GOD OF ABRAHAM … ISAAC AND … OF JACOB

Some four centuries have now passed since Jacob blessed his sons in Egypt and died. The Israelites had been brought under bondage by a king who knew not Joseph, Exod. 1.8-11. Scripture has been silent, but God has still been working. This is a pattern that will be repeated. Over 400 years after Daniel’s prophecy, mostly marked by God’s silence, the Messiah would come. In both cases, God would preserve a godly couple to bring about His purpose, each from the same tribe, Exod. 2. 1. However, unlike the perfect Messiah, the child born in Egypt would need reassurance and confirmation of his call. This starts in Exodus 3, when Moses is far away in the land of Midian, having already acted in his own time and strength, not God’s.

God now appears to him and declares Himself to be ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’. Notice here He is the God of each of them individually, not just the three of them collectively, as Peter declares Him in Acts 3.13. This would be a lesson well learned by Moses as he would go on to have such a personal relationship with God that it was said ‘the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend’, Exod. 33.11. Many of us are thankful to know ‘the God of our fathers’, but how important to have a personal relationship with Him ourselves.

Moses would also discover that this God was perfectly able to meet his needs as He had met those of the three patriarchs. He had called Abraham from afar to move to the place and task He had chosen for him, just as He now did Moses. The God of Isaac had produced life from death, both in conception and resurrection, as pictured in Genesis 22; Moses and the nation would have a similar experience on the Passover night. The God of Jacob had shown patience and grace. How appropriate this would be for the nation who derived their name from Jacob, as they would often falter and fail, but God would remain faithful. Even this moment confirmed his faithfulness as He had promised to Abraham, Gen. 15.13-14.

We too have a God, who called in salvation, provided life by new birth and patiently keeps us every step of the way.