APRIL 1

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

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Psalm 68:8

“The earth shook;  The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;

 Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.”

Acts 2:36

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Matthew 15:31

“So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.”

Mark 12:29

“Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.’”

Luke 1:68

“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people,”

John 1:49

“Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Isaiah 24:15

“Therefore glorify the Lord in the dawning light,  the name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea.”

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Our book for this month  is called “100 NAMES OF GOD”  written by Christopher D. Hudson.  Each day we’ll take one Hebrew name for God as given in the Bible to study and relate to.

EL ELOHE YISRAEL

GOD OF ISREAL

“There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.”  Genesis 33:20

Jacob grew up in a God-fearing household, hearing the amazing stories of his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac. But the faith of his fathers didn’t take root in his own heart until adulthood, when Jacob had a series of personal, supernatural encounters with God.

God appeared first to Jacob in a dream at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-22) and helped the conniving son of Isaac see that all those lavish promises first given to Abraham extended to him as well.  In that encounter, Jacob saw that he couldn’t simply ride the coattails of his godly ancestors.  Following God or not was his own decision to make.

Years later, Jacob encountered God again while he was traveling back to Canaan with his growing family.  This was the scene of Jacob’s famous “wrestling match” with God, when he received a gimpy hip and the new name “Israel” This is in Genesis 32:24-32.  Following a reunion with his twin brother, Esau, and upon his arrival in Shechem, he built an alter and called it “El Elohe Israel which literally means El—or God –is the God of Israel.

This acknowledgement of God provided two reminders for Jacob, and for Bible readers today.  First, it distinguished Israel’s God from all other gods.  Jacob was identifying himself with the one true God and separating himself from the other so-called  gods of other nations.  Second, this name identified God as the God of relationship.  God is not just the Creator of the universe or the God of humanity.  He is deeply personal.  He is the God of an individual named Israel ~ previously known as Jacob.

Thankfully the good news is this:  the one true God can also be your God.  When by faith in Christ you proclaim the God of the Bible as the God of your life, you enter into a relationship with Him.  You acknowledge that He is the only real God, that He is superior to all the false gods of the world that people often look to for security, significance, and identity.

We wrap our lives around money, careers, popularity on social media, appearance, marriage, and friendships when we should be wrapping our minds and hearts around God.  At the end of the day, we are left with one fact and one question:

God is the God of Israel.  Is He YOUR God too?

PRAYER

God of Israel, I’m humbled that You would identify Yourself as my God.  You are not just the God of humanity, or Israel, or the world, but You are the God of ME!  Thank You!  Amen

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