I just read the story of the great exodus from Egypt again. I already had marked all the plagues, clucked my tongue at Pharaoh’s hard heart, marveled at the Egyptians’ generosity to the escaping Israelites, and bowed in awe at Passover’s foreshadowing of Christ’s salvation. But Scripture is a deep, deep mine, and rereading it I spotted another jewel.
God’s purpose for all that drama was not confined to freeing slaves and moving Israelites back to their promised land. No, He states his goal many times in the book of Exodus. Through theatrics, God shows who He is so that people will know “I am the LORD”.
God casts a wide net of opportunity to know Him. The plagues in Exodus show Pharaoh (7:17) and the Egyptians (7:5, 14:4, 18) that He is LORD. Even Moses, who already met the great “I AM”, is singled out as recognizing the LORD in the signs (10:2). When God speaks to the Israelites (6:7, 11:7, 16:12) or about their descendants (29:46) the knowledge is more specific: “I am the LORD your God”.
Despite devastating upheaval, Pharaoh refused to acknowledge the LORD as God. Little did he know that he would bring glory to God anyway; check out the demise of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen (14:18, 28). It is clear that God does not forget you even if you reject Him. And the effects of spurning God are not limited to the end of life; those who do not know God are slaves to something or someone else who is not God (Galatians 4:8).
God wants us to know Him, to acknowledge that He is the Lord. The drama in the Old Testament is surpassed by the big story of the New Testament: “I AM” became man! Why? so we could know Him. Jesus came to earth to die for our sins and bridge the gap between us and God. The Holy Spirit actually lives inside those who believe this amazing story to gain eternal life. Eavesdrop on Jesus talking with his Father: Now this is eternal life: knowing you, the one true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3).
Knowing is personal. It is not a tradition or a vague sense of possibility. Knowing is confidence and commitment to truth. Do you believe in Jesus Christ and know that He is the Lord your God?
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