Exodus 1:1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob:
In the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) what we know as the book of Exodus is called Shemot, which means Names and rightly so, since we are greeted with the names of Jacobs sons in the first five verses. So, we start this book with a list of names … some would say, a boring list of names, or maybe not, because there is a great reminder here for us: God is concerned for the individual as much as He is for the multitudes. To God, we are not just numbers, but we are each His creation, beloved of the Father.
Now, remember that in Hebrew, Egypt is Mitzrayim … a place of restriction. And while things started out swimmingly for Jacob’s sons, it was not long before Egypt forgot she was saved through the famine by the actions of a God-fearing Hebrew. In this book of Names, not only does God lead a nation out of bondage, but he leads individuals to freedom.
John 10:3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
God is intimately concerned with the individual. This morning, remember that God loves you. Let that be the foundation of this new day and let it be the fuel behind everything you say and do. Share it with your family, share it with your friends and shout it from the rooftops. You are beloved of God. What else could possibly matter? What problem or pain could possibly overshadow that? What fear could cause you to forget it? Today, your banner, should you choose to wear it, is Beloved of God.
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