“And God spake all these words saying,”
Within the space of a few months, the subjugated children of Jacob had received a visitation from a man coming out of the wilderness who said he was sent to deliver them from bondage. When asked who had sent him, Moses’ response was, “I am”. It did not matter if these people understood the meaning of the name or the person it described for deliverance had come. They then witnessed event after event as the hand of this “I am” brought judgment upon the gods, the people and the king of the fortification, Egypt. They also saw as this protecting force shielded them from these plagues as they devastated the nation, the last of which, killed the firstborn of the house of Pharaoh. These people had nothing to do with these events. They stood by and witnessed the majesty of “I am” till finally, in the fullness of time, 600,352 people left the defenses, but it was not over. Moses led them, by the direction of the Spirit of God to a land trap with the sea before them and the armies behind them. They stood still and watched the pillar of fire move from the front of procession to the rear, protecting them from superior military forces. They saw Moses raise his arms and the wind (breath) of God caused the sea to stand on end and be held back as they all passed dry-shod across the sea. They stood on the opposite shore and watched the waters return and destroy Pharaoh and his power. Now 90 days later, they were assembled at the base of the mountain in the wilderness called Sinai.
God had led them every step of the way and, up to this point, had spoken to them by His servant Moses. “God who at sundry time and in diverse manners, spake in times past unto us by the prophets,” is what took place from the time Moses was sent into Egypt until the time they left the ‘restings’ (Rephidim) and came to the ‘pasture of thorns’ , wilderness of Sinai. Then our text, “And God spoke with all these words saying”. No one could mediate these words for they are the Word, the Power and the Truth of God. Only He could introduce Himself to this delivered armada by saying, “I am”. The same name which He gave to Moses on the mount by the burning bush that was not consumed and the same name by which He came forth and delivered His chosen people.
He asked for no help, made no offers and needed no mediator as He said “I am Jehovah”. He is the self existing, self sustaining Almighty One who performs all the intent of His heart and as He had spoken to Moses, so it came to pass. But He did not leave this introduction being distant and impersonal for He continued by saying, “I am Jehovah YOUR God”. Once again He did not ask anyone if they wanted Him as their God, He had not won the election for the office of God and He did not care if they understood what had happened, He said ‘I am your God’.
He then gives His credentials of achievements as He revealed that ALL that had transpired, that they had seen with their eyes, heard with their ears and witnessed to testify of, was His doing and no one else’s. He did not need business cards or an e-mail address, a traveling minstrel or eloquent speaker to represent Him or to persuade these people to believe in Him, it was a simple statement of irrefutable fact, ‘I brought you out of the land of Egypt and delivered you from the house of bondage’. Therefore, “besides Me there are no other gods to you” (3). He did not present an offer of if, or present alternatives to this assembly, as they witnessed the enfolding fire of the dark clouds, saw the lightening, heard the thunder and the voice which came from within, He commanded them and it was so.
He proclaims that He is a passionate God who has ‘counted the wickedness of His enemies’ in exact measurements and sufficient quantity. He has poured out the mixture of their sin according to the good pleasure of His will. He was not compiling a ledger of all the bad things those that didn’t like Him were doing, He had ordained such before the foundation of the world and they were written in the books of Revelation 20:12, by which the dead are judged, according to their works. Not that perverse parable of ‘the fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge’ (Jer. 31:29) but the father upon the children unto the third and fourth. By an irrefutable proof of three and four witnesses the fathers and the children of the seed of enmity, the enemies of God, have been created and reserved unto judgment, assigned their wickedness in portion to be fulfilled in the vessels outfitted for destruction.
Equally so, and of comfort and peace to His children, He said, “having an unfailing love unto the whole of My lover (beloved) who are keeping My commandments”. Not to those who have decided to, are giving a good show and attempt or those who accept Me and make Me lord of their life, He has an everlasting love for His Bride, His seed, His people, His church and they continually, without possibility o failure, are keeping His commandments. This is not Adam for when God gave Moses the ‘handwriting of ordinances’ Moses shattered them on the ground demonstrating that they were broken before the people received them because no flesh and be made perfect by them. This preamble to the ‘ministration of condemnation’ affirmed that His people, who are born from above, cannot violate His law for that which is born from above cannot sin. They are faithful because His name is ‘faithful and true’ and being hewn from that Rock who is the ay the Truth and the Life they are ’living stones’. This seed is the generation of Jesus Christ, the children which became partakers of he earthen vessels afore prepared unto glory.
Despite what the dispensationalist would care to market about as truth, these two rivers have flown concurrent with each other from the beginning and shall unto the end. One is a broad way that lead the wicked to destruction and the lake of fire, which is the second death. The other is the pasture of thorns wherein dwells the sheep of the Lord. It is a narrow path but it is the way of the footsteps of the flock where the kids feed by the shepherd’s tent (Song 1:8).
Your servant in Christ,
(Elder) Chet Dirkes
September 26, 2010