Missio Dei Handout.docx

MISSIO DEI: CHAPTER 3 How does the living God make himself known? Knowing God Through the Experience of God’s Grace YHWH wills to be known. Reading Exodus 6:6-8 states God’s mission statement in relation to this whole narrative---“I AM the LORD.” God promises to do three things for Israel through th...

MISSIO DEI: CHAPTER 3 How does the living God make himself known? Knowing God Through the Experience of God’s Grace YHWH wills to be known. Reading Exodus 6:6-8 states God’s mission statement in relation to this whole narrative---“I AM the LORD.” God promises to do three things for Israel through the exodus. To liberate them form the Egyptian yoke. To enter into a mutual covenant relationship with them. To bring them into the land promised to their forefathers. What did Israel learn about their God through the Exodus. YHWH is incomparable. Read Exodus 12:12; 15:11. YHWH is sovereign. God’s claim to be sovereignty is grounded in his power as Creator. His sovereignty can be expressed that he is king. He exercises his kingship on behalf of the weak and oppressed. God saving and caring for Israel was simply an act of his character. God loves to love and to love the needy and the alien. YHWH is unique. 1 Samuel 2:2; Joel 2:27; Is. 45:5 What did Israel learn about their God through the return from exile. YHWH is sovereign over history. Is. 41:22-23; 46:9-10. God not only controls the affairs over Israel, he also controls the affairs over all nations. YHWH exercises sovereignty through his word Ps. 33:6, 9-11. God’s sovereignty up to this point has been exercised through military victory, but it was his word that counted. YHWH acts for the sake of his own name. The reputation of his name motivated God to bring his people back from exile so as not to damage his reputation, which is why Israel was exiled to begin with. Israel profaned his name among the other nations (Ezek. 26:22-23). Through God’s great acts for Israel, the name of the true living God will be universally known. Some know of Cyrus, but all know of YHWH. YHWH’s sovereignty extends over all creation. Jer. 10:10-12 and Is. 45:11-13. YHWH entrusts his uniqueness and universality to the witness of his people. Is. 43:9-12. The primary responsibility of a witness is to tell what the know. This is the responsibility of knowing God. So, this unique knowledge of this unique God is now your unique stewardship. This knowledge is to be proclaimed to all the nations. This is not necessarily centrifugal in nature, meaning missional, but occurs through their worship and prophecy (Ps. 96:1-3; Is. 12:4-5). Knowing God Through Exposure to His Judgment Egypt and Pharaoh’s Education The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord (Ex. 7:5, 17). So that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God (Ex. 8:10). So that you will know that I, the Lord, an in this land (Ex. 8:22). So that you may know that there is no like me in all the earth (Ex. 9:14). I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth (Ex. 9:16). I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord (Ex. 12:12). The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory though Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen (Ex. 14:18; 14:4, 25). What did Israel learn through God’s grace and Egypt through exposure of God’s judgment? God’s purpose in his mission was not only to liberate his enslaved people but that he would be known to all nations for who and what he truly is. YHWH has no favorites. Israel learned that to have YHWH as their covenant partner. Did not mean that he was their national god who could be always counted on to be on their side. YHWH can use any nation as his agent of judgment (Jer. 17:4-6). YHWH’s judgment is righteous and justified (Ezek. 14:23). God’s people, even under judgment, remain God’s people for God’s mission. This is the reason why it is necessary to understand the God we serve, who and what he truly is. So, what will gods and all the nations come to know through the ultimate exposure to the judgment of God? His holiness. His greatness. His Glory. This is what monotheism means in the faith of Israel.