"What is his name?". It has been a joy of late and recent leading (along with other leaders) Sovereign Grace Church of Lagrange through the names of God each Sunday and in our Care Groups. I am who I am is the name God revealed to Moses, Pharaoh and the Hebrews Pharaoh enslaved as God was promising the Hebrews that He was going to set them free from Egyptian captivity (Ex.3). This marked a water shed moment in the life and history of the Hebrew people; aka the Israelites. From the moment the Lord their God, I am who I am, set them free from captivity their lives became indelibly marked by their knowledge of Him. As they lived as God's people they continued to discover who the Lord their God is in greater ways as they experience the reality of His presence in their lives in accordance with 1) who He revealed himself to be to them and 2) how he revealed himself in their varying situations.
For instance, soon after revealing Himself as I am who I am Israel finds themselves in a situation of thirst (Ex.15:22-27). They are on their salvation journey to the promised land and they found themselves parched and without a water source. Moses turned to the Lord their God - I am who I am - to relieve them of their arid situation. God responded and transformed their bitter and thirsty experience into a sweet and thirst quenched experience. In so doing God revealed himself as Jehovah Rapha or the Lord God who heals. They came to know the Lord God who delivered them through His revealing presence in their situation. Soon after that God revealed Himself by the name Jehovah Nissi or the Lord God of victory (victory banner) as they were involved in battle with Amalek (Ex.17:8-16). Knowing their God by name or in personal terms was to be central to them. Knowing God by name was so central God made it clear to them that He wanted to be remembered or to be known by them "throughout all generations" (Ex.3:15; cf.Deut.4:23-24, 35, 39, 7:9, 8:11-20).
What is the point? Well, after the Israelites came to know the Lord God of their salvation - I am who I am (Yahweh) - they continued to know Him more and more as they lived for and followed Him. As they continued to exist as His people who had been saved He became increasingly known among them. This 'growing knowing' is analogous to a child being born. Upon entering into a new world of sorts the child essentially has a tabula rasa or blank slate. The child's father is essentially unrecognizable to the child initially. As time passes and the child lives in relation to his/her father the child continues growing in his/her knowledge of the father. The child encounters the father in different ways throughout their experience and the father makes himself known in more and more ways to them by way of making himself known.
We too are in relation to our Father in heaven having been 'reconciled' (2 Cor.5:18) to our Father as bona fide adopted children (Rom.8:16-17) in, by and through Jesus Christ (Rom.8:17; Gal.4:4-7 et al). We are born again unto the Father. This new status as children in renewed relation to our Father in heaven is a life wrapped up by and bound up in 'knowing' our Father (John 17:3). Our lives as children of the Father engenders continuing to grow in our understanding and knowledge of Him as our Father. A knowing that we advance in throughout our respective salvation journey's. Just as Israel continued to increase in their knowledge and understanding of the Lord their God - I am who I am (Yahweh) - so we too will increase in our knowledge and understanding of the same Lord our God - I am who I am. He has communicated to us who He is for us to actually know Him. I am fond of J.I Packer's comments on why God communicates who He is to His people in his book Knowing God, "That word communication, it seems to me has all the right vibrations. It conveys the thoughts of someone, in this case God, approaching us, telling us something, presenting himself to us, asking us for our attention, actually giving us something."
We find the Father making Himself known in, by and through Jesus Christ who identified Himself as the great 'I am (who I am)' (John 8:58). When Phillip asked Jesus to show he and the disciples the Father Christ replied, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say 'Show us the Father'? Do you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?" (John 14:8-11). How then are we able to personally grow in our knowledge of our Father?
We find the Father making Himself known in, by and through Jesus Christ who identified Himself as the great 'I am (who I am)' (John 8:58). When Phillip asked Jesus to show he and the disciples the Father Christ replied, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say 'Show us the Father'? Do you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?" (John 14:8-11). How then are we able to personally grow in our knowledge of our Father?
1) Pray or maintain regular conversation (communion) with our Father as Christ teaches and shows us (Matt. 26:36-46; Mark 1:35; Luke 6:6-13; John 16:16; 17; 1 John 1:3)
2) Listen to His words by reading and reflecting on His word. (Josh.1:8; Deut. 6:4-9; Heb.1:1-2; 2 Psalm 119; Tim.3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; not to mention all the prophets speaking God's Words and
their call for the people to hear)
3) Speak to others who know Father God and hear from them about the Father. (Job 32:10,33:1; Heb.13:7; 1 John 4:6; 1 Cor.3:21-22)
their call for the people to hear)
3) Speak to others who know Father God and hear from them about the Father. (Job 32:10,33:1; Heb.13:7; 1 John 4:6; 1 Cor.3:21-22)
4) Doing these things in, through, and by Jesus. We look to Jesus. Knowing Jesus is knowing the Father (John 14:7, 8-11; 17:25-26; 1:18)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
