God defines Himself

And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, 'The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation.

How does God want us to think of him? How does He describe Himself? In Exodus, Moses asks to see the glory of God. God obliges him, but shows Moses his back. As he passes, This is how He describes Himself.

God identifies Himself as:

1. Gracious and merciful.
   
2. Long suffering.
   
3. Abounding in goodness and truth.
   
4. Keeping mercy for thousands.
   
5. Forgiving iniquity AND trespasses AND sin.
6. By no means clearing the guilty.
7. Visiting the iniquity of the father upon children and children's children to the third and fourth generation.

How many times in the Bible do we have God tell us exactly what He is like? This is God's definition of Himself, and my perspective on God should match up with this verse.

How cool is it that mercy -- not giving us the punishment we deserve -- is the only one to show up twice in this list?

I love that God abounds in Goodness AND Truth.

God is long suffering. God suffers. And long.

He forgives all offenses, keeps mercy for thousands, and does that without clearing the guilty.

Does my perception of God match this?