The Joy of Glory

Exodus 6:2-7 (click here to read the entire passage)
Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. (Exodus 6:6-7)

Reflection
“Do you know who I am? I’m your Papa!”

I have spoken those words to each of my children shortly after they were born. The words were absolutely true, even though there was no way they could know what they meant. How would they come to know what it means for me to be their Papa? What would fill up those words with meaning?

Sure… over time, as their ability to communicate grew, I would continue to speak meaning into our relationship. I would tell them more and more about what it meant for me to be their Papa and for them to be my child. BUT, while my words might outline a “black and white” sketch of who I am, it would be my actions that would color the picture of my identity in their lives!

I could tell them that as their Papa I am an authority figure in their life, but the exercise of authority would color what that means. I could tell them I love, protect, and provide for them, I long to teach them and play with them and lead them, but again… my actions must match my words in order for my children to truly KNOW what it means for me to be their Papa.

My words are important! Without them, my actions might be misinterpreted. It’d be kind of like random colors on a page with no black lines to define what you’re seeing. To know me, my children need my words and my actions… they need the outline and the color.

“Do you know who I am? I am the LORD!”

This is the reality that God unfolds for his people in Exodus 6. He is the covenant-keeping God… the LORD… Yahweh. BUT what does that mean?

God doesn’t leave the picture in black in white… he adds color to his words via his actions. What does it mean that he is the LORD? “I am the LORD… I WILL bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians… I WILL deliver you from slavery… I WILL redeem you…”

The LORD is the rescuer… the deliverer… the redeemer… and through these words married with his actions the LORD says his people will come to KNOW him! “I will take you to be my people… and you shall know that I am the LORD your God…”

We come to know the LORD in this same way for he has most fully revealed himself as our rescuer, deliverer, and redeemer in his WORD made flesh… his WORD in action… his WORD named Jesus.

If you want to know the LORD, you know him through Jesus.

No sharper lines have been drawn with words and no brighter colors displayed through actions than through Jesus! You want to see God in high definition that makes 4K look blurry, then look to Jesus! “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…” (Hebrews 1:3a)

Do you want to see and know God more today? Look to Jesus!

“Do you know who I am?… I am the LORD!… I am Jesus!”

 
*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.