WHO OR WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE?
You hear it throughout the entire biblical witness: “Who am I?”
If the words aren’t used they’re implied. Sometimes the events
recorded speak for themselves and if the words aren’t in the text we
ourselves ask the question, “Who are they?”
Abraham with a worn out body and a wife who can’t conceive—how
could they father/mother a nation and then a multitude of nations? An
Abraham who twice puts his wife in harm’s way to save his own skin—how
could he be worthy? A cheating Jacob who can’t trust God’s promises and
twice cons his brother—how could he be worthy to become the father of a
nation that under God blesses the human family? An impish Joseph who
babbles on about his dreams and coming exaltation until even his doting
father has had enough of it; Joseph, who ends up in prison—how could he
become God’s instrument of blessing to the nations? Moses, a fugitive
from Egyptian justice, sulking and refusing to give his firstborn to
God, who doesn’t want the job of deliverer—how could he be the one to
deliver an enslaved nation and bring it to the promised land? The
fearful Joshua who worries about how he can fill the role of “the
legend” Moses or Gideon [Judges 6] who in light of the current and
ongoing tragedy resents old stories about God’s past deeds in the Exodus
and admits he is the least of the least [and then there’s David]—how
could these unworthy and unfitted people be the ones through whom
deliverance is brought to the enslaved and blind and weak and
embittered. How could they bring hope and freedom? In light of the harsh
and stubborn facts and in light of the unfitness of the people called
by God how could deliverance come?
In their own way they all say what Paul said in 2 Corinthians
2:14-16, when he is stunned by the truth that he is a carrier of the
gospel that triggers life and death for all who hear and he mutters:
“Who is sufficient for these things?” His answer in 3:5, “Our
sufficiency is not of ourselves—it’s of God!”
The recurring phrase in the OT texts alluded to above is this: "I am with you.”
In Exodus 3:10 Moses’ question, “Who am I?” is answered in 3:11 by God’s, “I am with you.”
Moses gets the message and in Exodus 33:12-17 he pursues God for
assurance that in one form or another he will be with him and the
nation. “How will it be known that we are like no other nation unless
you are with us?” Moses asks and God gives assurance. See the text.
It’s never about our worthiness, fitness or ability—the
difference is about who is with us! It's never about our inability or
our unfitness; it's always about His being with us!
Our unworthiness and unfitness is an undoubted reality. It takes God—that
God—to work it all out and bring his overarching purpose to a glorious
finish! [“It is finished!”] Whatever the case is with us, God is always
worthy and able!
Deliverance isn’t about our well-heeled academics, our preachers
or shepherds or worship leaders or educational directors or programs or
our other gifts. It’s about who is with us! The engine that
drives God’s redeeming purpose is not his gifts but himself! Abraham
came to know that and that’s why he lifted the knife to kill the boy—the
gift from God and in whom Abraham’s future seemed to hand. He came to
know that that his future lay solely in the hands of the God who watched
the old man take that three-day ride into hell [Von Rad].
That constant questioning and God's constant answer comes to its
glorious climax at the Incarnation and we hear Jesus called "Immanuel".
God is with us! And that is not an event that took place 2,000 years
ago and to be left as ancient history. Before he went away saying he
would be back [see Acts 1:9-11] he said this:
“Go disciple the nations, baptizing them into the name of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit…and lo I am with you always even until the
world (age) ends.” Matthew 28:19-20.
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