My God Series

We read in Psalm 91:1-2, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."” (ESV)

The Psalmist had a personal relationship with God, and therefore could say of Him, ‘My refuge and my fortress and my God.’ It would be good for us to evaluate ourselves, to see if we and our children can make this declaration of the Psalmist our testimony as well.

The song of praise the children of Israel sang unto the Lord. It is recorded in Exodus 15:1-2, “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.” (ESV)

If we study the above mentioned verses carefully, we will realize that personal pronouns ‘I’ and ‘me’ are mentioned repeatedly. This was the song Moses and the people of Israel sang after the amazing deliverance the Lord wrought for them by parting the Red Sea to bring them to safety. This was an anthem of praise to God who triumphed over Pharaoh and the armies of Egypt, who drowned in the sea.

As they crossed the Red Sea the Israelites must have been gripped with fear as they gazed at the huge walls of water on either side of them, as they walked on the dry ground that God had paved for them. The same waters which parted to save them, was also the waters that the Lord used to destroy the armies of the Egyptians who were in pursuit of them. Their hearts were therefore filled with praise to God as they referred to Him as ‘my God’, ‘my strength’, ‘my salvation’, ‘my God and my Father’s God.’

Let us look at some incidents that preceded this event.

Moses encountered God at the burning bush!

Moses fled from Egypt to escape Pharaoh’s anger and ended up in Midian. In the land of Midian, Moses tended his father in law’s sheep for forty years. His life as a prince in Egypt must have almost been forgotten in those forty years when Moses led the life of an ordinary shepherd. One day as Moses went about the mundane job of watching his sheep, his attention was drawn to a spectacular sight. He noticed a bush was on fire that was not consumed by the flames. Being familiar with the surrounding and realizing that this was something strange, he approached it, to discover that it was God trying to get his attention.

This was the word of the Lord to Moses in Exodus 3:6, “And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (ESV)

We might have read or heard this verse many times, but we are going to try and understand as to why God introduced Himself this way to Moses. God did not introduce Himself as Adam’s God, though Adam was the first created man. Neither did God say, He was the God of Noah, though Noah obeyed God to build the ark, and was saved from the floods that destroyed the entire world. Enoch was a righteous man who ‘walked with God’ and yet God did not choose to say, ‘He was the God of Enoch’. However, God chose to reveal Himself as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

Why did God reveal Himself the way He did to Moses?

It was only in the call of Abraham that God’s redemptive plan for mankind was initiated. The call of God to Abraham was different from that of Noah or Enoch in that God wanted Abraham to come out of his country and from his people, to be one separated unto God. God chose Abraham to be the one through whom God began the process of redemption and restoration of the intimate fellowship between God and man that broke down at the Garden of Eden. This was why God referred to Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the burning bush.

Firstly, God wanted Moses to recognize that He was continuing through him that redemptive act that He had already begun with Abraham. Secondly, God wanted Moses to recognize God as his own God who would use him to bring about a mighty deliverance. That is why, God spoke to Moses and told him that He was the one who was sending him to Pharaoh.