Shemot/names
Exodus 1:1-6:1
Isaiah 27:6-28:13, 29:22-23
In this week’s haftorah I feel a ‘focus’ of the Lord upon His people as individuals; not just in their corporate identity (whether as the children of Israel; or the bride of Christ).
Exodus 6 begins with the names of those that went ‘down to Egypt’; before He saw them as a nation, He counted them as individuals, created uniquely and meant to be exclusively His. In Isaiah it’s almost like their unfaithfulness and ensuing judgment is in terms of Israel as a nation, and as the Father addresses their restoration, through the words of Isaiah; His attention is shifted to the individual: Is 27:12; “…and you will be gathered one by one, oh you children of Israel. So it will be in that day: the Great Trumpet (Yom Kippur*) will be blown, they will come…” In a sense they ‘sinned’ as a nation; yet they are restored “one by one”; each has an opportunity to stand before the Lord and receive salvation.
*A note here is that the Great Trumpet is blown on Yom Kippur, so as I have mentioned before; “even if you aren’t on the biblical calendar, He is…”
Today, no matter what family you are in or nation you are a part of, let us remember the Lord’s pleasure with His creation; as He formed each one of us “before the foundation of the world”, for Himself. He has blessing and righteousness in mind for our lives, though our flesh and the devil may war against His personal plans for each of us, here we are with an opportunity to present ourselves personally and receive the cleansing of His blood and the ability to hear Him speak His words of forgiveness and pleasure, as He gathers us together (Jew and Gentile), His beautiful bride. Oh Lord, help us not miss out on Your desire to be intimately involved in every aspect of our lives and how you use your word to instruct our hearts and minds. You alone, have our best in mind and are doing great things in all of our lives, You alone are the “Circumciser of our hearts; we have an Awesome Dad! Let me add here how He shows that heart of a Father:
22 Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob:“ Jacob shall not now be ashamed, Nor shall his face now grow pale;
23 But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel. john eisner
For whatever it’s worth; just as the Lord isn’t done with His children, be encouraged today that He also isn’t done with your children…Praise God!
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