Monday in the First Week of Lent

Exodus 6:2-13

Make a Promise; Keep a Promise

There is none holy like our God; there is none righteous as He.  There is nothing that can compare to Him; there is no one who is His equal.  This truth is breathed throughout the Old Testament, especially the Psalms and the Prophet Isaiah.  Only He is the Creator; everything else is creature.  Only He is eternal in the heavens, only He lives forever, only He cannot die.  He takes the name of the LORD, “I Am,” because everything else takes its being from Him.  Because He is, we are; and it is never the other way around.

This passage begins and ends with God’s declaration, “I am the LORD.” (6:2, 8).  Literally, God is saying, “I am ‘I Am.’”  His declaration of His name is His way of placing an exclamation point at the beginning and the ending of the passage.  He is speaking of His truthfulness, His faithfulness, that what He has to say is credible.  Credible.  Oh, what an understatement!  His declaration is Law.  His word is His will.  What He says is done.  How different are we!  Our words vanish into the air and achieve nothing; they create nothing.  Our words are meant to conform to truth by declaring the truth we have heard from God.  Our words conform to reality by rightly and accurately describing as best we can what we experience through our senses in God’s world.  Of course, our words can bless or curse, but these are commands we give which may or may not happen according to the tractability of that which we seek to command.  Not so with God.  Nothing lies intractable, immovable, before Him; for He created all things, and by His will they were and are created (Revelation 4:11).

In between God’s declarations of His divine name is His affirmation of His covenant with the children of Israel.  He made a covenant with their fathers–Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob–to give them and their descendants the land of Canaan.  He reaffirms this covenant declaring that He will deliver them from bondage to the Egyptians.  He claims them as His people, and declares to them that He, the LORD Himself, will be their God.  God has spoken: They will be redeemed, they will be His people, and they will know that He is the LORD their God; they have only to wait upon Him, trust, and obey.  May we gain assurance knowing that our God has spoken, He has redeemed us through His Son, and He has promised us eternal life.  He is LORD!

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor View all posts by The Reformed Baptist