In Deuteronomy 7:6-9, Moses gave some very important words from God to Israel. He told the people, “For you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be His own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord was devoted to you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the Lord loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commands.”
Inherent in this declaration is the principle that ultimately, “It’s not about Israel; it’s about God.” Israel became beneficiaries in God’s plan, as did the church and as do individual followers of Christ—but God is always the one deserving of credit, praise, and honor. Indeed, He always has been concerned that people know who He is, and even that they know Him. Within the context of the exodus of Israel from Egypt, consider these additional passages.
- Exodus 6:6-7: Speaking to Moses, God said, “Therefore tell the Israelites: I am Yahweh, and I will deliver you from the forced labor of the Egyptians and free you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment.I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am Yahweh your God, who delivered you from the forced labor of the Egyptians.”
- Exodus 29:45-46: “I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.And they will know that I am Yahweh their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, so that I might dwell among them. I am Yahweh their God.
God wasn’t just concerned that Israel know about Him, however; He also wanted Egypt to know that He was God.
- Exodus 8:8-10 declares, “Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, ‘Ask Yahweh to remove the frogs from me and my people. Then I will let the people go and they can sacrifice to Yahweh.’
“Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘You make the choice rather than me. When should I ask on behalf of you, your officials, and your people, that the frogs be taken away from you and your houses, and remain only in the Nile?’
“‘Tomorrow,’ he answered. Moses replied, ‘As you have said, so you may know there is no one like Yahweh our God….’” - Exodus 7:1-5 states, “The Lord answered Moses, ‘See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet.You must say whatever I command you; then Aaron your brother must declare it to Pharaoh so that he will let the Israelites go from his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Pharaoh will not listen to you, but I will put My hand on Egypt and bring the divisions of My people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I stretch out My hand against Egypt, and bring out the Israelites from among them.’”
We need to glean at least two principles from this. First, we should avoid all things that would distract us from giving God the focus, attention, honor, and worship He deserves from us. Second, we need to make sure God can use us to draw appropriate attention to Himself.
Just as it never was about Israel, it’s never about us. Forever and always, it’s about the Lord!
Copyright © 2017 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations in this article have been taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.