Knowing HIM

"I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them." ~ Exodus 6:3 (NKJV)

As I read through the passage of Exodus I come across this interesting verse. This is part of Moses's conversation with God (actually, it is part of God's answer to Moses's complaint), after receiving a bad response from the Pharaoh.

I looked up for the meaning of the original word for Lord. Apparently it is YHWH, means the Existing One, the One True God.

It is interesting to learn that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob know God as God Almighty. And it is important to note that God is the One who appeared to them as God Almighty. However, they didn't got a chance to know God as Lord, as YHWH, the existing One.

Further down the passage, through God's work of His mighty hands, not only the Israelites, but also the Egyptians come to know YHWH as the Lord.

Right now, we can say we are in a better position than them. After all, we already have the written word of God, the Old and New Testament. But do we really know HIM much better?

From the verse, we can learn that nobody can know the Lord personally unless God Himself choose to appeared the the person. Still, our knowing of God is limited compared to the vastness of His characters.

However, this fact should not discourage us from knowing HIM. Even it means we only get to know a glimpse of HIS character, as much as He revealed Himself to us.

Which come down to this part: how far have you known HIM? If you have known HIM as God Almighty (like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), have you known HIM as the LORD (which Israel learnt to know)?

What is the implication of such knowledge?

Knowing HIM as God Almighty brought Abraham to believe the promise God made, the covenant with Abraham and his descendants. On the other side, knowing God as the Lord brought the Israelites to the realization (or fulfillment) of the covenant: they are brought out from the land of slavery, Egypt, into the land of promise, Canaan.

Believing God of the past is not the same as believing God who holds the future.

Believing God who is known through other people experience (even it's our own parents for instance) is never the same as believing God who you know through your own experience.

Come, come and taste and see that the Lord is good, not through my experience, but through your own walk with HIM.

That is why Jesus is sent to us, for God is longing to reveal Himself to us, humankind.

All the characters of God. All His goodness. All His glory. All His mercy. All His beauty.

Have you come to know HIM personally?

Lord, thank You for revealing Yourself to us through Jesus. Lord, I long to know You more. In the name of Jesus I plead. Open my eyes and touch my heart so I may come to know You more. Amen.