Which God?
Read it Aloud: Moreover, he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God (Exodus 3:6).
Ponder It Prayerfully: God introduced Himself. Every time we encounter somebody who claims to be God or from God, we should ask who it is. An angel from God will not receive worship from a human being so any angel before whom you bow, who accepts your worship is not from God. The Lord will introduce Himself by His Name. He will not just say He is God, because there are many gods. He will tell you which God He is.
He introduced Himself to Moses as the God of his father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He introduced Himself to Paul as “Jesus Christ, whom thou persecutest.” He introduced Himself to John as “Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.”
The God of thy father. God was indicating that He was not distant at all, nor was He a foreign god. He was revered by Moses’ father Amram, who was a Levite priest.
The God of Abraham. God gave Abraham a son when he was an old man; Romans 4 tells us his body was dead and Sarah’s womb was dead but he did not stagger at God’s promise. After waiting for this son for a hundred years, God asked Abraham to offer him up, and Abraham obeyed. God is the God who rewards sincere and unwavering faith. The Bible says “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
The God of Isaac. God is the God of all “good people” who go through “bad things.” In reality, we are all bad and wretched (Romans 3:23). Still, God is just and He notices when we are treated unfairly. Isaac was deceived by his son Jacob when he was blind (Genesis 27). God is also the God of human beings, who are guaranteed to make mistakes. He understands our frailty (Psalm 103:14) and has mercy on us.
The God of Jacob. Jacob’s name had been changed to Israel (Genesis 35:9-10). Why did He not call Himself the God of Israel in this instance? He is the God who knows our mistakes and calls us as we are, and then changes us into who He desires us to be. He meets us at our point of need – when we are supplanters, when we are sinners and deceivers.
Here is a blessing in that verse. God calls us when we are Jacobs – deceivers and supplanters. He forgives us when we make mistakes, like Isaac. He perfects our faith, and then rewards it, like He did to Abraham. He is not only the God of the living, but He is a God of progress.
But Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were long buried at this time. Why would God say He is their God? Ultimately, from this scripture, we see that God is a God of covenant. He keeps His Word. He was here to deliver His people and take them to the place that He had promised their fathers they would see. This scripture shows us that there is hope beyond this life; we do not just exist and then waste away. Because of Jesus, we have eternal life.
Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. In our human nature, when we truly understand God’s glory, majesty and holiness, we realize our inadequacies and our utter helplessness without Him. In Isaiah 6, we are told that the angels covered their faces with two of their wings.
Be A Doer (James 1:22): The God who knows us intimately will never break His covenant with us. He is a holy God, worthy of all our reverence, yet He gives us access to His presence by the Blood of His Son Jesus. Our journey of salvation is one where we are called when we are weak and helpless, and strengthened until we have the faith of Abraham and are called His friends. No matter what stage of our walk we are at, God is our God. He is everlasting, and He gives us eternal life. Small wonder Moses sings of this in Psalm 90.
Hide It In Your Heart (Psalm 119:11): Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God (Psalm 90:1-2).
Pray it Personally: God, it is an honour to be Your child. You know me inside out, yet You still chose me. Thank You for reminding me that You are a God of covenant and an everlasting Father. Keep me in the shadow of Your wings, and let Your omnipresence comfort me, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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