I Am The LORD
I am the LORD is a recurring phrase in the Old Testament, especially so in the Law and the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel. The specific reason for it being mentioned varies from text to text, but the significance of the clause remains the same - a proclamation of God's power and sovereignty.
Let us consider a few of the contexts in which this declaration is made.
GOD'S PROMISES...
Having been sent to Egypt to lead the people of Israel forth, Moses received promises from the Lord to share with the people. The surety of these promises rested upon whom they came from. Moses recorded:
...I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians... I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God... And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD. (Exodus 6:6-8)
They could have confidence that God would release them from Egypt, care for them as His own people, and lead them to Canaan, the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God will keep His promises - He is the LORD.
GOD'S JUDGMENT...
When Moses first demanded Pharaoh release the Israelites, the Egyptian king arrogantly asked, 'Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?' (Exodus 5:2) He did not know or acknowledge the God of Israel, and therefore would not take such a demand favourably.
Though Pharaoh didn't know the LORD yet, he soon would. God declared,
...the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them. (Exodus 7:5)
Pharaoh would become well aware of God through the plagues which would come upon Egypt (Exodus 7:17; 8:22; 12:12; 14:4, 18). God displayed His sovereignty time and again to the people of Egypt, but Pharaoh would not submit. The end result was that Egypt was left in utter ruin, the Israelites were freed from bondage, and God's name was glorified throughout the nations (Joshua 2:9-11). He is the LORD.
“...I am the LORD ...a proclamation of God's power and sovereignty.”
GOD'S PROVISION...
Having departed the land of Egypt, the people of Israel complained against the LORD. They recalled fondly the meat and bread with which they filled themselves in Egypt; and bemoaned that they were now in the wilderness (Exodus 16:2-3). God said to the people,
...at twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the LORD your God. (Exodus 16:12)
Though the people would complain on several occasions against the LORD - He revealed His power and care for them over and over, providing for their needs while journeying in the wilderness, and then also in the promised land.
I AM THE LORD...
The proclamation continues throughout God's law. At the very beginning of the Ten Commandments, recorded in Exodus 20, the LORD makes such a statement. Indeed, the clause appears on many occasions throughout the Law, compelling the people to obey (see Leviticus 19:4, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 25, 28, 30, 31, 32, 34, 36, 37). He expected the people of Israel to know who He was, and to obey Him because of it.
We are not subject to the Law of Moses, but rather the law of Christ. The specific phrase, "I am the LORD" does not appear in the New Testament, but that does not mean it is unimportant for us to know the Lord. In fact, Jesus revealed that we need to be taught by God!
It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. (John 6:45)
God has revealed Himself through the message of the Gospel, and in the person of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 8:10; John 14:6-12). We must know the LORD!
Be aware of His promises, the greatest of which is our eternal home in heaven! Know that He will judge us; and if we fail to obey His will, justice demands that He cast us to hell. And appreciate His provision; indeed, we have been told that if we will see Him and His kingdom first, He will supply all our need! What a wonderful blessing to know the LORD!
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Answering The Atheist
Complaint:
Did Herod think Jesus was John the Baptist? Matthew 14:1-2 and Mark 6:16 show that he did, but Luke 9:9 shows that he didn't. Is there a contradiction?
Response:
When Jesus came performing powerful signs, there was a dispute among the people regarding His identity. Luke 9:7-8 says of Herod that
...he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again.
So, what did Herod think about Him? Luke continues,
Herod, said, 'John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?' So he sought to see Him. (Luke 9:9)
The questioner is correct, that in this verse, Herod did not appear to believe that Jesus was John the Baptist resurrected from the dead. There were some who thought this of Him, but there were a couple other views being espoused by the people also. Herod simply did not know.
However, as indicated by the questioner, both Matthew and Mark's accounts reveal that Herod believed that Jesus was "...John the Baptist, ...risen from the dead..." This was not Herod's first position - at first, he did not know who He was. After hearing a variety of thoughts, he then subscribed to the resurrected John theory.
The questioner calls this a contradiction. Nay, we merely see the progression of Herod's thought. At first, he questioned, "...who is this...?" After hearing what others were saying about Him, Herod himself formulated an opinion.
Luke's account tells us that "he sought to see Him." Matthew and Mark's accounts say no such thing. In Luke's account, there was intrigue about who He was; in Matthew and Mark's account, there may have been fear at the thought that this was John, risen from the dead, since Herod had put John to death. However, by the time of Jesus' arrest and trials, it appears that Herod then knows who Jesus is, and once more, we see his excitement about seeing Him.
There is no contradiction.
This article is in response to Skeptic's Annotated Bible.