Numbers 15:41 Study Bible: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God."

◄ Numbers 15:41 ►

I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God."

I am the LORD
This phrase establishes the identity and authority of God. The Hebrew word for "LORD" here is "YHWH" (Yahweh), the sacred and personal name of God revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). It signifies God's eternal existence and His covenantal relationship with Israel. In the ancient Near Eastern context, names were deeply significant, often reflecting character and destiny. By declaring "I am the LORD," God is reminding the Israelites of His unchanging nature and His sovereign rule over all creation. This assertion of divine authority is foundational for understanding the covenant relationship between God and His people.

your God
This phrase emphasizes the personal relationship between God and the Israelites. The Hebrew word for "God" is "Elohim," a plural form that denotes majesty and power. It is used throughout the Old Testament to describe the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. By saying "your God," the text underscores the intimate and exclusive relationship God has with Israel. This is not a distant deity but a personal God who has chosen Israel as His people. Historically, this relationship was unique in the ancient world, where gods were often seen as distant and capricious.

who brought you out of the land of Egypt
This phrase recalls the historical event of the Exodus, a central narrative in Israel's history. The Hebrew word for "brought" is "yatsa," meaning to go out or come forth. The Exodus was not just a physical liberation but a spiritual and national birth for Israel. It demonstrated God's power and faithfulness, fulfilling His promise to Abraham. Archaeologically, while direct evidence of the Exodus is debated, the event is deeply embedded in Israel's cultural memory and religious identity. It serves as a continual reminder of God's deliverance and the basis for Israel's trust and obedience.

to be your God
This phrase highlights the purpose of the Exodus: to establish a covenant relationship. The Hebrew word "hayah" (to be) indicates existence and purpose. God's deliverance was not just for freedom's sake but to form a people who would know Him, worship Him, and reflect His character to the world. This covenant relationship is central to the biblical narrative, where God repeatedly calls His people to faithfulness and holiness. It underscores the idea that God's actions in history are purposeful, aiming to draw people into a deeper relationship with Him.

I am the LORD your God
The repetition of this phrase serves as a powerful conclusion, reinforcing God's identity and relationship with Israel. It is a reminder of His authority, faithfulness, and the covenantal bond. In the broader scriptural context, this declaration is a call to obedience and trust. It invites the Israelites to live in light of their identity as God's chosen people, set apart for His purposes. For contemporary believers, this verse serves as a reminder of God's unchanging nature and His desire for a personal relationship with His people, calling them to live in faithfulness and devotion.

Persons / Places / Events

1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal, self-existent nature and His relationship with Israel as their God.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, whom He delivered from slavery in Egypt and to whom He gave His laws and commandments.

3. Egypt
The land of bondage from which God delivered the Israelites, symbolizing sin and oppression.

4. Exodus
The event of God leading the Israelites out of Egypt, demonstrating His power and faithfulness.

5. Covenant Relationship
The ongoing relationship between God and Israel, established through His promises and laws.

Teaching Points

God's Identity and Authority
Recognize that God’s declaration of being the LORD your God establishes His authority and rightful place in our lives. This identity calls for our reverence and obedience.

Deliverance and Redemption
Reflect on the significance of God’s deliverance from Egypt as a foreshadowing of Christ’s redemptive work. Just as Israel was freed from physical bondage, we are freed from spiritual bondage through Jesus.

Covenant Relationship
Understand that God’s relationship with Israel was based on a covenant, which required faithfulness and obedience. As believers, we are called to live in a covenant relationship with God through Christ.

Remembrance and Gratitude
Cultivate a heart of gratitude by remembering God’s past deliverances in your life. This remembrance should lead to a deeper trust and commitment to Him.

Exclusive Worship
Embrace the call to exclusive worship of God, rejecting any form of idolatry or divided allegiance. God’s declaration as the only true God demands our wholehearted devotion.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does understanding God as the one who delivered Israel from Egypt impact your view of His role in your life today?

2. In what ways can the account of the Exodus serve as a metaphor for your personal spiritual journey and deliverance?

3. How does the concept of a covenant relationship with God influence your daily decisions and actions?

4. What are some practical ways you can cultivate a heart of gratitude for God’s deliverance and provision in your life?

5. How can you ensure that your worship and allegiance remain exclusively focused on God, avoiding modern forms of idolatry?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Exodus 20:2
This verse echoes the declaration of God as the deliverer from Egypt, forming the preamble to the Ten Commandments and emphasizing His authority and covenant relationship.

Leviticus 26:13
Reinforces the theme of God as the deliverer from Egypt, highlighting His role in breaking the yoke of slavery and establishing Israel as His people.

Deuteronomy 5:6
Similar to Numbers 15:41, this verse introduces the Ten Commandments by affirming God's identity as the one who liberated Israel from Egypt.

Psalm 81:10
Calls Israel to open their mouths wide for God to fill, based on His identity as their deliverer from Egypt, encouraging trust and obedience.

Hosea 13:4
Reminds Israel of God's unique role as their God and Savior, with no other gods before Him, reinforcing His exclusive claim to their worship.

Sermons

Everlasting Relationship	J. Irons.	Numbers 15:41
God Recalls a Great Deed and the Purpose of it	D. Young	Numbers 15:41
The Use and Abuse of Memorials	E.S. Prout	Numbers 15:37-41

People

Aaron, Ephah, Israelites, Moses

Places

Egypt, Wilderness of Paran

Topics

Egypt

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Numbers 15:41

6659 freedom, acts in OT

Numbers 15:38-41

7462 tassel

Library

List of Abbreviations Used in Reference to Rabbinic Writings Quoted in this Work.
THE Mishnah is always quoted according to Tractate, Chapter (Pereq) and Paragraph (Mishnah), the Chapter being marked in Roman, the paragraph in ordinary Numerals. Thus Ber. ii. 4 means the Mishnic Tractate Berakhoth, second Chapter, fourth Paragraph. The Jerusalem Talmud is distinguished by the abbreviation Jer. before the name of the Tractate. Thus, Jer. Ber. is the Jer. Gemara, or Talmud, of the Tractate Berakhoth. The edition, from which quotations are made, is that commonly used, Krotoschin, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

We are Drawing Near the End, and to the Highest Conclusions of True Human Wisdom...
We are drawing near the end, and to the highest conclusions of true human wisdom; and full of deepest interest it is to mark the character of these conclusions. Reason speaks; that faculty that is rightly termed divine, for its possession marks those who are "the offspring of God." He is the Father of spirits, and it is in the spirit that Reason has her seat; whilst in our Preacher she is enthroned, and now with authority utters forth her counsels. Here we may listen to just how far she can …
F. C. Jennings—Old Groans and New Songs

Seventh Day. Holiness and Obedience.
Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: ye shall be unto me an holy nation.'--Ex. xix. 4-6. Israel has reached Horeb. The law is to be given and the covenant made. Here are God's first words to the people; He speaks of redemption and its blessing, fellowship with Himself: 'Ye have seen how I brought …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

The Healing of the Woman - Christ's Personal Appearance - the Raising of Jairus' Daughter
THERE seems remarkable correspondence between the two miracles which Jesus had wrought on leaving Capernaum and those which He did on His return. In one sense they are complementary to each other. The stilling of the storm and the healing of the demonised were manifestations of the absolute power inherent in Christ; the recovery of the woman and the raising of Jairus' daughter, evidence of the absolute efficacy of faith. The unlikeliness of dominion over the storm, and of command over a legion of …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Among the People, and with the Pharisees
It would have been difficult to proceed far either in Galilee or in Judaea without coming into contact with an altogether peculiar and striking individuality, differing from all around, and which would at once arrest attention. This was the Pharisee. Courted or feared, shunned or flattered, reverently looked up to or laughed at, he was equally a power everywhere, both ecclesiastically and politically, as belonging to the most influential, the most zealous, and the most closely-connected religions …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Degrees of Sin
Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous? Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others. He that delivered me unto thee, has the greater sin.' John 19: 11. The Stoic philosophers held that all sins were equal; but this Scripture clearly holds forth that there is a gradual difference in sin; some are greater than others; some are mighty sins,' and crying sins.' Amos 5: 12; Gen 18: 21. Every sin has a voice to speak, but some …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Worship of the Synagogue
One of the most difficult questions in Jewish history is that connected with the existence of a synagogue within the Temple. That such a "synagogue" existed, and that its meeting-place was in "the hall of hewn stones," at the south-eastern angle of the court of the priest, cannot be called in question, in face of the clear testimony of contemporary witnesses. Considering that "the hall of hew stones" was also the meeting-place for the great Sanhedrim, and that not only legal decisions, but lectures …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Day and Defends his Act.
(at Feast-Time at Jerusalem, Probably the Passover.) ^D John V. 1-47. ^d 1 After these things there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. [Though every feast in the Jewish calendar has found some one to advocate its claim to be this unnamed feast, yet the vast majority of commentators choose either the feast of Purim, which came in March, or the Passover, which came in April. Older commentators pretty unanimously regarded it as the Passover, while the later school favor the feast …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Third Day in Passion-Week - the Last Controversies and Discourses - the Sadducees and the Resurrection - the Scribe and the Great Commandment - Question
THE last day in the Temple was not to pass without other temptations' than that of the Priests when they questioned His authority, or of the Pharisees when they cunningly sought to entangle Him in His speech. Indeed, Christ had on this occasion taken a different position; He had claimed supreme authority, and thus challenged the leaders of Israel. For this reason, and because at the last we expect assaults from all His enemies, we are prepared for the controversies of that day. We remember that, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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