What's In a Name? | Exodus 3:10-15
I invite you to turn to Exodus 3. Laurie and I were attending what had been advertised as an evening of “story-telling.” And the storyteller, got the event started by inviting us, the audience, to introduce ourselves to one another. And his instruction included saying our name, along with a word, starting with the same letter, that communicated something about us. So, introvert that I am, and thinking hard thoughts about the friend who’d give us tickets, I walked over to someone and said, “Hi. I’m Greg, the guitar player.” In the moment it just seemed less lame than “Gregarious Greg,” and less pompous than “Gregory, the great!”
The point of it all was, some of us find it challenging to remember names. And by simply adding something descriptive to our name, serves the other as a mnemonic device. Someone is more likely to remember, “Oh yea. You’re Greg, the guitar player,” than they are likely to remember just Greg. And that’s significant. As Dale Carnegie, of How to Win Friends and Influence People fame, so poignantly said, “We can make people feel extremely important and valued by simply remembering their name.” Our names distinguish us from other people. Our names become a part of who we are. Something of our identity is captured in that name. And if that’s true for human beings, then what about God’s name? If our names are important to us, communicate something about us, then what might God’s name mean? And what significance does God’s name communicate? Well, that’s at the heart of Ex. 3:10-15. So, please stand and follow along as I read Ex. 3:1-15.
“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.
And Moses said, “I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the land of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of the land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be a sign for you, that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”
—Exodus 3:1-15
This is the Word of God. Let’s pray.
Exodus 3:1-9 represents a turning point in the book of Exodus. It is a turning point in Moses’ life. It’s a turning point in the history of Israel. And it is a turning point in God’s salvation history. After more than 400 years of silence, God is speaking. God is revealing. He is communicating Himself. He unveils His nature. He discloses His heart. He tells of His plans. Recognizing that reality alone, should cause us to tremble. The revelation of God’s sovereignty, and God’s holiness, and God’s tender-hearted mercy – this is the foundational building block upon which everything else is going to be constructed. And it is on account of this revelation, that Moses would never be the same. Israel would never be the same. And God-willing, we will never be the same.
And now here, in Ex. 3:10-15, that revelation reaches a climax. We are introduced to more of God – in a more personal way. He tells us His name. When you want to know someone, you give them your name, because the name opens the door to relationship. And when God gives His name, He does so to open the door, that we might know Him, and remember Him, and relate to Him in a more personal way. One OT scholar writes, “When the Bible speaks of the name of God, it is referring to the fullest extent of the knowledge of God that is available to human beings” (Gowan, Theology in Exodus: Biblical Theology in the Form of a Commentary).
As we meditate on this text, we are engaging with the fullest extent of the knowledge of God that is available to us.
God’s Name Represents all that God Reveals to us About Himself.
And God is revealing His name for a reason – namely to forge a relationship with us, and to fortify our faith. Imagine it’s Narrate night in God’s MC. And God is introducing Himself that we might be knit more closely to Him, and that our faith might be strengthened in Him. This is holy ground.
Now, remember what’s happening here. God has sovereignly interrupted Moses’ life. And God reveals himself to Moses as a holy God. “Do not come near.” Moses’ life is on the line. You cannot draw near to God unless He draws near to you. But He is also Israel’s God. And His heart is tender toward their circumstances. He has seen their affliction. He has heard their heart cry. He knows all they’ve suffered. And now He has come down to deliver them. The hour of their salvation has arrived.
And you’d expect Moses to be pretty fired up. Wow! This is it. Stuff is about to happen! The promise God made to Abraham back in Gen. 15, to free His people from their affliction – the time has come! What could be more exciting? And then there’s v. 10.
“Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
—Exodus 3:10
“Excuse me? Seriously? Now hold it right there.” Remember? Moses has been on the run from his past for 40 years. He’s been living an anonymous life in backwater Midian, shepherding his father-in-law’s sheep. Away from the politics. Away from Twitter and cable news. Away from all the cultural drama. Just quiet. But now, that peace is interrupted. God is about to change history. And God’s plan means Moses will be no sideline spectator.
In Exodus 2, we suspected Moses had some sense, that his purpose, his manhood, if nothing else, was to be a deliverer. But now Moses is discovering what his life purpose is all about. God had created him, rescued him, shaped him (including his dark and “wasted” years), prepared him uniquely and specifically for such a time and task as this. He’s no longer going to be shepherding sheep. Moses is going to be shepherding people. And keep in mind, the people he will shepherd are not a well-organized, geo-political entity. The people he’s going to lead are a rag-tag multitude of beaten down, worn-out, impoverished slaves. They really are like sheep. And God is calling Moses to lead these sheep against the world’s greatest superpower.
Is it any surprise that Moses pushes back? He’s not a little resistant to God’s call. He questions God’s plan. He raises objections to God’s wisdom. And we see two of those objections here in vv. 10-15. But we’re also going see God patiently respond to Moses’ objections, and in the process, we will discover even more of who God is. Moses’ first objection is expressed in the question –
Who Am I?
Moses’ immediate reaction to God’s call is to size himself up against the “assignment,” and finds himself short. Verse 11 says, “But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”” (Exodus 3:11).
For Moses, there are 2 insurmountable obstacles. One is Pharaoh – the most powerful man, in the most powerful nation on earth. He’s not the same Pharaoh as the one in Ex. 1-2. But it’s still Moses’ past that haunts him. “God, have you forgotten that I’m a fugitive from justice in Egypt? I’m a wanted man. How do you expect me, of all people, to do this? I’m the last guy on earth for this job.”
The 2nd obstacle is Israel. The last time Moses was with the Israelites, he was soundly rejected. He’d been trying to help. He’d sought to serve them as a deliverer. And instead, he fled in panic that his own people would turn him in. So, why would they listen to him now, 40 years later – much less follow him? And God’s answer to Moses’ objection is brief and decisive. Verse 12, “He said, “But I will be with you”” (Exodus 3:12).
Notice, God doesn’t pump Moses up with, “This is your time.” He doesn’t walk Moses through a list of all he’s got going for him. He doesn’t draw attention to how the past 40 years have distinctly prepared Moses for such a time and such a task as this. God doesn’t say, “But Moses, you’re going to be so good at this.” Nor does God, minimize the hugeness of it all. He doesn’t say, “Oh Moses, this isn’t too big for you.” God does nothing to draw Moses’ focus on to himself. Rather, just one simple reality. “I will be with you.” God takes Moses’ eyes off of himself, and points him to a more powerful, more awesome, more towering reality – one which makes all other challenges and impossibilities pale.
The issue at hand is not who Moses is. The issue is who God is. The question is never, ultimately, who we are. It is always, ultimately, who God is.
This is really important. From this point on, this promise – “I will be with you” - the promise of the presence and power of God – is going to be the distinguishing mark and characteristic of the people of God.
God’s Active Presence and Power Is the Distinguishing Mark of God’s People
The active presence and power, the discernible presence and power of God is what will set apart the people of God from all other people.
If you’ve ever been here for our stand-up meeting prior to this worship gathering, you’ve heard us, week in and week out, pray for God to fulfill the one promise, and create the one reality that will distinguish us and what happens in this gathering from any other gathering, any other meeting, any other people – namely, God’s active, dynamic, and discernible presence and power. Why? Why is that significant?
It’s because this promise, this phrase, or some form of it, occurs over 100 times in the OT. Over and over, when called to some challenging task, confronted with some danger or threat, or great evil, God’s people, again and again, are emboldened, encouraged with these words – “I will be with you.”
Now of course, it’s not just the words – but who’s speaking the words. This week, if your furnace fails to heat, or your computer freezes, or the transmission on your vehicle locks up – and I say to you right now, “I will be with you,” you should gain no comfort, at all, from that promise. But when God, the creator and sustainer of heaven and earth, promises to be with us, it changes everything.
Nevertheless, in spite of God’s promise, Moses still has anxious misgivings. And he says so in v. 13.
“Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”
—Exodus 3:13
Moses’ first question was, “Who am I?” His 2nd question is –
Who Are You?
And it’s a question that leads into one of the most holy, mysterious moments in all Scripture, namely, the communication of the very name of God. As Moses contemplates God’s call, as he imagines himself coming to the Israelites, he anticipates their questions, and wants to know what he should say.
Names in the ancient near east carried significance because they pointed to one’s nature, or character. They weren’t merely a label. One’s name represented one’s reputation. I wasn’t all that encouraged when I googled “Brands you can trust.” In the top ten were, Weight Watchers, Whole Foods, Facebook, Trip Adviser, Harley Davidson, and Budweiser.
I believe that what’s underneath Moses’ hypothetical situation is NOT complete ignorance of who God is. God may have been a distant memory, but the Israelites did know His name. It runs through the entire book of Genesis. Rather the relevant substance to the question is – after centuries of suffering, and bondage, and oppression – is He really the same God their ancestors knew? We get this, right? Suffering does that to us. Does He really remember us? Does He really care about all that we have gone through? And is HE the One who sent you?
So, what is in God’s name? And to this anticipated question – this very relevant question – God graciously discloses, not only His name, and its meaning, but also its significance. And he does so in 3 parts. Part 1, God answers the question for Moses. Verse 14, “God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”” (Exodus 3:14a).
That’s not really a name. That is an assertion that sheds light on what’s in God’s name. Part 2, God answers the question for Israel.
“And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
—Exodus 3:14b
This is an abbreviation of “I am who I am.” God is saying, “Moses, show the significance of my name to them also.” And then 3rd – and this where God finally provides His actual name.
“God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD . . . has sent me to you.’”
—Exodus 3:14c
The name – the proper name – of God is “the LORD.” This is His personal name. It’s the special name of God which He gives to His people. And it will occur over 6000 times in the OT. Now, how do we get “LORD” from “I AM”? Behind the word “LORD” are 4 Hebrew letters – YHWH. That’s the name. And those 4 letters are derived from the Hebrew verb “I am.” That’s how it connects.
But here’s how it happened. Over time, Jews considered that name too sacred to even be vocalized. They wouldn’t say this name, lest they risk breaking the 3rd of the 10 commandments – “do not take the LORD’s name in vain.” Do not attach God’s name to anything worthless. So, they wouldn’t even dare to speak it. Instead, when they came to the letters YHWH, the name, they would use a different word. Perhaps you know it. It’s the word, “Adonai” which means “LORD.” And over time, years, centuries, millennia later, we still use that traditional translation, LORD. We don’t say the name. So, when you see, in your English OT’s, the word LORD, in all capital letters, the meaning is not merely, “master”, “commander”, “governor.” It’s the translation of the divine name, if I might say it, “Yahweh.”
But what does it mean? What is God saying about who He is when He says, “I am who I am”? And listen, no phrase has been more debated among both Christian and Jewish scholars for centuries – which actually tells us something. Why is there so much debate? Why is it so unexplainable? Because there IS mystery. Whenever we attempt to look into the nature of God, there IS going to be mystery. There is no name that could ever capture the full essence of all that God is. So that’s part of the meaning and significance. Implicit in God’s name is transcendence, incomprehensibility, in-contain-ability, uncontrollability.
But there are undebatable truths that theologians have identified as facets of God’s nature in God’s name.
God is Eternal
God is unchanging in His nature. “I am who I am.” The everlasting, eternal God. “I am who I am, not who I was.” Our God is the one who always is. In v.15, God says, “This is my name forever” (Exodus 3:15a).
God has no beginning or ending. And this significant for us. Are you worried about your future? God is there. Are you worried, or regretful, or bitter, or stuck on account of things in your past? God is there. Even the things you’ve moved on from, God hasn’t moved on. They’re still before Him, and He rules and reigns over them, and their outcomes/consequences. God is above and outside of time. He’s not like us. We’re wasting away. He’s not. We’re so caught up in the moment. God is not. He’s eternal. He’s also independent.
God is Independent
Or we say He’s self-sufficient. He’s not contingent. He just is. He’s not tied to a moment or a place. He exists apart from, and despite everything else. He’s a fire that doesn’t need the bush for fuel. Nothing can limit Him. Nothing can hinder Him. Nothing and no one can oppose Him, or His purposes, and succeed.
With the help of a technical commentary, I noticed something helpful here. The word translated, “I will be” (v. 12) is the same exact word translated “I am” in v. 14. Why is that significant? The one who promises to be with a people He chooses, is the God whose very nature is to be present with a people He chooses. In other words, God’s very name is a promise of His dynamic presence with His people, and His active power for His people. God’s promise and God’s name offer double assurance to Moses, and forever reminds Moses – and the people of Israel, of God’s action on their behalf. Verse 15 says, “Thus, I am to be remembered throughout all generations” (Exodus 3:15).
What’s in God’s name? Loved ones, God’s name is a promise to us of fellowship, and care, and rescue, and support, and hope of final rest and joy in presence - forever. For all the riches of this promise of God’s presence and God’s power – it will never exhaust the meaning of His name. There will always be more.
Throughout the rest of the Bible, God will continue to unfold the meaning and significance of this name, until what He revealed, in part, to Moses, He will reveal in fulness, in the person of Jesus Christ. In the coming of Jesus Christ, the name of God will reach its full expression. In His incarnation, Jesus revealed the fullness of God’s promise to be with His people. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Emmanuel, God with us. That’s why Jesus said over and over – I am the bread of life. I am the light of the world. I am the good shepherd. I am the resurrection and the life. I am the way, the truth, and the life. Over and over, He means for us to hear, “I am is with you!” And in John 8, Jesus blows away any confusion by making this incredible claim.
“Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.””
—John 8:58
Jesus came to earth, and lived a perfect life. And he died, not to free us from human slavery, but from bondage to sinning and dying. And in his resurrection, He leads all of God’s people in a second exodus – out of sin and into life, and forgiveness, and eternal pleasure in God’s presence forevermore. And this is why God has highly exalted Jesus, and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus is LORD, to the glory of God the Father. Let’s pray.