Name bearers

Numbers 6:22–27 “Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘You will bless the Israelites: You will say to them: Yahweh will bless you and keep you; Yahweh will make shine his face on you and be gracious to you; Yahweh will lift up his face upon you, and he will give you peace.’ And they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.””

Name bearer, herald -in ancient societies heralds represented leaders or governments.

Fire on the mountain - Becoming God’s people at Mt. Sinai. Exodus 19 “In the third month after the Israelites went out from the land of Egypt, on this day they came to the Sinai desert. They set out from Rephidim, and they came to the desert of Sinai, and they camped in the desert, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain. And Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you will say to the house of Jacob and you will tell the Israelites, ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and I brought you to me. And now if you will carefully listen to my voice and keep my covenant, you will be a treasured possession for me out of all the peoples, for all the earth is mine, but you, you will belong to me as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you will speak to the Israelites.” And Moses came and called the elders of the people, and he placed before them all these words that Yahweh had commanded him. And all the people together answered and said, “All…”

God’s personal name - Exodus 3:13–17 “But Moses said to God, “Look, if I go to the Israelites and I say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is his name?’ then what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I am that I am.” And he said, “So you must say to the Israelites, ‘I am sent me to you.’ ” And God said again to Moses, “So you must say to the Israelites, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my remembrance from generation to generation.’ Go and gather the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, appeared to me, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, “I have carefully attended to you and what has been done to you in Egypt.” And I said, “I will bring you up from the misery of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with…”

Tongues of fire - Becoming God’s people at Pentecost -

Pentecost - when the people of Israel celebrated the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai.

The outpouring - a new Law

Seal of Ownership - 2 Corinthians 1:21–22 “Now the one who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anoints us is God, who also sealed us and gave the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.”

Bearing the name - Acts 2:37–39 “Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “What should we do, men and brothers?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all those who are far away, as many as the Lord our God calls to himself.””

Jesus the name bearer - that is why we take on his name. Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among people by which we must be saved.””

Jesus - meaning “Yahweh saves”. Jesus is Yahweh himself, come to save his people.

Honoring the name through a life of faithful obedience - if we fail to carry out God’s will in our lives, we are bearing his name in vain.

Hebrews 1:7–9 “And concerning the angels he says, “The one who makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire,” but concerning the Son, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of righteous is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; because of this God, your God, has anointed you with the olive oil of joy more than your companions.”

Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters No Other Name: Jesus, Name above All Names

Here Jesus is drawn into a role that Yahweh himself was expected to fulfill. Bearing Yahweh’s name (the “name above every name”), Jesus receives worship that belongs to God alone, and yet somehow God the Father is still glorified

PENTECOST - SINAI 2.0