Who Is The Lord?

By: M. S. Shiflett

This message was preached at Calvary Independent Baptist Church in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Exodus 5:2 "And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice..."

I am sure most people are familiar with this story and the way things are unfolding in these chapters. It is all about Pharaoh, the plagues, and the deliverance of the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt.  I won't take a lot of time to give all the details surrounding this passage.  However, I do want to take that phrase in verse number two and use it as a text for this message. Moses came before Pharaoh as one appointed by God to lead the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.  Moses boldly proclaimed to the leader, "The Lord hath said let my people go."  In verse two, we see Pharaoh's unbelievable reply.  He said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice...?"  Most people know a little bit about God.  They know about the Lord.  I doubt that there would be anybody here this morning that would go so far as to deny the existence of God.  There might possibly be an agnostic or an atheist here this morning, but I doubt it.  Most people will at least admit some knowledge of God.

But not Pharaoh!  He said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?"  What an arrogant question!  In this society in which we live, people are obsessed with themselves.  They worship no one but themselves.  Maybe they do not bow down in front of a mirror, but they ultimately do whatever they want to do.  They live however they please. They believe whatever is convenient for them to believe.  If it is not convenient for them to believe in a God, then they do not.  If it is not convenient for them to believe in a literal burning hell with real fire and brimstone where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched, then they do not believe in it.  It is sometimes convenient to not believe a lot of things.  It would be very inconvenient for me to go to the doctor tomorrow and find out that I've only got six months to live.  That would not fit into my plan.  But denying reality and denying truth and denying the Word of God will cause you to end up in hell.  As Pharaoh sat there on his throne, he looked down at Moses and said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice?" 

You might be guilty of asking in your heart "Who is God, that I should obey his voice?" Many people have misconceptions about God.  Some people have a mental picture of God as old and frail with white hair and a long white beard, hump-backed and sitting in a rocking chair in Heaven with His hands on a walking cane looking down at His creation.  But that is not the case.  A lot of people just think that He is a God of love and that He loves everybody and loves everything and He is just this real cheerful, happy-go-lucky person that is full of warm and fuzzy feelings and thoughts.  But that is not true either.  The Bible is very clear about who the Lord is.  The Bible is very clear in its description of God.  People like to take certain attributes of God and blow them out of proportion.  They like to over-emphasize them because it makes them feel better about who they are.   I want to remind you that some may be here like Pharaoh asking "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?"  I am fully prepared to explain to you who the Lord is:

1.  He is your Creator

In case you didn't know it, the Lord is your Creator.  Now if you are one of those people who think that we came from monkeys and you think that we evolved from a big blob of goo that crawled up out of the ocean and sprouted legs, I have news for you.  You are wrong!  The Bible is very clear that God created the heavens and the earth.  The Bible says in John 1:1

• "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

The Apostle John is referring to Jesus Christ. "In the beginning was the Word."  Notice the capitalized ‘W'. "And the Word was with God and the Word was God and all things were made by Him and without him was not any thing made that was made."  The Bible explains all throughout the Scripture that God is the giver of life and the sustainer of life.  You are here because God created you and gave you the strength and the breath to be here.  It irritates me when I hear people talk about being a "self-made" person.  The Apostle Paul said, "I am what I am by the grace of God."   The truth is, if all of us got what we deserved, we would be in hell this morning.  But the Lord, who created us, loves us.  So, "Who is the Lord, that we should obey his voice?"  He is our Maker, our Creator and it would do us well to wake up and realize that He created us for His glory and not ours.  He created us for His purpose not our own.  Ecclesiastes 12:13 says,

• "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

Sometimes young people come to me and say, "I do not know why I am here."  They are having an identity crises.  They do not know who they are and they do not know what their purpose in life is.  I even had a young man say to me, "I did not ask to be born.  What am I here for?  What is the purpose of all of this?"  That is a good question.   The Bible tells us that we were created to honor and glorify God.  God did not put us here to see how much we could accumulate.  God did not put us here to see how well known or popular we could become.  God did not put us here to see how much fun we could have.  He put us here to serve Him and to glorify Him and to honor Him.  Pharaoh sat there saying, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice?" I would love to have been the one standing there saying, "Big boy, the Lord is the One who created you and put you where you are, and don't you forget it!"  We get so big in our minds that we elevate ourselves much higher than we ought to.  Several times in the scriptures God had to remind Christians, even the leaders in the church not to be lifted up with pride.  One example is in Romans 12:3. 

• "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think..."

Pride is a terrible sin. God has more to say about pride than probably any other sin.  Pride was Pharaoh's problem. When he said "Who is the Lord?" in essence he was saying, "Do you know who you are talking to?  I run the show. Nobody tells me what to do.  Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?"  The Bible declares that He is your Creator. The Bible says that we were created in the image of God.  That very fact is what separates us from all the animals.  We did not come from monkeys by the way!  There might have been a  few of my ancestors that swung from their necks, but none of them ever swung from their tails! 

We were created in the image of God, with a soul and a spirit and a body.  The one thing that separated Adam and Eve from all the other creatures in the garden was that Adam and Eve were given a direct command and they had a choice to obey or disobey that command.  God has given every single person in this world a choice.  If you go to the prisons, they are filled to capacity.  Those people are in prison because of choices that they made.  They could not stand before their judge and say, "Somebody made me do it."  We all have choices and we all have twenty-four hours in a day.  We all have the same amount of time to spend anyway we choose.

A lot could be said about choices.  I always enjoy talking about choices when I preach in schools.  I had the opportunity to preach at a local high school here in our city for a week last year.  I told them, "Everyone of you are on a road. If you do not like the road that you are on and you do not like where it is going and you do not like where you have already been, then CHANGE ROADS!  You have that option." 

When Jesus preached, he spoke about two ways, or roads.

• Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

There is a narrow road, and it is straight and narrow and leads to life everlasting.  On the other hand, there is a broad road that leads to destruction and many there be that go thereat. The world likes the wide road because they can move around.  They enjoy the sin, the company and the fun, but they can not see that the road is going to end in destruction.  You have a choice.  God is your Creator and He created you for a purpose.  Hell was not created for you and me.  The Bible says that hell was created for the devil and his angels.  God has no desire whatsoever for anybody to end up in hell. 

• 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

God told Adam and Eve in the garden that they could eat of every tree except one. They made their choice and deliberately disobeyed the Lord.  There are people that blame God and condemn God and accuse Him of sending people to hell.  God has NEVER sent anyone to Hell.  They send themselves.  He said, "Here is the tree, you make your choice. You do whatever you want to do, but let me go ahead and tell you the consequences.  If you eat of this tree, the day that you eat of it, ye shall surely die." We do not know how much time lapsed between that command and when they actually sinned.  It could have been a few days, it could have been a few months, it could have been a few years.  We do not know, but one thing we do know.  Satan in the form of a serpent came to Eve and said, "Yea, hath God said?"  Sounds a lot like "Who is the Lord that you should obey his voice?" doesn't it?  She forgot that He was her Creator.  She forgot where she came from and who God was.

Eve forgot that God had created her in His image; a creation of complete perfection.  Satan has persuaded those in the world to ask the question, "Who is the Lord, that we should obey His voice."  That is one of the reasons why crime is so rampant today.  That is one of the reasons why people are not disturbed with abortion, which is murder.  God hates hands that shed innocent blood. (Proverbs 6:17) People do not mind robbing one another, killing one another - even their own unborn children.  They do not mind living in fornication, adultery and homosexuality.  They were told as children in the schools that they came from monkeys and now there is no accountability to the God who created them.  "Who is the Lord, that we should obey His voice?"  Make no mistake; He is your Creator. 

2. He is our Saviour

Not only is He your Maker, but He is your Saviour.  Isaiah 43:11 is very clear when it says "I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour."  Though man sinned, the Lord that created him also made a plan for his salvation.

Let's look at these verses in Ephesians 2.

• "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens...having no hope and without God in the world..." verse 11

A woman wrote me recently and said she had such a desire to have a relationship with God but that she was also a lesbian.  I wrote her back and told her that God put that desire to know God in her heart, but He would only have a relationship with her when she acknowledged her wicked lifestyle and came to Him on His terms. God put that void there so that she would search for Him and so that she would thirst for Him knowing that He was the only thing that could fill that void.

Do you feel empty? Are you working 50 hours a week, trying to have everything so that you can enjoy life, but you are still miserable?  It could be because you are without God.  There is nothing that can take the place of God.  You can be dirt poor and on your death bed and have God and be more satisfied than the richest man in the world that does not know God.  There is no substitute for God.  Let's read on:

• "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." verse 13

We were far away from God.  We were aliens. We were without hope, but the Lord Jesus Christ came to our rescue.  Who is the Lord, that you should obey His voice?  Well, I will tell you who He is.  He is your Savior!  He is the one that stands between you and hell.  Through Christ, we have been reconciled unto God.  Has there ever been a time when you needed to communicate with someone, but you did not know how?  The perfect example is that of a lawyer.  The alleged criminal and the judge need to have a very serious conversation but many times the suspect or the criminal does not know how to communicate.  The judge is up there on the bench and the suspect does not know how to explain what happened.  He does not know how to tell his side of the story.  He does not know the legal terms and the technicalities of the law.  So, what does he do?  He hires a lawyer that will speak on his behalf and defend his case before the judge.  He is the advocate - the mediator - the one communicating.  That is the way that it was with us and God.  In the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned, the Bible said that they became spiritually dead. They were a perfect example of being helpless, hopeless, and DEAD in trespasses and sin.  "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,.." became our Saviour. (Ephesians 2:4)  I want you to understand this, because Jesus Christ and God are one and the same.  Try and picture this.  You have the Judge, which is the Lord and He looks down and says to you, "You are guilty."  And Jesus - our Mediator - says, "I know Father, but I died for him."  Then God says, "You died for him?"  "Yes Father.  He was dirty, he was wicked and he was on his way to hell.  But I loved him and I died for him.  I took his punishment.  I took what he deserved, I went through his hell on the cross." And then God looks at you and He says, "Well, in that case, because of His love for you, I forgive you." 

Your Creator is also your Saviour and He looked down and saw that we had gotten into a mess that we could not get ourselves out of.  He could have said, "You know what, I told you that if you ate of that tree you were going to die.  So die!  See if I care.  I will just start all over and maybe this time they will love me enough to do what I tell them to do."  But he did not.  He said, "Alright.  You sinned and you deserve to die, but I have a plan.  It is called the gift of eternal life and there is no way that you can earn it.  There is nothing that you can do to merit it.  You have already broken the rules, but here is what I am going to do.  I am going to send my Son to die for you so that you do not have to die even though you sinned.  I will send my Son to die in your place and to be punished for you.  You can do one of two things: you can die in your sins and go to hell or you can accept His death as payment for your sins and then you can have everlasting life."  It is just that simple.  There are a lot of people that think Jesus being crucified was all a big mistake and that it was not supposed to turn out that way.  The Bible says that He was slain from the foundation of the world.  Before God ever laid the foundation of this planet, He knew in His mind that He would send His Son to die for you and for me.  He is your Creator, He is your Saviour and...

3. He is your Judge

Just as sure as God created you and gave you breath, He is going to be your Judge.  Just like the criminal that stands before the judge, one day you will stand before Almighty God.  Imagine the Lord Jesus Christ, your Mediator looking at the Father and saying, "Lord, I died for him.  They beat me, they scourged me and they crucified me so that he could be saved. I shed my blood and I paid for his sins, but he didn't accept it."  Can you imagine the horror on that day when you realize that the very one you laughed at and mocked and disobeyed and rebelled against has the final say in your eternal destination?  Imagine facing the Judge and not having that pardon and that forgiveness that the Mediator tried to provide.  Who is the Lord, that you should obey his voice?  The Lord is the one that will one day be your Judge!

Understand something very important.  Salvation has been offered to every man, woman, boy and girl.  The Bible is very clear about this. 

• "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men" Titus 2:11

There is not a single person in this whole world that Jesus did not die for.  It does not matter if you have murdered somebody, or if you are a crook, a thief, a fornicator, a whoremonger, a drunkard, or a prostitute.  Jesus died for you.  You see, you sinned, and now you are going to die.  Romans 6:23 says:

• "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Do you want eternal life?  Do you want to live forever in heaven with Jesus?  Do you want to have all of your sins washed away?  Would you like to have all of your sins forgiven?  Wouldn't that be great?  The good news is, it has already been done. All you have to do is accept it.  When He died on the cross, that was His gift to you. 

Jesus died and He shed His blood for all the world to be saved and there are people that say, "Thanks, but no thanks.  I will get to heaven on my own. I will do it my way."  My friend, you've been warned.  He is the Judge.  Revelation 20 gives a frightening account of what that day will be like.  

• Verse 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
• Verse 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
• Verse 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
• Verse 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
• Verse 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Every single person that God ever created is going to stand before the same Judge - God Himself. 

Who is the Lord, that you should obey His voice?  He is your Creator.  He is your Savior, and one day He will be your Judge.  He commands you to repent of your sins and be saved. 

• Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Will you obey Him? Repent of your sins.  Repentance simply means a change of heart, a change of mind, a change of will.  If you are sick and tired of your sinful heart and sinful ways, then God wants to save you today.  Jesus preached "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."  If you love your sin so much that you are not interested in repentance, then you can't get saved!  You have to be willing to leave your sinful life and become a NEW CREATURE in Christ Jesus! 

• II Corinthians 5:17 says "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

 If you are not willing to repent, God will see that you are not sorry for your sins and will not save you.  Salvation is not based on your works, but God is looking at your heart to see if you are serious about being saved.

• I John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Being honest about your sin and getting forgiveness for them is very important.  Until you do that, you can't be saved.

It is our prayer that the Holy Spirit of God has convinced you that you are a sinner and in need of salvation.  Christ is the only way.  He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless, perfect life, was crucified for our sins, was buried, and three days later rose from the grave.  He's alive today, sitting at the right hand of God and He wants to give you the gift of everlasting life and He wants to forgive you of ALL your sins and adopt you into His family.  Don't wait.  Don't procrastinate.  Don't doubt Him or His love for you.  Trust and accept Him before it is too late.

You are not promised another day.  There is no guarantee that you'll live to be an old woman or an old man.  You could die today.  Your house is on fire.  Get out and run to Jesus.  He'll save you from that awful place called Hell and you will never regret it. 

If you realize that you have never been saved, why don't you do so now?  Why don't you get on your knees right now and humbly admit to God that you are a sinner and that you need to be saved.  Ask him to come into your life and make you a child of God.  Let Him know that you are not trusting in your works, but instead you are trusting in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for your salvation.  Repent of your sins and ask him to save you, and He will. 

If you do get saved, please let us know.  We have some follow-up literature we would love to send you to help you understand more fully what God has done for you and how to become a strong Christian.