(Read Exodus 3:15-17)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing to look at the life of Moses. Yesterday we took a look at God’s primary name: Yahweh or Jehovah. In the message we learned that Jehovah is the Lord of our past, our present, and our future. He is the God of our already, of our right now, and of our not yet. Flowing in that same vein, the Lord went on to say to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’” With this statement the Lord was attempting to get people who had been under the bondage of slavery for 400 years to look back past the pain and beyond the hurt, in order to remember the God of their past. This ‘God of their past’ took it upon Himself to initiate the release of His people. Not because they did anything exceptional. Not because they exhibited uncommon faith. Not because they worshipped the Lord faithfully in spite of their challenges. No! The Lord did this simply because He had a plan for them and because He had promised their forefathers He would. God was faithful to His Word and this is clearly a grace case.
The Lord instructed Moses to gather the elders of Israel together and to say to them, “‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’” Once again, notice who is the person in the text doing the work — the Lord. The Lord watched over the people, He noticed their misery, and He was ready to do something about it. Not because of their faith, but because of His grace. The Lord wanted to bless them and bring them into a blessed land (the land flowing with milk and honey), just like He promised Abraham some 400 years earlier that He would.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Blessings and cursings flow down through generations. Sometimes we experience things (good and bad) because of what our forefathers did. This gives us hope for our children and their children. Generations to come will be blessed because of your relationship with God.
2. God has great plans for your life. God told Jeremiah that He made plans for him; plans to prosper him and bless him, to give him a future and a hope (Jer 29:11). Jeremiah was not special. What God did for him, He also did for you. The Lord made plans for you before the foundations of the earth. That’s grace.
3. Look back to look forward. When faced with a difficult situation we sometimes have to look back — past the hurt and pain — in order to remember the God of our salvation and blessing. The same God who blessed you then, will see you through the challenges now.
4. God is faithful. God promised Abraham that He would deliver his descendants and 400 years later He fulfilled His Word. Four centuries could not make God forget what He promised. He is faithful, even when you are not. Have faith in God!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this reminder. I know that both blessings and cursings flow down through generations. I embrace the generational blessings of my forefathers and through Your power every generational curse stops with me. From me on, Your blessing will flow freely throughout my children and their children. You have great plans for me and for my children, and we shall see those plans come to pass. Whenever faced with a significant challenge, I remember the God who has brought me too far to fail me now. I look back in order to look forward and I rekindle my faith. My faith and confidence is in You. Even when I am faithless, You are faithful. You can be trusted and I trust You to bless me to maximize my purpose and potential in life. I enter this day with fearless confidence, because my confidence is rooted in Your faithfulness towards me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
