I Swear by MY Name

I Swear by MY Name

Exodus 6: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

 

² And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the Lord. ³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them. ⁴ I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. 

 

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Moses went back to see GOD, possibly on Mount Horeb. He told GOD that Pharaoh had turned up the cruelty after he said to Pharaoh, “Let MY people go.” GOD responded to Moses by telling him the promise HE made and restated HIS name.

 

My Observations:

• GIOD told Moses that not only will Pharaoh let the people go, he would force them out.
• GOD restated HIS name “YHWH” meaning Yahweh, meaning “I AM WHO I AM.”
• GOD restated the promise that the land of Canaan would be given to HIS people.

 

Problems with the plan immediately popped up when Pharaoh showed some resistance. GOD told Moses that HE met with generations of people, so Pharaoh cannot outlive HIM. HE also states that HE is GOD and that nothing can stop HIS plan.

 

GOD swore by HIS own name that HIS promise would be kept. Nothing can stop the great I AM. Moses was having a hard time being the spokesperson for GOD. You may feel the same way. BUT GOD promises are never broken. HE is who HE says HE is.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about what HE was going to do with HIS deliverance?
• Has GOD promised you anything and swore by HIS name that it would happen?
• Will you believe in GOD’s promises because HE swore by HIS name that it would happen?

Something About That Place

Something About That Place

Genesis 46: So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. ² Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!”

 

And he said, “Here I am.”

 

³ So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. ⁴ I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.”

 

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“Israel” packed up all that he had and began to move to Egypt. He had all kinds of animals, worldly possessions and servants. On his way to Egypt, he stopped at a very familiar place, namely Beersheba. There he offered a sacrifice to GOD and stayed the night. He got a vision from GOD.

 

My Observations:

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob heard from GOD at Beersheba, each being promised that they would be part of creating a “great nation.”

Israel would not have moved, nor would he have gone to Beersheba if it wasn’t for the famine.

“Jacob” was used when GOD spoke to him, but “Israel” was used when GOD was talking to the nation within him.

 

Israel is more than a place; it was the group of people GOD chose to become a human through. Because of Abraham’s faith in GOD and his obedience, GOD chose his family lineage to save all of mankind.

 

GOD reassured Jacob that HIS promise was still in effect. Beersheba was a chosen meeting place for this family. People came and went from Beersheba daily, BUT GOD spoke to this family at that location. Just like Jacob, GOD is moving you and me to the place HE wants us to be effective.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about this encounter with Jacob at Beersheba?
• Has GOD declared something in your life that hasn’t come to fruition yet?
• Where is GOD taking you and have you allowed HIM to speak to you?