Who God is, what He has done and how it relates to us…the bedrock of our faith. Over and over again in the Old Testament God calls his people to committment by appealing to His identity and His mighty acts. Our part is response. This is covenant language at its best, which is another subject I hope to post on soon.
12 times in the Old Testament God says, “I am the Lord who…”
14 times in the Old Testament God says, “I am the Lord your God who…”
See if you notice any similarity in what God says when He appeals to who He is and what He has done and the response He desires from us.
- Gen 15:7 – “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”
- Isa 44:24 – “This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself…”
- Exo 20:2 – “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”
- Lev 26:13 – “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.“
- Exo 6:7 – “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.“
- Lev 11:45 – “I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”
- Lev 19:36 – “Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt.”
- Lev 25:38 – “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.”
- Exo 15:26 – “If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.”
- Num 15:41 – “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.”
- Exo 31:13 – “so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.”
- Lev 20:8 – “Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy.”
- Lev 21:15 – “I am the LORD, who makes him holy.”
- Lev 21:23 – “I am the LORD, who makes them holy.”
- Lev 22:9 – “I am the LORD, who makes them holy.”
- Lev 22:16 – “I am the LORD, who makes them holy.”
- Lev 22:32 – ” Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who makes you holy“
- Isa 48:17 – “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”
- Hosea 13:4 – “But I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me.”
- Psalm 81:10 – “I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.”
- Isa 41:13 – ” For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
Notice anything? Each time God follows that with a verb – action. God has taken action on our behalf and he hopes we will respond. Normally this action comes as some form of deliverance. What response does he desire? He desires that we remember what He has done and desire to live holy lives as His people.
When hard times come your way remember the faithful deeds of God in your past and remember that He is still the same today as He was then. Remember that He is faithful. Remember that no matter what He still desires us to be faithful. No matter what calamity falls on us or what ills come our way our God is faithful and He expects us to be faithful too. Call on Him for help and wait expectantly for His answer and His action because He is the Lord our God who has done everything for us. He probably hasn’t rescued you in Egypt but chances are He has rescued you from something else. Fill in the blank for yourself – He is the Lord who ______ – with a faithful act of God from your past. It may be “He is the Lord who rescued me from addiction” or “He is the Lord who blessed me with a child.” Whatever the case may be, remind yourself with that phrase when things get difficult in your life and remember He is just as faithful today as He was back then!
