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?

A Promise to Remember

A Promise to Remember

Genesis 24: Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. ² So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh, ³ and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; ⁴ but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

 

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After years of difficulties, Abraham finally saw the promise GOD made to him come to fruition. Isaac was born through Sarah who was barren for ninety years. They lived with the promised child for thirty-seven years, but then Sarah died. Isaac was in his thirties. Abraham made the leader of his household swear to find a wife for his son in the land where he grew up.

 

My Observations:

• GOD did not provide the servant’s name.
• Placing his hand under Abraham’s thigh would be an action that is so odd and uncomfortable, that he would definitely remember the promise.
• Abraham did not know how long it would take to find a wife for Isaac, so he made his servant swear by the LORD, who would always be watching.

 

Living around the Hittites and the Canaanites may have provided safety and possibly the comforts of the best standards of living. But Abraham recognized that the people were not followers of GOD. He wanted the best for his son, so he made his servant swear that he would not find a wife locally, but return to his original home to find relatives who would believed and walked with the LORD.

 

The servant would remember the strange request for the rest of his life. Abraham was very serious about following GOD because of all GOD had taken him through. He was blessed “in all things.” Every animal and crop was fruitful and multiplied well. Every business deal went well. Even his health was solid. He even had a loyal servant who benefitted from GOD’s blessings.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think GOD told Moses about Abraham making his servant swear not to choose a wife for Isaac amongst the Hittites and the Canaanites?
• Have you remained loyal to GOD all your days?
• What does long lasting loyalty to GOD look like in your promises?

Swearing

Matthew 23: ¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? ¹⁸ You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. ²² And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

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“I swear I will never do that again” were my empty words of whatever sin I did at the time and felt I got hurt by it. I actually swore by something that I would “never” do something again and probably did that thing the next week or even the next day.

• In the past I have taking my “swears” lightly.
• In the past I have taken my “oaths” with a grain of salt.
• In the past I have treated my “vows” as something to find loopholes in.

Swearing is a part of GOD that is probably taken the most seriously. HE holds HIMSELF accountable to HIS sworn word. HE never lies. Whatever HE says, HE does. Unfortunately I have not been as diligent. For a number of reasons, more like excuses, I have travelled away from my “sworn” word in the past. BUT GOD makes that right.

• GOD wants me to swear only when necessary.
• GOD wants me to take an oath only when I am sure I can keep it.
• GOD wants me to state a vow only when I know I have HIM on my side to enable the vow to be kept.

The Pharisees manipulated their congregations into swearing by money and gifts and not by the grouping of the people which is the church. GOD saw through their evil plan and sees through my pitiful sworn word. HE wants me to swear on occasion and to make it sacred.

• Have you sworn without the means to keep your word?
• Have you sworn in order to get out of trouble?
• Can you swear on occasion and admit to GOD you need help upholding your end of the bargain?