Proverbs 3:5-7 (NJKV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
Moses was raised and called to carry out God’s will. He was going against the most powerful army of his time and had to trust in God to deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt from the hands of Pharoah. God told Moses that I AM had sent him.
This name of God, “I AM,” is a form of the verb “to be” in Hebrew. It expresses God’s self-existence and unchanging nature. He transcends the past, the present, and the future; He has always been, He is, and He will always be.
The great I AM is the inexhaustible God, possessing divine sufficiency. There is endless abundance to meet any circumstances, challenges, demands, and surprises from unforeseen circumstances. This is the assurance that God was giving to Moses—that the great I AM was sending him to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. What an all-encompassing name found in the great I AM!
I AM was revealed when God showed forth the ten plagues, parted the Red Sea, and helped them escape Pharoah’s army. He caused water to flow out of the rock, manna to fall from the sky, and gave quails for meals. They experienced healing while looking up at the bronze serpent. God protected them, provided for them, guided them, and fought for them. There were no other gods capable of withstanding the deliverance of the Lord! God was everything to all that the Israelites needed. Can you imagine having the Great I AM as your planner and backer of your life?
Many people take pride in being self-made due to their achievements. They have successfully carved out a name for themselves in their industries, whether in medicine, technology, finance, politics, education, arts, or engineering. Nevertheless, it remains just one facet of a broad spectrum of expertise. Also, nobody can heal themselves, save themselves from God’s judgement, extend their lives, rescue their marriages, or protect their children from sickness and calamity. We may be self-made in one aspect of our lives, but we can fail in numerous others. We do not exist independently but rely on one another’s expertise. We are not omnipotent, omnipresent, or omniscient. We are finite beings, whereas God remains present and self-existent even when everything on earth has passed away.
Some people may continue to deny that there is no God until they enter eternity, while others might do so when they reach their own limits. Only fools profess in their hearts that God does not exist! Therefore, when you come to the end of yourselves, be wise and return to the great I AM!
Only God exists in eternity; He is self-existent, self-sufficient, and He is everything. He is the great I AM. God exists whether mankind chooses to believe or reject Him because the opinion of men does not change the very existence of God.
Sermon Series: Wise Saying
伟大的自有永有者
箴言 3:5-7 你要专心仰赖耶和华，不可倚靠自己的聪明，在你一切所行的事上都要认定他，他必指引你的路。不要自以为有智慧，要敬畏耶和华，远离恶事。
摩西被兴起并蒙召去执行上帝的旨意。他要对抗当时最强大的军队，必须相信上帝能将以色列人民从法老的手中解救出来离开埃及。上帝告诉摩西，是“自有永有者”派他来的。
上帝的名字“自有永有者”在希伯来语中是动词“是”的一种形式。它表达了上帝的自我存在和不变的本质。祂超越过去、现在和未来；祂一直存在，现在存在，将来也永远存在。
伟大的自有永有者就是那个无穷无尽的神，拥有神圣的充足。有无尽的丰富来应对任何情况、挑战、要求和意想不到的意外。这是神给摩西的保证——那个伟大的自有永有者派他去拯救以色列人出埃及。伟大的“自有永有者“—这名字多么包罗万象啊！
当上帝降下十灾、分开红海、帮助他们逃离法老的军队时，自有永有者就显明出来。祂让水从岩石中流出，让吗哪从天而降，祂赐鹌鹑当食物。他们仰望铜蛇时，就经历了医治。上帝保护他们、供养他们、引导他们、为他们而战。没有任何其他神能够抵挡主的拯救！上帝是以色列人所需要的一切。你能想象让伟大的自有永有者成为你人生的规划师和后台吗？
许多人以一己的成就为傲。他们在医学、技术、金融、政治、教育、艺术或工程等行业中成功地为自己赢得了名声。然而，这只是广泛专业知识的一个方面。此外，没有人能够治愈自己，也不能拯救自己免受上帝的审判，即无法延长生命，也无法挽救婚姻，或保护孩子免于疾病和灾难。我们可能在生活的某个方面白手起家，但我们可能在许多其他方面失败。我们不是独立存在的，而是依靠彼此的专业知识。我们不是无所不能、无所不在或无所不知的。我们是有限的存在，而上帝，即使地球上的一切都已消逝，祂仍然存在并自存。
有些人可能会一直否认，坚称没有上帝，直到他们进入永恒，而其他人可能会否认上帝的存在直到他们走投无路。只有傻瓜才会在心里承认上帝不存在！因此，当你山穷水尽之时，要明智，回到那个伟大的“自有永有者”那里！
只有上帝永恒存在；祂是自有的、自给自足的，祂是一切。祂是伟大的自有永有者。无论人类选择相信祂还是拒绝祂，上帝都存在，因为人类的观点不会改变上帝的存在。
讲章系列：智慧的言语
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