Nougat 20

Good morning

It’s important to note that Moses met God as the God of his father Abraham, not Abram. Obviously something happened, because operatively, he was the same person – but not. Today’s Holy Nougat offers some clarity

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. … No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭17:1, 5‬ ‭NRSV‬‬

This covenant process was a long way off from the invitation extended to Abram; 24 years later to be precise. Over the years Abram had been obedient and blessings around him was evident. But God, Elohim, was not done with him yet. At ninety and nine years, Abram literally found a new lease on life when God called him to a deeper relationship with him.

By this time, he had been established in Canaan and had fathered a child through his wife’s maid. He had conquered the most notorious kings in rescuing his nephew Lot, and been blessed by Melchizedek, the king of Salem. And he had had that sand on the seashore conversation with God by this time. It’s not that Abram didn’t know God. It’s that God was doing a new thing with Abram. And that is exactly the point.

Sometimes we believe that there are no new vistas remaining, nothing left to do, we’re staying in our lane, and God comes in and transforms our situation. In Abram’s case, things were turning around so greatly as of that moment, that even his name was changed.

The covenant, which is roughly the entire chapter, established between God and Abraham (nee Abram) that day; was one which initiated the start of the birth of the Israelites. It wasn’t wholly exclusive to Abraham, for God answered his and Sarai’s yearning for their own child on that day. The naturally impossible became supernaturally accomplished as God’s will on earth was subject to the laws of heaven. Abram and Sarai remained the same physical DNA , but their spiritual DNA was transformed.

Introducing God’s own self to Moses as the God of Abraham was a reminder that Moses was ‘face to face’ with the God of the impossible. The God Who changed Abram’s name and circumstances remained in control. And God was about to move mightily. Moses’s name did not change after that encounter; but his circumstances did. He went from being lowly shepherd to mighty warrior and spiritual leader to a people who had given up hope; a people confident that they were forgotten by their God. They were not.

Neither has our God forgotten us in this season of uncertainty and did-ease. For Our God is STILL in the miracle business; ready and raring to turn our situations around.

Have we met/Do we need to meet the God of Abraham today? God is but a sigh away!

In Christ’s love and grace . . .