Exposure

“You were shown these things so that you would know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides Him.” (Deuteronomy 4:35)

Moses said the words above to all Israel when they were poised to enter Canaan. His words came in the context of his message that Israel remain true to its worship of the Lord and not engage in the worship of idols and false gods. “These things” Moses is talking about are the miracles the Lord performed in Egypt and the Lord’s voice heard by everyone at Sinai through the fire on the mountain. The purpose of the miracles and the voice was to reveal the Lord and His power to Israel, to lead them to faith, to acknowledge Him as their Sovereign Lord.

Wait a minute. Didn’t the Israelites all have faith in God already?

Many have the idea that all the Israelites knew the Lord and worshiped Him only, but that is not the case. Many did know Him in faith, but many did not. Remember the “golden calf?” The fact is, Israel had been in Egypt for 430 years. That means that for 430 years they were exposed to Egyptian culture and religious values and practices and beliefs. By comparison, our own nation is only about 244 years old. Consider how far astray we have gone from the intent of our founding fathers in a little over half the time the Israelites were in Egypt.

Just as God was making a statement to the Egyptians about their gods through the 10 plagues, He was equally making a statement to the Israelites about who is God. God had the same intent as He spoke through the fire on Sinai. So, the purpose of the miraculous has always been to establish faith, to lead people into a personal faith relationship with the God who loves them.

Lord, We acknowledge You as our Sovereign Lord through the miracle of the new birth. We thank You for Your forgiveness and for the eternal life You have now given us. Amen.