I am the LORD your GodThis phrase establishes the identity and authority of God over the Israelites. The use of "LORD" (YHWH) is significant as it is the covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature. This declaration is a reminder of the first commandment (
Exodus 20:2-3), reinforcing the exclusive worship and allegiance to God. It underscores the personal relationship between God and His people, highlighting His role as their protector and provider.
who brought you out of the land of Egypt
This phrase recalls the historical event of the Exodus, a foundational moment for Israel. It signifies God's deliverance and power, demonstrating His faithfulness to His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Exodus is a central theme throughout the Old Testament, symbolizing salvation and liberation. It prefigures the ultimate deliverance through Jesus Christ, who frees believers from the bondage of sin (John 8:36).
to be your God
This phrase indicates the purpose of God's deliverance: to establish a covenant relationship with Israel. It reflects the idea of God dwelling among His people, as seen in the tabernacle and later the temple. This relationship is characterized by mutual commitment, where God provides guidance, protection, and blessings, and the people respond with obedience and worship. It foreshadows the New Covenant through Christ, where believers become the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).
I am the LORD your God.
The repetition of this phrase serves as an emphatic conclusion, reinforcing God's sovereignty and the importance of His covenant relationship with Israel. It is a call to remember and adhere to His commandments, as their identity and purpose are rooted in Him. This echoes throughout Scripture, reminding believers of their identity in Christ and their call to live according to His will (1 Peter 2:9-10).
Persons / Places / Events
1.
The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal, self-existent nature and His relationship with Israel as their God.
2.
IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, whom He delivered from slavery in Egypt and to whom He gave His laws and commandments.
3.
EgyptThe land of bondage from which God delivered the Israelites, symbolizing sin and oppression.
4.
ExodusThe event of God leading the Israelites out of Egypt, demonstrating His power and faithfulness.
5.
Covenant RelationshipThe ongoing relationship between God and Israel, established through His promises and laws.
Teaching Points
God's Identity and AuthorityRecognize that God’s declaration of being the LORD your God establishes His authority and rightful place in our lives. This identity calls for our reverence and obedience.
Deliverance and RedemptionReflect on the significance of God’s deliverance from Egypt as a foreshadowing of Christ’s redemptive work. Just as Israel was freed from physical bondage, we are freed from spiritual bondage through Jesus.
Covenant RelationshipUnderstand that God’s relationship with Israel was based on a covenant, which required faithfulness and obedience. As believers, we are called to live in a covenant relationship with God through Christ.
Remembrance and GratitudeCultivate a heart of gratitude by remembering God’s past deliverances in your life. This remembrance should lead to a deeper trust and commitment to Him.
Exclusive WorshipEmbrace the call to exclusive worship of God, rejecting any form of idolatry or divided allegiance. God’s declaration as the only true God demands our wholehearted devotion.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Numbers 15:41?
2.How does Numbers 15:41 emphasize God's role as deliverer from bondage?
3.What does "I am the LORD your God" reveal about God's identity?
4.How can we remember God's deliverance in our daily lives?
5.Connect Numbers 15:41 with Exodus 20:2 regarding God's deliverance.
6.How should acknowledging God as deliverer influence our obedience to His commands?
7.How does Numbers 15:41 affirm God's identity as the Israelites' deliverer from Egypt?
8.What does Numbers 15:41 reveal about God's covenant relationship with Israel?
9.How does Numbers 15:41 emphasize the importance of obedience to God's commandments?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Numbers 15?
11.Numbers 15:37-41: Is there evidence, outside the Bible, that Israelites universally wore tassels to remember the commandments, or is this practice unattested?
12.Deuteronomy 1:10-11 suggests a huge population in the desert; where is the archaeological evidence for such a large group?
13.Why does God kill Uzzah instantly for touching the Ark to prevent it from falling (2 Samuel 6:7)?
14.Numbers 14:18 insists that God is slow to anger yet punishes sin; how can this be consistent with the immediate, severe judgment in the same chapter?What Does Numbers 15:41 Mean
I am the LORD your GodThis opening declaration roots everything that follows in God’s unchanging identity.
• “LORD” (YHWH) signals His self-existence and covenant faithfulness, the same Name He revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14).
• By saying “your God,” He claims an exclusive, personal relationship with His people, just as He did in the first commandment (Exodus 20:2;Deuteronomy 5:6).
• The phrase establishes His absolute authority over Israel’s worship, ethics, and daily life (Isaiah 45:5-7).
who brought you out of the land of EgyptGod ties His authority to a specific historical act of redemption.
• The Exodus was not merely a past event; it was the foundational proof of His power and love (Deuteronomy 6:12; 7:8).
• Remembering this rescue guarded Israel against pride and forgetfulness (Deuteronomy 8:14).
• In the New Testament, the cross is spoken of in similar terms: a once-for-all deliverance that guarantees God’s continuing care (1 Peter 1:18-19).
to be your GodDeliverance had a purpose: relationship.
• The Lord freed Israel so He could dwell among them (Exodus 6:7;Leviticus 26:12).
• This goal shaped their identity; every law, feast, and ritual reminded them they belonged to Him (Deuteronomy 26:17-19).
• The same pattern is echoed in the new covenant: “I will be their God, and they will be My people” (2 Corinthians 6:16;Hebrews 8:10).
I am the LORD your GodThe repetition drives the point home.
• Bookending the statement emphasizes certainty and calls for obedience (Leviticus 22:33; 25:38).
• It reassures the people that the God who saved them will sustain them (Psalm 100:3).
• Revelation closes Scripture with the same promise: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man… they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3).
summaryNumbers 15:41 grounds Israel’s identity and obedience in four inseparable truths: who God is, what He has done, why He did it, and His unchanging presence. The Lord’s self-revelation (“I am the LORD”) frames history (the Exodus) and purpose (to be your God), inviting His people—then and now—to live in grateful, exclusive allegiance to the One who redeems and dwells with them.
Verse 41. -
I am the Lord your God. This intensely solemn formula, here twice repeated, may serve to show how intimately the smallest observances of the Law were connected with the profoundest and most comforting of spiritual truths, if only observed in faith and true obedience. The whole of religion, theoretical and practical, lay in those words, and that whole was hung upon a tassel. It is further to be noted that this precept was given during the years of exile, and probably given as one which they
could keep, and which would be helpful to them, at a time when almost all other distinctive observances were suspended.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Iאֲנִ֞י(’ă·nî)Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589:Iam the LORDיְהוָ֣ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israelyour Godאֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֗ם(’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem)Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlativewhoאֲשֶׁ֨ר(’ă·šer)Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834:Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order thatbrought you outהוֹצֵ֤אתִי(hō·w·ṣê·ṯî)Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3318:To go, bring, out, direct and proximof the landמֵאֶ֣רֶץ(mê·’e·reṣ)Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776:Earth, landof Egyptמִצְרַ֔יִם(miṣ·ra·yim)Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714:Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africato beלִהְי֥וֹת(lih·yō·wṯ)Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1961:To fall out, come to pass, become, beyour God.לֵאלֹהִ֑ים(lê·lō·hîm)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlativeIאֲנִ֖י(’ă·nî)Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589:Iam the LORDיְהוָ֥ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israelyour God.”אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃(’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem)Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative
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OT Law: Numbers 15:41 I am Yahweh your God who brought (Nu Num.) 
