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.
There are many who are depending on the faith that was in their parents or grand-parents, and the Lord is not pleased with this. God desires to have a personal relationship with each and every one of us. As individuals we should be able to acknowledge that God is our personal God. Our faith cannot stand on the prayer life of our grand-parents or on the fact that they labored hard to establish churches in many places. Our personal prayer life, our faith in God and our labor for the Kingdom of God is what will count, and none of us can stand on the faith or works of our ancestors.
For too long we have been running after worldly pursuits and possessions, but now when the entire world is challenged with this huge crisis, let this be a time when we turn to the Lord. The more time we spend with the Lord the closer we will get in our relationship with Him. We often think that if we spend an hour in church on Sunday we have done our duty for the week. There are many who make excuse that they have to work all seven days to keep their business going, and are therefore unable to attend church on Sundays. Today however, we are all confined to our homes with no way to go out to carry out any of our work or business. We must never forget that God is our provider, He is the one who feeds us and we must learn to look to Him and depend on Him fully.
The Lord calls to each one of us to have a personal relationship with Him and spend much time in fellowship with Him. Children cannot piggyback on their parent’s faith nor can believers hang on to the faith of their pastors. Instead may each one of us seek the Lord ardently, and yearn to have that personal relationship with Him.
What happens when we live in the past?
We read in John 8:39, “They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did,” (ESV)
The Jews who gathered to hear Jesus gloated over the fact that Abraham was their Father or that they were descendants of Abraham. Abraham was the father of faith, but these Jews were far removed from the faith that Abraham had. Jesus was helping them understand that their actions were in complete contradiction to those of Abraham. They had become so bound with traditions that they could not have a meaningful relationship with God.
There are some who take pride in the fact that they have been Christians for over five generations. There are others who may rejoice that they were born into a Christian family. However, true Christian are those who are truly born of the Holy Spirit, because they are the ones who can know the Lord genuinely.
When Nicodemus, a ruler of the Sanhedrin came to Jesus by night, Jesus had to explain to him the need to be born again. Each one of us must have this experience of being born again, where we can be certain that we have this vibrant relationship with the Lord on a daily basis. Many of us claim to be believers in the Lord Jesus, but our faith does not exhibit itself in the way we live and through our actions. The Lord is not pleased with this discrepancy.
John the Baptist preached a similar message.
We read in Matthew 3:9, “And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.” (ESV)
As John the Baptist preached in the wilderness, a great multitude gathered to listen to his message. Many of them who heard these messages repented of their sins and were baptized by John the Baptist. In one of those sermons John mentioned to them the above mentioned words as recorded in Matthew 3:9. He admonished the crowds that they should not be content with the thought that Abraham was their father and that they were his children. He further cautioned them that God was well able to raise up children for Abraham from stones that were there.
John the Baptist had to warn the ones who gathered to hear him, that if they did not feel sorry for their sins and repent, the Lord would take lifeless stones that probably were strewn near the river, and bring new life into them. These lifeless stones referred to those who the Jews thought were outsiders, who were not children of Abraham, and hence unfit to enter the Kingdom of God. However, these outsiders by placing their faith in Jesus, are being made alive and entering into the Kingdom of God, to become His children.
There is no point in boasting about our ancestors who are Christian, but rather we must rejoice that we know the Lord or rather are known by Him, for only then we are real Christians. As we are locked down, this is the time for us to in sincerity turn to God and repent of all our sins, to renew our relationship with Him. If we did not seek the Lord when we had the freedom to do so, this may be God’s opportune time when we are shut in to turn our attention towards God.
In the past we may have in our times of crisis run to our family members, friends or our pastors. Now, this is the time to pursue after God and desire His intervention in our life situations. We might have noticed that there is a gradual decline in the way people seek after God. Parents might have been zealous for the Lord, praying fervently, reading the word, worshiping the Lord and attending all services on Sundays. Their children who are not so keen may just be mediocre in their faith and attend a couple of services. Sadly, their children will be indifferent to God, and will have no time for God with no desire to attend church or be in fellowship with other believers. This is the time to get back to God every one of us from the eldest to the youngest. We live in a world that has great advancements in technology, but sadly, we have used most of these for our selfish pursuits, instead of bringing glory to the Lord.
Let us not be content to think of God as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but let us experience a personal faith in God that would be as firm as the faith that was found in Abraham. God truly longs to have a close communion with us, if we are willing to spend time in His presence.
We read in Mark 13:1, “And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!"” (ESV)
When we read the above mentioned verse, it is quite evident that the disciples of Jesus did not have a proper understanding or revelation of who Jesus really was. They showed Jesus the temple and wanted Jesus to marvel at magnificence of the stones and the structure of the building. Jesus was not impressed by what the disciples tried to exhibit to Him, neither was He captivated by it.
There are many today who exult in the fact that their churches have celebrated their centenary and that the building is a heritage structure. Some of these ancient churches have fantastic and artistic interiors too, but the question is ‘Do those of us who worship there have the faith that the Lord is looking for?’ The word of God reminds us that God does not consider things the way man does. While man looks at the outward appearance, God looks deep down into our hearts. God is not bothered about how old our church buildings are, but He is definitely concerned about how deep is our faith in Him.
If we are parents whose children have not been saved, let us cry out to the Lord on their behalf and so also as children, if our parents have not committed their lives to Jesus, it is our obligation to plead with the Lord for them. May we grow strong in our faith in the Lord for we are reminded in 1 John 5:4, “And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (ESV)
Let us recap what God said 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” God was pleased with Abraham because he stood firm in His faith in God. Even when God commanded him to sacrifice his only son Isaac, who was the child of promise, Abraham did not hesitate.
When Moses obeyed God and went back to Egypt, the people of Israel questioned him as to who was the God who sent him to deliver them. Moses told them that it was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who had sent him. The people could connect with God as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but not as their own God.
However the people of Israel after witnessing the parting of the Red Sea and the mighty deliverance of God from the hands of the Egyptians by God for them, they were able to say those words that were 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)
God will not be contented for us to claim that He is the God of our fathers or our ancestors, but God would delight in our testimonies that say, we have a personal relationship with God and our faith in Him is growing deeper day by day. Like the Psalmist said in Psalm 91:2, we too can say of the Lord, “I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."”
Pastor F. Andrew Dixon
Transcribed by Sis. Esther Collins
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