I am the Lord, your God
August 4, 2023 - Friday, Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest
Psalm 81:3-4, 5-6, 10-11ab
Psalm 81 is a call to praise the Lord with music during one of the Jewish festivals. We hear in this psalm the voice of the Lord who reminds the Israelites of the first of the Ten Commandments, “There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (Ps 81:10-11; see Exodus 20:2-3). The reward for obedience to that commandment would be an abundant agricultural blessing and subjugation of Israel’s enemies (see Ps 81:11, 14-15). Unfortunately, instead of listening to the Lord, Israel chose to walk their ways, which brought with itself tragic consequences.
The statement “I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” directed to the Israelites is preceded in the Bible with a similar statement directed to Abraham: “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it” (Gen. 15:7). Both, Ur and Egypt symbolise a society worshipping different deities and enslaving God’s people. In both cases, God’s call was to liberate and establish a covenant, first with Abraham and then with his descendants, the Israelites. Unfortunately, the sin of disobedience made the Jewish people return to where their ancestor, Abraham, came out from. Thus, the story of Israel portrayed in the Jewish Bible ends where it began – in the land of the Chaldeans. Abraham was brought out from that land (approximately around 2000 BC) and his ancestors were forced to go back to that land in 586 BC.
The two statements about Abraham and his ancestors being brought out from Ur and Egypt prepare us for the Christian proclamation of our exodus from the land of sin. Jesus Christ set us free. Like Abraham and the Israelites, we have left behind sin and began our journey of faith. We also proclaim an exclusive devotion to Jesus Christ. He is the only person in which humanity can find salvation, the full revelation of God, and the only way to a relationship with God (see Acts 4:12; Col 1:15; John 14:6). Jesus promises those who follow him an abundance of life. But, like the ancient Israelites, we are also tempted by contemporary idols in the form of materialism, different social ideologies, power, and fame. And the Lord, who respects our freedom, also allows us to go after our wilful hearts and follow our devices (see Ps 81:13).
God’s statement that he is our God and His call to obedience is at the heart of the Biblical message. For Saint Paul, it is the main purpose of preaching the Gospel, namely to bring all the nations to “the obedience of faith” (see Rom 1:5). Why is it so important? A wholehearted and exclusive devotion brings with itself many benefits, among them, a sense of meaning, a sense of direction, and a moral compass in life. Instead of doing our will, we embrace God’s will and in doing it we find peace, contentment, and true happiness. As someone said, "When we surrender our will to God, we discover His perfect plan for our lives."