Good afternoon. Please turn your Bibles to Genesis chapter 46. We will read from verses 5- 27. You know on the same day as today, 503 years ago, in 1521, Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor began convening with Augustinian monks and Roman Catholic citizens to address doctrinal issues. The assembly was called the Diet Of Worms. It began on the same day as today, January 28 and ended on May. They talked about issues that were threatening their dogmas. And then they came up with an edict, a law which labeled a person heretic. They were not ashamed of naming this person, they’ve spread the word and told everyone that Martin Luther was a heretic. Luther was indeed not a nobody during that time. He was, for he was hated by the Roman Catholics or the papists in his time. Of course we know that Luther understood the true gospel that salvation is by faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone, so even if he was named and labeled as a heretic, we know that he was in Christ.
Now in this chapter, chapter 46, we can see God providing specific names, providing or giving to us the specific names of each member of the family of Israel. He’s telling us that in His sight, in God’s sight, there are also not no bodies because He names them all, right. We see the people of Israel, the family of Jacob we see them numbered and named. So let us read Genesis 46: 5-27 Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, his sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt. Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron.
The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah; altogether his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three. The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, with Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob—sixteen persons. The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin. And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him. And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob—fourteen persons in all. The son[a] of Dan: Hushim. The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob—seven persons in all. All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
It is the word of God. It is these usual genealogies we skip, most people skip them, because we think that we don’t learn from these genealogies, no. This is the word of God brethren and it is for us. Now we can see that in passage it is divided into four sections. First, it shows to us the 33 sons of Leah, and then the 16 sons of Zilpah, and then the 14 sons of Rachel and the 7 sons of Bilhah. Now before you say that oh, okay, I thought this is sermon, Math pala tayo. No, but it’s obvious if you add those numbers, it’s 70 right 33 + 16 + 14 + 7 equals 70 if you add them up. So that’s a total number and the Bible tells tells us that it’s 70.
However that 70 as a number, does not include Jacob himself, and also the other wives, they’re not included. The son’s wives were not included. The number 70 may be a slight approximation of the exact number. But don’t be like the liberals who will say ah, the Bible has errors. Of course, inerrant; scripture has no errors, has no mistakes of course, because the Bible uses numbers to point us to something. For example, when Jesus Christ answered Peter, when Peter asked Jesus Christ how many times should I forgive? Jesus Christ said as you know 70 times 7. You’re not meant to okay I have to list it down if it’s 70 times 7, right. You don’t take that literally. Jesus Christ meant unlimited, unlimited forgiveness.
What else? In Genesis chapter 4 if you remember, Lamech mocks God by saying if Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is 77-fold. He’s basically saying if Cain’s murderer will receive severe punishment if someone murders me, or it’ll be more severe than that punishment. Again, don’t take that literally. In Genesis chapter 10, we were introduced to the table of nations. In fact, they are 70 nations, Genesis chapter 11, before chapter 11, which was the incident in the Tower of Babel, the 70 nations in Genesis chapter 10 was a representation of the entire people on earth, right. But it’s.. you don’t take it literally 70 nations. In First Kings chapter 19:8, God said that He will leave 7,000 in Israel who are protected, right. But again, you don’t take that literally but you notice something. 7,000 70 times 7, 77 fold, right 70 nations. Now, we’re seeing in Genesis 46 the number of people in the family of Jacob is 70. The number seven as you know is a perfect number, and it has been used in the Old Testament many times to show perfection, to show completion, okay. There are seven days in the creation week if you include the Sabbath. Seven means completion, seven means perfection.
And then this time around, in Genesis chapter 46, multiply it by 10.. sorry it’s math, multiply it by 10 equals 70. Now, it shows an expansion of this perfection, right. And so the 70 people, sorry, I don’t have any whiteboard. And so the 70 people from Jacob’s line who will enter Egypt represents the entire people of God in the line of Jacob. They’re not really exactly 70, right. But it is a symbolic representation of the whole roster or the final roster you may say of the people of the whole list of the people of God in the old covenant in the time of Jacob.
Now why is this important? In the time of famine in Genesis chapter 46, it is very important that it is… they are being identified here, they are named, right. The Lord knows the number. What we know is symbolically, God puts a number but the Lord knows the exact number. Why is this important? Again, in the time of famine, the question is who will be safe? In the time of famine, in the time of the the the the rising and growing evil religions in Canaan, who will be protected?
Who will be protected from the severe famine? Who will have provisions for the next 5 years? It’s these names.. these people whom we have read, the 70! All people in Jacob’s line, they are protected, they are fed. See the numbering, the numbering of the people of God shows that they were protected, they were sealed. From the thousands of inhabitants of Canaan and Egypt, there’s 70 people symbolically represents the entire people in the line of Jacob. They are sealed, they are identified by the Lord. Now a question also for us: if God numbered the people of God in the old covenant, if God named them, if God protected the nation of Israel, what about the spiritual Israel? What about the church whom God said He has chosen before He even created the entire universe? What about those who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ? The ones who are truly saved spiritually? Those who have been sealed by God with His Spirit, who will be safe? who are those who have been sealed by God? If God has set his eyes on the family of Jacob numbered them, named them, each and every one of them, and if God protected them, what about the spiritual Israel?
What about the church? Ano’ng tingin ng Diyos sa church?
I’m reminded of Matthew chapter 10 verse 31 when Christ says Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. He’s talking about disciples, more valuable. They’re more valuable in the eyes of God than the other creation, that’s what Christ said. That is our message this afternoon. and our message is Precious In The Eyes Of God Every Single Individual Redeemed By Christ. He knows them, He knows how many are there. Precious in the eyes of God every single redeemed or individual redeemed by Christ. and we have two points to identify and to expand this message. Firstly, there are Unworthy Sinners, and we also have our Personal God.
So let us consider the first point the Unworthy Sinners. So in this list, we’re reminded of some of the sins of the descendants of Jacob. Verse 10 it talks about Shaul, the son of Simeon and the son of a Canaanite woman means that Simeon married someone who’s not from Israel. He married someone who’s not from the people of God. In fact even Joseph was mentioned ,right, his wife. He needed uh to have a wife because he was promoted. But we can still say that it’s still intermarriage, right. What else? Verse 12 also reminds us of the story of Genesis chapter 38 Er and Onan, if you remember that in Genesis chapter 38. That they died in the land of Canaan. They were brothers. Er had a wife whose name was Tamar. Er was evil in the sight of God. He died and then he had a brother whose name was Onan. And Onan was supposed to give a seed. He was supposed to impregnate Tamar and give a son or a child in behalf of his brother. But unfortunately he wasted his semen according to Genesis Chapter 38. He wanted the pleasure, right. He did not want to obey and give a child. And so, what happened to him? He also died. He sinned against God. They were both evil in the sight of the Lord. But these two Er and Onan should remind us of the sin of their father as well. Ultimately it was Judah. Judah did not give his youngest son Shelah to Tamar. And so you know what happened. Judah impregnated Tamar instead, his daughter-in-law. Hence, you have the twins, right. So what happened there? What t can we see there? We can see here the list of names including some notable sins, right. The writer, Moses made sure that these information are inserted in the list to remind the reader— you’re reading the names of sinners, you’re reading this the name of these sinners. In fact not just the one specifically mentioned all of them are in fact sinners, which reminds us that it’s not because of who they were. Oh wow, great! I mean if you were an Israelite after the time of Exodus and you were reading the writing of Moses, and you’ll be reminded oh, these are a bunch of sinners. It should remind us that it’s not because of who they were that God has saved them from the famine. It’s not because of what they did obviously because they all sinned. It’s not because of who they were or what they did that led them into Egypt. It’s not their own might that they were able to go and escape from the severe famine. It’s in fact the work of God and there’s nothing in them that led their escape. Now they’re going to into Goshan which was the richest region in Egypt during that time. They were blessed and it’s not because of these people. That should remind every reader of a genealogy when the sin is inserted there, you should be reminded of what sin can do. In fact, there’s nothing in them.
This is clear as well in Deuteronomy 7: 6 to 10. So we’re moving forward. Deuteronomy 7 explains this to us when the Israelites grew in number in Egypt and when God rescued them out of Egypt, it says here in Deuteronomy 7: 6-10 it says God was addressing the people of Israel and he says: “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number… See, it was not because you were more in number. I mean we can, you can direct that into the I mean to the passage that we are talking about today. They were not great in number, the number 70, that’s a small number. Although it’s symbolically… it’s symbolic. It’s telling us that they’re, I mean konti lang sila, right. And even when they grew in number in the time of Egypt, there still lesser than the number of people in Egypt. So God said it was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord has set His love on you and chose you for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that He swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery from the hand of pharaoh king of Egypt. God rescued the Israelites in Exodus and in this chapter, God rescued them as well and led them into Egypt. And it’s not because of what Israel and his family have done, rather, it’s because of God’s faithfulness. They were unworthy sinners! I mean Simeon was unworthy. I mean if we were going to be reminded of Reuben as well. Do you remember what Reuben did? He had sexual relations with one of the concubines of Jacob. I mean do you remember what Jacob did? All of them: Judah, Simeon and Levi murdered Shechemites, if you remember. And yet seeing their names, wow! leading, going into Egypt triumphantly, right. And then claiming all the blessings found in Goshan.. wow! What a great people! What a great group of people! They were unworthy sinners. There is nothing in them that made God choose them and allow them to escape from the that severe famine. Nothing in them. They were unworthy sinners. It is only because of God’s faithfulness to save people and He saved them! He saved Jacob and his family during this time of famine. And you know what? God because God is faithful, God continues to save people. In fact, whenever God saves the family of Jacob in the Old Testament, it should remind us too.. I mean of again, of His faithfulness because ultimately, we know that He saved them soHe can bring Jesus Christ from the people of Israel to save unworthy sinners.. not from famine but from a greater problem which is sin. And just like the Israelites who were saved from famine, the sinners whom Christ saved were saved not because of anything they have done as well. There is nothing in us that made the Father choose us if you are in Christ. There’s nothing in us that made God the Father choose you before the foundation of the world.
You have not yet existed. So it’s not because of you! Nothing in us that made the father send His Son. Nothing in us that made the Son obey the Father in living a perfect life and on dying on the cross and becoming the substitute for His people. Nothing in us! There’s nothing in us that made the Holy Spirit apply the work of Christ in us. There is nothing in us that may the Triune God redeem us.
If you have been trying to do things for God to accept you, if you’re trying to do things so that God would accept you, or if you think that your status in life should make God accept you, well you are wrong my friend. The bad news is that your sins would immediately keep you away from God. By nature, your sins would make you an enemy of God. Your sins would merit condemnation. It would merit an eternity devoid of all God’s graces and all God’s mercies… an eternity of wrath that even our finite minds now won’t be able to comprehend. But the good news is that you don’t have to go through that. Christ obeyed the Father perfectly and He was rewarded. So that those who believe Christ, will be rewarded too with eternal life with Him. and also Christ who is sinless took the punishment on that cross so that those who believe him will not receive God’s punishment. And also Christ who died on the cross rose from the dead, so that those who will die will rise too when Christ returns. Believe this my friends; and be forgiven of your sins. Do not waste your time! Turn away from your sins now and have faith in Christ. If you haven’t yet.
You see, it is all by God’s grace that Israel and his entire family are rescued from the famine. And it is all by God’s grace that you and I are rescued from the wrath of God. Brother and sister in Christ, nothing in you, nothing in us that made God save us. We’re you familiar with this famous words from Jonathan Edwards, right? You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary. Yes, you contributed, Jonathan Edwards said. Your sins, our sins. So what should be the response of unworthy sinners saved by grace? What should be our response? We should be reminded of this work of God. It should be a daily thing to be reminded of God’s great work, God’s redemptive work, knowing that again nothing in us that made God help us save us it is only by God’s grace. It should be a daily thing to remind ourselves of that grace, of the mercies of God. You know we live in a fast-paced society or generation where we have to accomplish things immediately sitting down, resting, thinking is not an option you have to move, move. But at times, we need to just sit down and just ponder. In fact, there’s a word.. should be.. we should be able to meditate on the word of God. There should be a time when we have to just sit down not just think of it but really inTagalog, namnamin mo. Nakakain ka na ba ng masarap? Yung tipong pumipikit ka? Sa sobrang sarap nung pagkain, siguro in that sense, namnamin mo ang ebanghelyong Panginoon. Kaya challenge ko sa ating lahat: Meditate on God’s grace in Saving unworthy Sinners Like Us. That is, that should be the proper response of us on unworthy sinners. Yes, I can say: okay, just ponder on it, just think about it or worship the Lord, that is also correct! But here’s what where I think we’re lacking— meditation. We need to meditate. And you know, there are moments when we think… and here’s the problem why we need to meditate, because there’s a our problem is that there are moments when we think we deserve more in life. There are times when we think we are better than others, better than the same people created in the same image, better than the same people who were also recipients of the grace of God. But see, meditating on the gospel on the grace of God, puts us all in our place. For the gospel reminds you that you were once dead. But now you are alive by grace alone and not because of your works so that you will not boast. And we need to meditate on this. We need to sit down and let not things distract our minds. You see in our time, that’s a problem, right. We have to let things not distract you and just let the word of God fill our minds and our hearts. Just like David in Psalm 143:5, he said I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder on the work of your hands. David takes time to just meditate on the word of God. There should be a constant reminder of the grace of God. If we meditate on this daily, we will live having in mind that every second of our lives is spent only by God’s grace. We’ll live in this world in utter dependence on God because there’s nothing in us that made God love us. It’s only because of His sovereign pleasure.
Thomas Watson, he also had something to say about meditation. He said and I quote: “Meditation is the soul’s retiring of itself by a serious and solemn thinking upon God, heart may be raised up to heavenly affections.” He also said elsewhere meditation is in fact really pondering upon the gospel by yourself.
Another Thomas, Thomas Brooks, he said and I quote: “It is not hasty reading but serious meditating upon holy and heavenly truths that make them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. It is not it is not the bees touching of the flower which gathers honey, but her abiding for a time upon the flower which draws out the sweetness. It Is not he who reads most but he who meditates most, who will prove the choicest, the sweetest, the wisest and strongest Christian.” Are you comforted by God’s grace? Are you comforted? Do you find Hope in the gospel alone? Are you convinced that it is the gospel who can.. that can give you comfort and hope in your hearts and in your soul? Is your heart grateful to the truth despite sins, as a child of God that He loves you? If you’re comforted by this truth, if you’re comforted by the truth that there’s nothing in you, nothing that you have done or whether it’s not about your status in life. If you’re comforted by the truth that it’s not because of your works that saved you, rather it is the works of Christ. And when God the Father accepted Christ on the account of Christ, you also were accepted. If you’re comforted by this great truth. Now you don’t think about you’re standing before God because you know what He sees is perfect obedience of Christ despite your disobedience. f you’re comforted by this great truth, then you ought to meditate on this daily brothers and sisters.
My last point is we have our Personal God. You see there are two parts in this passage, verses 6 to 7. And we will look at another passage later on. So if you have your Bibles with you. So let’s focus first on Genesis chapter 46. IIn verses 6-7, it tells us that listen, Jacob and all his offspring with him, his sons and his sons’ sons with him; his daughters and his sons’ daughters, all his offspring he brought with him into Egypt. See that! I mean if you look at that and read that, that would be enough for us to know ah, okay, so all descendants of Jacob pala including Jacob that were saved from the famine. Every one of them went to Egypt, period. Let’s go to verse 28 right. I mean that should be enough! That should inform you oh, everyone in the family of Jacob went. I mean that’s already understandable for us, right. In a human perspective, that’s clear— okay, everyone in the family of Jacob went to Egypt. However, in the next section, God specifies a number. And you know what? He names each and every one of them.
In the first section, it just says Jacob’s sons, Jacob’s son’s sons, Jacob’s sons wives. Now, He become more specific in the next section. They are not so no bodies pala in the eyes of God, right. This means in God’s perspective, He knows who they were. In God’s perspective, He knows how many of them were. This should remind us too. So, if you have your Bibles with you, go to Revelation chapter 7 and we read this a while ago. Revelation chapter 7 verse 4 onwards. Now I don’t intend to read verses 4 onwards, right. It just says there were 144,000 in the people of Israel. 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000, right.
They’re all numbered as well. Now the question is who are the 144,000? Does this speak of the national Israel? Were they literally 12,000 of each tribe? Now, you don’t have to go there. But let me read to you Revelation chap 14 so that we will know who are the 144,000. Revelation 14:3 you don’t need to go there, but if you want to, go ahead. Revelation 14:3 tells us No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. I mean that’s clear. These guys were redeemed. We’re not just talking about national Israel here.
Revelation chapter 7 talks about the spiritual Israel, it talks about the entire people of God, the church. 144,000 12,000 of each tribe— it talks about the church. Now, again, in Revelation 7 go to verses 9 and 10. Revelation 7: 9-10 After the series of 12, thousands, now it says listen.. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number,… remember in the first section, He numbered them. In the next section, it says, a great multitude that no one could number. Now who are these great multitude? It says a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the lamb!” Who are these great multitude who no one could number? The answer is the church.In the first section we see the church, but they’re numbered. The next section, we see the church considered as the great multitude. What do we see?
It talks about the church but in the second section, it says they’re too many; in the first section, they’re numbered. What do we learn from here which we can also learn from our passage today? That in our human perspective, or we can just say Jacob’s sons, Jacob son’s sons. In our human perspective, we can just see, we can just talk about the church and say oh the the church is a great multitude that no one could number. But in the perspective of the Lord, the people of God is 70 and the church is 144,000. In God’s perspective, they are all numbered. God knows each and everyone of them. Certainly, this does not mean that we are just numbers to God, rather in the eyes of God. In a human perspective, hindi mo kayang bilangin lahat. You can just say oh there many.. myriads and myriads of people who are saved in every language, every tongue, every nation.. that’s the church. But in God’s perspective, you are numbered. He knows how many. He knows your name! Again, we’re just numbers to God, rather in the eyes of God, He knows who are His. He knows you. In fact, He knows your name. Sometimes we forget the names of our brother and sister in Christ. He doesn’t! God knows your name. We are not so nobodies in the eyes of God. He is God Almighty, creator of the heavens and the earth. He upholds the universe according to Hebrews chapter 1, we read this in the morning. Christ upholds the universe in the palm of His hand and yet He cares for each and every one of us.
He knows all the members in the body of Christ. The self-existent, right. The all powerful, almighty God is personal. And this personal God cares for each and every sinner in Christ. God knows, God cares, God loves every single individual redeemed by Christ.
We can say God chose the church before the foundation of the world. But we don’t we shouldn’t look at it as if he chose a corporate body without knowing each and everyone, no! The Father chose every individual sinner. This means Christ died for every single individual that the Father has given him before the foundation of the world. The spirit applied redemption to every single individual. The Triune God knows! the Triune God cares for His people for each and every one of us. If He knew the number of the hairs of your head, he knew, he knows the number of people within the body Body of Christ. That’s what Genesis chapter 46 tells us: he knew the number of the people of Israel in the time of the old Covenant. He also knows the number, the exact number of the Church. Of course symbolically, 144,000 you don’t take that literally. But it’s showing us God knows the number. In fact, God’s Eternal record Revelation tells us that there’s a book of life lists our names. Of course that’s symbolic. But it tells us, he does know. Alam Niya kung sinu-sino ang Kaniya. And imagine, what does that mean if he knows, if he knows how many, if he knows every and each and every one, he knows the names of everyone. What does that entail? He cares for them, He identifies who is his. He provides for those whom He knows. He loves them we can say oh we know God but remember, before you knew Him, He knew you first. God knew you first. Our challenge for this afternoon is to Be Encouraged by this fact. Be Encouraged To Know That God Never Ever.. and this is what it means when he knows us, he knows us by name oh he cares for us and he never ever Forsakes His Own And that should be a comfort for us. And there are times when we think that God has left us. You know because of challenges in life, we think that God is not with us. But when we remember oh God knows you. I mean probably your closest friend does not even remember your name. But God knows your name, probably even your nickname. Be encouraged by the fact that we worship this personal God.
Let’s go back to the truth of who God is in His essence. Him being God, He’s not just a a higher being than us. Oh, he’s a totally different being. He’s not human, he’s not greater than human oh he’s definitely different than a human being. He’s not human, he’s God. And yet, He condescends and He knows you.
That is how personal our God is. So sometimes think. When you struggle with thoughts about God’s love for you about God’s care for you, probably worry about God’s provision. I mean now it makes sense when Christ said don’t worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. You’re more valuable than a sparrow. Because He knows each and everyone who is part and a member of the body of Christ.
You know contrary to the many false religions today that their view of God is that he is impersonal. If you’re familiar with let’s say uh theism. Theism is a belief that God created the universe and then he just let the Universe, kumbaga, hinayaan lang niya. He’s not, he’s not personal. He is impersonal, there’s that kind of belief. Of course our God is different for our God is a personal God. This should also remind you of His providence. You know when something happens to you and we understand providence that this is not an accident, now we can trace it to God being personal. Now we understand this is the work of God for His people, for me. And there is truth when we say that we cannot reach God, right. Because He’s the most high God. He’s the holy, holy, holy God. It was Him who… there’s that truth that we cannot reach God in that sense. But it is also true that it is Him who came for us; assumed a human body and soul and dwelt among His people. Dwelt with His people whom He knew. He came for the people He knew, He came for the people he loved. That is how personal our God is. Just like David in Psalm 139 verses 1-4. He said: “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. God knowing us also means He knows our thoughts. Oh yes, He also knows our sins. In fact, He sees them. But the good news is that He sees our sins punished on the cross. And what He sees is the great and perfect obedience of Christ. He knows every thought, every word, before you even utter the word. That’s how He knows His own.
You know there was a hospital that admitted a person who was very sick. He was just found outside. He, in fact, he knew the Lord Jesus Christ. But he had a different language, so no one really understood him. No one knew who he was, he couldn’t communicate to them well. Again, but he’s a believer. So on the door of his hospital room, it says Mr. No Name. So sad— it’s a sad picture. No one knew him. They saw Him sick they admitted him. But they can’t get his name so they put Mr no name. I mean while it’s sad, however, it is encouraging to know that the fact that he knew Christ, it just means that there’s someone else who knows his name and that’s what’s more important. God knows who He is. That’s also true to all of us. We’re not so nobodies. God knows your thoughts. God knows the number of the hair of on your head. God knows who you are. Does it give you comfort to know that God never ever forsakes His own people for He knows them, for He cares for them. Doesn’t that comfort us believers that He never ever; take note: there will not come a time that God will forsake His people. Now because we live in a cursed world, you may feel it. You may feel that you have been forsaken. But that’s not true. There will never ever a time when God will forsake the body of Christ. And you know why? Because on the cross, Christ said to the Father “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? That the fact that Jesus suffered, divine rejection and abandonment that we all deserve, that the fact that that happened, it means that you will never ever be forsaken in Christ. That happened to Christ, not happening to you brother, sister in Christ. Does it give you comfort? that God knows your name and He identifies you as His child? But this is how God sees His children.
Again, in a human perspective, we understand that God’s people is innumerable, great in number, but in God’s eyes, God’s perspective He knows the number of the elect and He knows them by name. Let us then meditate on this truth and be encouraged. May the word of God enrich our knowledge of Him and may it stir us to live in light of these truths.
Let us pray. Our most high God and heavenly Father, thank You for knowing us. It is a great comfort to know that You are our personal God. We understand Lord that You are the most high God and You are the Creator of the heavens and the Earth. The angels revere You, worship You, and Lord who are we? We are but unworthy sinners. And Lord, we see Your care, we see Your love when you sent Christ to come for us, to live a sinless life for us, to die on the cross in our behalf. Lord, thank You that You are.. we, we, we can say that You are indeed our a personal God because you have given us Christ. Lord, may we respond well. May we respond in a godly manner, knowing these truths. Lord, allow us to be good representatives of Christ, allow us Lord to to meditate on Your grace knowing oh Lord that sin still wearies our soul. Allow us Lord to just ponder and have time to think of the gospel and think of how gracious and merciful You are and have been in our lives, Lord, we ask that as we are ministered this whole day, may You also use us to minister to others. May the comforting truth of the Gospel be proclaimed in our tongue and may people surrounding us- our family and friends, repent and receive the word and acknowledge and see and come to faith and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whom we also profess Lord. May You alone be glorified. We pray this in His name, amen.