Tuesday, March 6, 2018

I AM WHO I AM

I'm studying Exodus right now.  Exodus is my favorite book in the Bible.  I can so relate to Moses and the Israelites.  They are constantly messing up and God is constantly pulling their fat out of the fire.  

At the beginning of Exodus, we find that Pharaoh is oppressing the Israelites.  Besides enslaving them he wanted Hebrew boys killed immediately after birth.  The midwives let the Hebrew boys live.  One of these was Moses and his mother hid him as long as she could. Then she put him in the Nile.  Moses' sister 'helps' Pharaoh's daughter find him.  She even brings her mother to the princess to nurse Moses.  

Moses grows up in Pharaoh's palace but runs when he kills an Egyptian for beating a Hebrew.  Moses thought that no one saw him murder the Egyptian but when he finds out that people know, he flees.  Moses makes a nice life for himself Midian.  He has a wife.  He works for his father in law, Jethro as a shepherd.  

During this same time, we learn that God has heard the cries of the Israelites and He plans to use Moses to free them.  The Angel of the LORD appears to Moses in a burning bush.  God identifies himself as “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

Then God tells Moses that He will send Moses to Pharaoh and tell Pharaoh to free the Israelites.  God even gives him a script. A script! How many times have I wished God would tell me exactly what to say and exactly when to say it?

And Moses responds just like I would, like I have: "who me? Not me.  I'm not good enough."  Actually, he asks God "What if they ask for your name?"

And God tells him: I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.’” 

{I like to project things onto people.  When I read this, I project sassiness on to God.  "I am who I am" might as well be "I'm the momma, that's why".}

But God isn't sassy.  He's love.  In Exodus, He wants to deliver His people from slavery. He has a plan that He intends Moses to carry out.  He knew He would be with Moses.  He knew He would guide Moses, help him at every step and help him be the leader Israel needed.

Now, He wants to deliver us from the slavery of our sin.  He wants what's best for us.  He wants us to grow in the process.  We don't get to wake up tomorrow better people and in the exact place He wants us.  He has many things to teach us so we have to walk through the process. 

Moses learns this through out Exodus.  He forgets and God reminds him.  We forget and God reminds us. He's the one with the plan.  He is the great I AM.  



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