Who Am I?

If you use your bible software and search on “Who am I?” you will find that Moses said it once before going to Pharaoh and having been called by God to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.  David said it three times and Solomon once.

This statement is a window into the soul of a man or woman.  The light of humility and the wonder of God shines brightly through.  God must love it when He sees this in the heart of a son or daughter.

Let’s look at David and his son Solomon.  David went to the Lord and said “Who am I?” at the beginning of his life, in the middle, and then at the end of his life.  The first occurred when he was running from Saul after defeating Goliath. (1 Sam. 18:18)  He was in wonder that he would become son-in-law to the king.  Secondly he said it after he became King of Israel and had brought the ark into Jerusalem and God promised that the temple would be built by David’s son.  (2 Sam. 7:18).  Here David says “Who am I O Lord God?  And what is my house that You have brought me this far?”  Then just before he died, after he had commissioned Solomon and the people willingly brought such great wealth in gold, silver, bronze, iron and precious stones, David’s final recorded prayer to God includes this:  “But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer so willingly as this?  For all things come from You and of Your own we have given You.”  (1 Chron. 29:14) David ended his life with the same awe and wonder of God as he began.  He ended in his integrity and his heart intact.

Then comes Solomon.  At the beginning of his life, in his letter to Hyram, King of Tyre, asking for materials to build the temple he says “Who am I that I should build Him a temple…” (2 Chron. 2:6)  Solomon was perhaps 18 when he became king of Israel.  In his teens he had his dad’s wonder of God and humility of heart.  That soon changed.  We know he took many wives, became rich and at the end of his life wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, a book full of cynicism and questions; a book written by an empty man.  He was gifted and full of wisdom.  He excelled in all areas of life – science, architecture, business, farming …  People came from all over the world just to see him. He spent his life pursuing his own interests.  You know the story.

There are many instructions here for us:

1.  David had a life of suffering, hardships, constant battles with his enemies, his son betrayed him …  But his sufferings kept him close to God.  He became an over-comer.  We see this in the Psalms.  He made mistakes, yes, but he was easily convicted when the prophet came to him.  David ended his life with a good heart, a heart full of God and not himself.  Rejoice in your sufferings and hardships.  They will keep you close to God.

2.  It is not how you start in your Christian life that counts the most … it is how you finish.  Will your last prayer include “who am I” that You have done such and such?

3.  Be careful of an easy life; of pursuing your own interests.  Be careful of a life without hardships.  Be careful of too many riches (not to mention too many wives!).  That life leads to cynicism and emptiness.  Solomon ends the book of Ecclesiastes with these final words:  “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

4.  Look at where you are in the generations of your family.  Be careful if you are the second generation and you are living in the wake of the blessings of previous generations who blazed the trail, who lived lives of overcoming hardships.  Don’t drop the baton.

5.  Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere.