Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Exodus 3:6 Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father -- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."
OUR HOLY GOD IS A GOD OF FAITHFUL LOVE
When the Lord's Angel appeared to Moses in the burning bush, His ultimate purpose wasn't to make him feel troubled and disturbed because of his sinful condition. His primary aim was to reveal Himself to Moses as the God of faithfulness who forgives sin for His own sake. (Read Isaiah 43:25.)
Notice how He identifies Himself as the God of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In other words (the Lord was saying to Moses): "I am the God who long ago gave to your forefathers the precious promise of a Savior, repeating it time and again. I am the God who keeps, not some, not most, but all My promises. So you need not shrink back from Me in fear. You need not feel reluctant about going to Pharaoh in My name with the command to 'let My people go.' I, the Lord in whom you trust, will be with you. I will surely keep My promise to lead My people out of Egyptian bondage and guide them to the Promised Land. Most importantly, I will fulfill My word to send a Savior to liberate you from bondage to sin and Satan and bring you safely to the heavenly Canaan."
This was the Lord's loving intent on the Mount of Transfiguration too. He wanted to assure the disciples, trembling in fear at the sight of His heavenly glory, that what they soon would witness at Jerusalem -- His bloody Passion -- was the culmination of His marvelous salvation plan. It was the very means by which He would obliterate the sin barrier and reconcile the world to Himself.
This is the glorious meaning of the Lenten season into which we will soon enter. Our God will impress on us again (we can't hear it too often) the wonderful news that He so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life. These are the blessed truths which Moses and Elijah were talking about with Jesus on the mountain in the presence of the disciples for their comfort and encouragement in the faith. He continues to use the same truths for our comfort and encouragement.
Praise Him for His faithful love!
