Wednesday, April 19, 2023

            We all have ways of introducing ourselves.  You might share your name or your vocation (or what you once did).  You might share your address or hometown.  You might share some details about your family.  In Leviticus, God had a six-word way of introducing Himself.  He said, “I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 26:1b).  And He said this more than once in Leviticus (and certainly more than once in Scripture as a whole).  The way that God chose to introduce Himself is significant and important.  And there are some truths that we need to see. These truths carry meaning for us today.    
            First, God said, “I am.”  He simply is.  God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  There has never been a second of existence without God.  And there will never be a single second where God does not exist.  The Bible makes no attempt to explain God’s origin because He has no origin.  He has always existed.  He has no ending on the horizon.  He does not give out, wear out, break down or burn out.  In Genesis 1:1, we read, “In the beginning, God...”  Again, God is.  In Revelation we read, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).  God has changelessly existed in the past, present and future.
            Second, God said, “I am the LORD.”  He is the great I AM.  He is without equal and cannot be captured in any idolatrous representation or efforts.  God is the One who causes all things to be.  To be the LORD means He is sovereign.  He reigns—always and at all times.  He does not share His throne or crown with any other entity.  Satan learned this reality the hard way by being booted out of the presence of God.  He is inextricably anchored to the throne of authority, control and power.  God spoke the creation into existence.  God created time and seasons.  God made the laws of science and physics that govern how we live even at this moment as we write or read these words.
            Third, God said, “I am the LORD your God.”  He introduced Himself as the God of Israel.  He was also described as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  God connected Himself to the affairs of history and today.  The Bible says, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:18).  Just as Israel could enjoy the favor of God, so can we.  Many of the nations that surrounded Israel had their own particular gods, goddesses or deities that they sacrificed to and to whom they offered allegiances.  But Israel was to be different.  Israel belonged to the one true God of the universe.  Their relationship was often likened to that of a marriage where Israel was to be betrothed wholly and completely to the Lord.  Today, we are not to divide our faith and loyalty between God and lesser things.  We are to be His people—to know Him, to walk with Him, to worship Him and to trust Him.
            We give thanks that God is real and that we can know Him and always lean on Him.  He is infinitely more than we could ever imagine or begin to describe with human words and ways.  Perhaps we are best suited to settle where Leviticus settled and simply recognize that the LORD is our God and to remember His words spoken long ago, “I am the LORD your God.”  David knew Him as a gracious and faithful shepherd.  The disciples knew Him first-hand and face to face.  Moses knew Him as the great liberator of Israel and as the One who parted the waters of the Red Sea.  He is the LORD God.  Have a great Wednesday!  Remember to worship any time you wish at youtube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.  Join us tonight for a full slate of activities and studies.