I Am the LORD your God אֲנִי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם

We are in chapter nineteen of Leviticus with our word for today which is a phrase. אֲנִי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם I am YWHW your God or I am the LORD your God. It is used 34 times in the Old Testament, 8 times in our chapter. Let’s start with our chapter sense our phrase is used the most of all the chapters of the Bible. Leviticus 19:2-4 Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם I, the Lord your God, am holy. “‘Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם I am the Lord your God. “‘Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:10, 25, 31 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם I am the Lord your God … But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם I am the Lord your God … Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:34, 36-37 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם I am the Lord your God …  Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin.  אֲנִי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. “‘Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה I am the Lord.’” From this chapter and other uses we can see clearly that our phrase is used for the reason why his people are to do all of the instructions he is giving them. And the emphasis of YWHW is not just that God is the ever-existing reality God in that what he says is reality because of his power but that he uses his power to bless, enrich and benefit his people. The example of his power used to save his people from slavery in Egypt is repeat to make this point. Another way God makes this point is this summary idea of being holy which he starts our chapter with. Because God is different set apart from everyone and every being that exists. One of these ways is that he uses his power for goodness not corruption. God makes everything better. And not only that he is also the only one that can take evil and bring good out of it. This theme of God using his power for our good is seen throughout the Bible. I’ll close with these great New Testament examples. Romans 8:28, 31-35, 37-39 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose … If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.