Pt. 2 - God Has A Name

Understanding Names in antiquity:

In antiquity, the significance of a name goes far beyond a mere label. In ancient times, the name held magical power. One who knew the name of the deity could wield power over the deity and summon him to his/her aid, e.g., against one’s enemies.

Genesis 32:29–30 “Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.””

His Name is known through what He does

Exodus 6:3 “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself fully known to them.”

God’s name known further… Progressive revelation.

The significance of the name is going to be understood at this most pivotal time in Israel’s history.

Verse 3 paraphrase: “I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but only partially—in the capacity of El Shaddai. But who I am fully, which is what my name Yahweh captures, I did not make myself known to them. This is made known first only now, to you, the Exodus generation, who will witness my mighty saving power.”

Thus, God is demonstrating that the Exodus and His salvation work would make His name fully known to them.

The Israelites will know God in a way that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not know Him.

This talk of God’s name is God’s message to them to focus on who he is. Their assessment of the situation and their forecast of their future must be based squarely on that immovable, unchanging truth. Rather than their present reality dictating what God can and cannot do.

Just because they are weaker and slaves has no bearing on their future. The Name of God is the focus.

How often we look at the data of our current situations and use that to determine what our future looks like.

Marriage

Career

Relationships

Successes and failures

The Data:

Exodus 34:6–7 “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.””

His Name:

His character/nature/glory/beauty instead of his attributes

My wife: 5’4”, brown eyes, brown hair, etc.

She’s kind and gracious.

This name Yahweh reveals God’s nature in the highest and fullest sense possible. And in this instance that it is used to Moses and Israelites in Exodus it is particularly stressing His absolute faithfulness and presence with them always.

This name, Yahweh, presupposes and includes the meaning of the other names.

In working out this redemption and freedom from Israel, God would demonstrated that he is all that his name implies: merciful, gracious, patient, full of loving-kindness, truthful, faithful, forgiving, just, and righteous.

The fullness revealed in Jesus

Jesus has revealed the Name/Character of Yahweh: John 17:26 “I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Clearly Jesus is not God’s name, the idea is that the very essence of the Father was in Jesus, they were one. And now the very essence of the the Trinity is in us, and we are to pray in that Name.

God’s names: Elohim is the Name given for God as the Creator of the universe and implies strength, power, and justice. YHVH, on the other hand, expresses the idea of God’s closeness to humans. For example, YHVH is first mentioned as the One who “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”

Indeed, attaching a name to something “labels” it and claims authority over it (David putting his name over a conquered city). Since the LORD is utterly unique, without rival, the Creator and LORD who is answerable to no one, He cannot be named. The Jewish mystics say that the proper Name of the Lord is all the letters of the Torah sounded at once without interruption, called the “304,805 letter Name of God.”

El

Both the Hebrews and the Canaanites used the word El to refer to their deity as the strong and powerful one and the first and preeminent one.

Elohim - (not used in semitic languages) plural in form. (occurring over 2500 times in the OT). It is most probable that this plural should be understood in the sense of an intensification and eventually as an absolutization: “God of gods” plural of majesty.

In Genesis - this name is used in connection with God’s power revealed in creation