocent grandchildren.

It means God limits the consequences of generational rebellion only to those who continue it.

In Hebrew thought:

“Thousands” = countless generations

“Three or four” = a very limited number

{BIG KEY} God’s LOYAL LOVE IS THOUSANDS OF TIMES GREATER than His judgment.

God LEANS OVERWHELMINGLY TOWARD MERCY.

He only gives judgment WHEN PEOPLE CONTINUOUSLY REJECT HIS COMPASSION.

VI. WHAT COMPASSION REQUIRES FROM US

Because God is compassionate, Scripture calls us to embody His compassion:

Luke 6:36 Be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 God comforts us so we can comfort others.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another…

When we see suffering— Be moved.

When we see brokenness— Move toward it.

When we see pain— Don’t look away; Don’t harden your heart; Don’t grow numb.

Compassion is the character of God developed within His people.

Agape, if we want to represent the God who is, we must become a people who reflect what He is.

VII. APPLYING GOD’S COMPASSION TODAY

1. When you are hurting, GOD MOVES TOWARD YOU, NOT AWAY FROM YOU.

Some of you think God is disappointed or distant.

No—He is moved by your pain.

2. When you fail, GOD’S COMPASSION DOES NOT RUN OUT.

Israel failed repeatedly—but God remained compassionate.

3. When you see suffering, GOD WANTS TO MOVE THROUGH YOU.

Compassion is not a feeling—it is participation.

4. GOD’S COMPASSION IS STRONGER THAN YOUR GENERATIONAL PATTERNS.

Three or four generations of sin cannot outweigh thousands of generations of God’s loyal love.

5. THE CROSS PROVES COMPASSION WINS.

Jesus does not abandon His children—He gathers them.

CONCLUSION — THE GOD WHO IS COMPASSIONATE

SO WHEN GOD REVEALS HIMSELF—not when Moses describes Him, not when people guess about Him, not when circumstances try to interpret Him— God tells Moses the very first word: COMPASSIONATE.

THE God with a mother’s heart…

THE God who moves toward the hurting…

THE God who feels deeply and acts timely…

THE God who enters suffering, not avoids it…

THE God who forgives before He judges…

THE God whose love lasts to a thousand generations…

THIS IS THE GOD WHO IS COMPASSIONATE.

And this is where we begin 2026. Not with what we feel… BUT WITH WHO GOD IS.

Today— Let’s respond to the God who moves toward us.