God is not only God. He is our God!
Imagine attending a one-on-one meeting with God and being invited back for additional sessions. Moses held such a privilege, and Scripture ascribes to him the unique testimony as the man to whom God spoke face-to-face, as friends meeting up to catch up. So intense were God’s holiness and His brilliance that Moses glowed, literally, after his alone time with God. Before returning to his regular day, Moses donned a veil until the luminescence subsided lest he frighten the people.
Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend… Exodus 33:11 NASB Selected
Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, Deuteronomy 34:10 NASB
The relationship between Moses and God deepened until the prophet felt free to speak his mind to God. After both the golden calf incident and the ten wimpy spies incident, Israel had pushed God’s patience to the limit, and His anger flared. His finger hovered threateningly above the “Smite them all!” button, and God offered at each event to eradicate the miscreants and make a new nation of Moses.
Perhaps God was only testing Moses with such a lucrative offer. Moses chose to intercede for his people, the hundreds of thousands he loved and cared for on the desert trek from Egypt. Moses boldly advised God, “Whoa! Cool Your jets! Think about what You’re proposing!”
And God listened to Moses. That’s what friends do. God allowed Israel to remain on this side of the dirt though their unfaithfulness brought dire consequences.
Fired For Cause
Despite all his privileges and his standing with God, Moses lost his job. On one occasion, overcome with discouragement at the people’s unceasing complaints, murmuring, and overt disgruntlement, Moses deviated from God’s instructions. God told him to speak to a rock and ample water would flow to sate the thirsty Hebrews. Moses lost his temper amid the hubbub and struck the rock twice instead. God fired him on the spot.
and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. Numbers 20:10-11 NASB
In a flash Moses lost the option of leading the people into the Promised Land as well as the blessing of visiting there himself. At some point Moses petitioned God for a pardon and netted this stern rebuke.
“I also pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, ‘O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours? ‘Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ “But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the LORD said to me, ‘Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter. ‘Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. Deuteronomy 3:23-27 NASB
The Last Words of Moses
Moses wisely shifted his focus from making his case for a pardon to winding down his leadership role, transitioning Joshua into the driver’s seat, and reminding the people of God’s expectations for them. As his forty-year term in leadership drew to a close, Moses trumpeted forth the life-changing reminder, “God is not only God. He is our God!”
Deuteronomy, the last of the five Old Testament books composed by Moses, gave Moses an opportunity to repeat God’s laws and provided further instruction. Moses recounted major events from the trek across the desert, and pointed the Hebrews to the One who made their deliverance from Egypt a reality.
Though he began his leadership career as a timid speaker, Moses, under God’s tutoring, had become a master communicator. The prophet understood that adults, like children, require repetition to learn, to develop good habits, and to retain material already mastered. And repeat he did.
In the book of Deuteronomy, I found sixty-two descriptors of God scattered generously across the 959 verses of the book. God’s various names in Scripture tell us much about Him, and these descriptors, or attributes, give even more detail. We can learn much about God from the data He has chosen to reveal, and Moses painted a marvelous word picture of our infinite God.
Moses focused on God through his entire presentation. The prophet knew that God and only God would be the One to sustain the nation in the Promised Land. Faithfulness to God and His teachings represented the only viable option for a successful life.
Who is God?
In Deuteronomy Moses repeated (more than 275 times) the name he used for God:
- The LORD our God
- The LORD your God
- The LORD my God
I consulted several translations of Scripture (ESV, KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT, and NKJV) and each spells the name as shown with all capitals for the word LORD. The expression in the Hebrew of the Old Testament designates God as “Yahweh your Elohim.” Note the personal pronouns tucked in the center.
As an experiment beyond my own study, I consulted Google’s AI facility, Gemini, and found accurate descriptions of this name used for God. Tracing the quotes provided in response to my query I discovered that in seconds Gemini had accessed several biblical sound sources and compiled these explanations. In the conversation the tool even offered help in proper attribution for the quote and wished me the best as I work on my book. Here’s the scoop from Gemini…
The phrase “LORD your God” signifies an intimate Covenant Relationship between the Creator and His people. It establishes His supreme authority as a sovereign ruler (LORD) while declaring His personal, redeeming presence and character (God).
The phrase combines two distinct Hebrew words, each carrying deep theological meaning:
LORD (Yahweh/Jehovah): This is the sacred, personal name of God…It emphasizes His eternal, self-existing nature and His role as a covenant-keeping God. In English Bibles, it is written in all-caps to distinguish it from the general word for “lord.”
God (Elohim): This is the majestic title for the Creator, highlighting His ultimate power, might, and authority over the universe.[1]
Claiming God as my God
And 275+ times Moses used this very name in Deuteronomy to remind his readers of their special relationship with God. “He’s the LORD our God, people. Don’t forget.” The self-existing Creator holds all authority. He is sovereign, and yet He desires a relationship with puny humans. Amazing grace indeed! What more important message could Moses leave for his people as he departed the scene?
Dear reader, perhaps you wonder, “How do I get into a personal relationship with this sovereign God? What must I do to be able to refer to Him as the “LORD my God”?” I have borrowed Appendix A from the book Facets of Manhood to share here. It’s entitled “The Greatest Offer Ever Made” and explains the process to become a child of God. The PDF file is yours without obligation. Read, it. Keep it. Share it. It’s my gift to you.
And let me share Appendix B, “The Perfect Tool Kit,” which spells out major benefits that come our way in our relationship with God.
All in all, joining God’s family and claiming Him as the LORD my God represents the soundest decision I will ever make. A word of warning—God’s offer to you and me expires with our last heartbeat. Please, don’t delay!
[1] “What does ‘LORD your God’ mean in the Bible” prompt. Gemini, version 1.5, Google, 20 Jun. 2026, google.com.
