Identity
Words of Faith 8-3-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Nehemiah 9
[13] "You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. [14] You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees, and laws through your servant Moses. [15] In their hunger, you gave them bread from heaven, and in their thirst, you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.

The worship leaders of Jerusalem first recounted the choosing of Abram and the “chosen-ness” of His people. They then recounted the saving of His people through the Exodus and their distinctive nature as people of the Exodus. Next, they recounted their identity as people of the Law.

When we hear the word Law, we may shrink back at the “restrictive” sound of rules, commands, and prohibitions. In reality, the gift of the Law on Mount Sinai gave the Hebrew people an identity and freedom unlike anything any other people had experienced since the Garden of Eden.

God chose to speak to these people alone. The regulations and laws He gave them created justice and defined what is right. The decrees and commands were declared to be good. These are good things. They set the Jewish people apart from the world and defined their relationship with the Creator of the universe. The Law is an immense expression of God’s love as he identifies His people with His own holiness.

The gift of the Sabbath made the Jewish people completely unique among all the peoples of the world. This was the one group of people who would stop for one day each week to honor God. As they walked in this pattern of resting on the seventh day, God blessed them with provision. He gave them the miraculous bread from heaven and water from the rock. He showed them that they could trust Him to provide enough in six days to supply them for seven.

The worship leaders also recounted Promise's journey. God had brought them out of slavery into the desert to give them identity and then lead them into a land of Promise. He led them in the desert toward this Promise.

The identity we share as God’s people is amazing. We are chosen, liberated, loved, set apart, provided for people of Promise. By God’s grace, we have purpose, freedom, identity, provision, rest and destiny.

Are you walking in the identity that God has given to you? Do you walk each day with the knowledge that God has chosen you? You are not an accident. You have purpose! Do you walk in freedom from the bondage of sin and the world? Do you walk in the knowledge that God loves you too much to let you wander without loving boundaries? Do you walk in the knowledge that God will provide all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus? Do you walk in the knowledge that Sabbath rest is God’s gift to you, not your burden for Him? Do you walk in the truth that God has a promised destiny for you? Perhaps today is the day to start.

Lord God, I am in awe of all that You have set before me. Thank You for the purpose You have designed in my life. Thank You for the freedom You have won for me. Thank You for the love expressed in Your Word. Thank You for the provisions You make for me in desert times. Thank You for the Sabbath rest You provide so that I may know Your peace. Thank You for the destiny You have set before me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.