What's In a Name

Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’ And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

Exodus 3:13–15 ESV

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, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

In , the Scripture says,

Proverbs 22:1 ESV

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.

Proverbs 22:1 ESV

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.

PROV

Jason Brown is a big man―physically in stature and girth. In 2012―after seven years in the NFL―Jason Brown was among the best centers in the league. He was the starting center for the St. Louis Rams, and was in the middle of a five year, $37M contract. That year, he decided it was time for him to walk away and do something else. He said that his agent told him, “You’re making the biggest mistake of your life.” Jason looked right back at him and said, “No I’m not. No I’m not.”

“A good name is to be chosen over great riches, and grace is better than silver or gold.” Jason Brown is a big man―physically in stature and girth. In 2012―after seven years in the NFL―Jason Brown was among the best centers in the league. He was the starting center for the St. Louis Rams, and was in the middle of a five year, $37M contract. That year, he decided it was time for him to walk away and do something else. He said that his agent told him, “You’re making the biggest mistake of your life.” Jason looked right back at him and said, “No I’m not. No I’m not.”

Now I might try to say that his agent should’ve been more understanding of Jason’s position. But truth be told, I think I’d struggle to walk away from a job I was good at that paid me $37M. And what was it that Jason Brown decided was worth giving up all of that cash to devote himself to? Farming. He bought 1,000 acres of farmland in Franklin County, NC. Not only that, but Jason Brown had never farmed a day in his life. How did he learn what to do? He said, “I got on the internet and watched YouTube videos.”

The question, of course, is why? What in the world did he do that for? He left the NFL life to start what he calls, First Fruits Farm. North Carolina’s food insecurity rate was higher than the national average, and Jason wanted to make a dent in that. He donates the first fruits of every harvest to local food banks. Only two years into the farming business he donated more than 10,000 pounds of cucumbers and 100,000 pounds of sweet potatoes to local pantries. In his personal statement on his website he says,

“Everyone's life has a purpose and the only way to know that purpose is through applying God's heavenly wisdom in our lives and having a covenant relationship with our Creator, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

There is a name that is above every name. And when we make that good confession that Jesus Christ is Lord, we begin to want to do things for the sake of his name, for the glory of his name. This is what Jason Brown is doing in NC. The reputation that he desires is whether when people see him, they encounter the love and grace of God. He says that, “love is the most wonderful currency you can give anyone.”

In our text, Moses is in process. He is going to go in God’s name into Egypt to deliver God’s people so that they would see and experience God’s love, grace, and power extended to them. So that they would come to realize that there is no one like the Lord―that the name of the Lord is to be praised. Moses is finding out that because of who the Lord is, when his call comes your direction can change 180 degrees. So, we see Moses express his Concern, in v 13. Then we see God respond to him with Clarity in v. 14, and express his Commitment in v. 15.

Concern

Let me situate us in the book of Exodus. We’re with Moses at the burning bush. He’s been living in a land called Midian with his father-in-law, Jethro, and his wife Zipporah for decades. He was a prince in Egypt, but now he’s a shepherd in Midian. One day he’s shepherding the flock, and has led them to the west side of the wilderness to the mount of Horeb. The angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. When Moses turned to see why the bush was burning, but wasn’t being consumed by the fire, God called to him from the burning bush, “Moses! Moses!” God told him, “Remove the sandals from your feet because you’re standing on holy ground.” The Lord said to him, “I have surely seen the afflictions of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry. And now, Go! I will send you to Pharaoh. Lead my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” Moses asks a question in v. 11. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should lead the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”

There’s a dialogue here. The pattern of the dialogue in chs. 3 and 4 of Exodus is this. God keeps saying, “Go.” And Moses keeps saying, “I don’t want to.” Moses isn’t like Jason Brown at this point. He’s not saying, “I’m willing to give up what I’m comfortable with for what you’ve called me to.” Moses will eventually just stop trying to make excuses about why he shouldn’t go, and will fess up in 4:13 when he says, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”

Let me make this point and please don’t forget it. The Bible doesn’t present us with perfect people, who are super-saints, who don’t struggle to do what God has called them to do. A lot of times we can be burdened with guilt because we struggle do what God calls us to do in his word. God isn’t joking when he calls us to obey his word. He isn’t joking around when he commands that we trust him. But that does not mean that we will not struggle to do it. Realize that God knows that his people will struggle to follow and obey him even after we put or faith in him.

Here’s the differentiator for us. The place of faith isn’t no longer struggling to do what God says. The place of faith is not, “I no longer struggle with what God calls us to do.” The place of faith is actually seeing the Lord Jesus Christ start to change your desires; start to change your desires so there actually is a struggle! “I want to do this, Lord, but I’m afraid of what it will mean.” “I want to do this, Lord, but I’m afraid I’ll have to up to much!” Struggling to obey God can actually be a sign of faith. “Lord I want to, but then I don’t want to because I know what it’ll cost. I’m afraid of what it means if I do what you’ve said.” That struggle can actually be a sign of faith.

So it’s no surprise that Moses here has a concern. Even though God said to him in v. 12, “I will be with you. This will be the sign for you that I’ve sent you. When you’ve brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”―Moses, you’ve got to trust me that this is what’s going to happen. Even with this, Moses is concerned. He says in v. 13, “I’m about to go to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you. But they’re going to ask me, what’s his name? What do I tell them?

You know what’s behind his question? In the ANE culture, gods had names. The people named their gods based on what the god had authority over. Ra was the word for Sun in Egypt. So, he was the Sun god who created life on earth. Horus means “far above,” so Horus was the god of the sky, symbolized by a bird. And on and on it went. Even in Canaan the same issue will be there…(Dagon - grain, god of the earth; Shemesh - sun, god of the sun). So, Moses says to God, what is your name? Here the people of Israel have been living in Egypt for 400 years. They have become quite familiar with, and likely influenced by the gods of Egypt, while their God has been silent. The concern of Moses’ question is, “What’s your name God, because they’ll want to know what you have authority over. Your name is going to tell us about your attributes. Your name is going to tell us whether you’re bigger and badder than the gods of Egypt.”

It’s like that scene in the movie Lion King. When Simba and Nala were little lion cubs and they went exploring in the Elephant graveyard, the land of the shadows. They’re trapped by the hyenas, who are about to eat them. Simba tries to man up and roar like he’s a full grown lion. And the hyenas laugh and say, “Do it again.” He does, and you hear this bone chilling, grown man, lion roar. It’s his daddy, Mufasa, standing behind Simba. The fear of God overcomes the hyenas and they go running.

That’s what Moses is asking. They’ll want to know, “Who’s this God who says he’s behind us? We feel small up against the Egyptians and their gods. Their gods are obviously strong because we’re in slavery here.” Listen brothers and sisters, this concern is still with us today. This concern still meets us in the here and now where we are today. We might not have little named gods around us, but we still struggle to believe the Lord because we struggle to believe that he’s stronger than the forces that seem to run our lives. We struggle because evil is real. We struggle because evil is actually tangible. We see oppression on display in the world around us, and sometimes directly upon us. We experience the impact that evil has on our lives in people and in structures and in systems; and it wears us down. And we struggle to believe that God is actually bigger and badder and stronger than all of it. It’s tangible and our fight is, “God, what’s your name? What’s your name? Do you have a name that’s more powerful than the stuff that’s wearing on us in this world?”

Clarity

God responds to Moses’ concern by bringing clarity into this situation. Moses wants to know God’s name because he wants to be able to explain to the people what the God of their fathers has authority over. God says to Moses in v. 14, “I am who I am…Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.”

What’s in a name? What’s in that name, “I am?” Does that sound like clarity to you? What God ever had the name “I am”? Here’s the clarity, “Moses, I am too majestic for y’all to try and put me in some kind of box. Moses, I am too glorious for y’all to try to limit the scope of my authority to some particular place or aspect of life. Moses, I am more powerful than y’all can imagine. What do I have authority over Moses? I have authority over everything and over everyone and every place!” “I am Lord!”

His answer to Moses points to him having the power to do what he says he will do. I am who I am can even be translated, “I will be who I will be.” “You cannot confine me to the little scope of your imagination Moses!” If you keep reading in the book of Exodus, you will eventually get to the plagues God sends on the Egyptians. The plagues are how God asserts his authority over all the false gods of Egypt, and ultimately over Pharaoh, who claims divine status.

Here’s what’s mind-blowing. What is amazing is that when Jesus comes on the scene, he makes the same claim to authority.

Jesus comes on the scene and in the 8th chapter of John the leaders of the people of Israel accuse Jesus of being demon possessed. They are beside themselves in anger and indignation when Jesus has the audacity to say,

John 8:51 ESV

Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

But if you know your Bible, your mind should be blown right now. Even if you’re not familiar with the Bible, your mind should be blown by what you heard in our Scripture reading this morning. Jesus comes on the scene and the leaders of the people of Israel accuse Jesus of being demon possessed. They are beside themselves in anger and indignation when Jesus has the audacity to say, “If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.” They say, “Do you think you’re greater than our father Abraham, who died? Just who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad. Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

They say to him

John 8:52–53 ESV

The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?”

Just who do you think you are, Jesus? Jesus says in & 58, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad. Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Jesus is not making a grammatical error. Jesus is not saying, “Listen I’m just a regular old prophet!”

Jesus is saying as he says in , “I am the bread of life.” In , “I am the light of the world.” He says in , “unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.” In 10:7, “I am the door.” In , “I am the good shepherd.” , “I am the resurrection and the life.” I am. I am. I am. I am. I am. Jesus is saying, I am the same God who declared and revealed himself to Moses in that burning bush on Mount Horeb. That is me! I am that Lord who has all power and authority. I am the one who is full of majesty. I am the one who is worthy of praise. I am the one with a name that is above every name.

And get this. Whether it is in the context of in the OT, or what I’ve been quoting from the gospel of John in the NT, the purpose of this self-disclosure of God is so that those who call on his name will have confidence and full assurance of who he is and who they are in him. There is a purpose of God saying, “I am who I am.” There is a purpose in Jesus’ saying that I am he. And it’s not some arbitrary purpose. It is so that if you call on his name; If you belong to him that you will have the full confidence and assurance of not only who he is, but of who you are in him as a son or daughter of God.

God is saying I know that the evil is real. I know oppression is real. I know the struggle is real. I know the despair is real. But I’m real too, and I’m badder than all of it! This is not just about head knowledge. It’s not a confession of the mind without a commitment of the heart. When the Lord says to Moses in 3:14, “I am has sent me to you,” it is so they will have full assurance that their God is God. Then, in an amazing declaration of love and grace, after giving this clarity, he commits himself to them in v. 15.

Commitment

God goes even further in v. 15. He says, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’” In your Bible, that word, ‘Lord,’ is in all caps. It’s the translation of four Hebrew letters, and the proper pronunciation is likely, Yaweh. It is derived from the same verb in v. 14, where God declares himself to be “I am.” The personal name of God came to be so revered that it was not pronounced. Even when I was learning Hebrew in seminary, we would pronounce it, “Adoni,” which means Lord in Hebrew.

What I want us to see here in this is the intimacy and the commitment, not simply that the Lord is calling for from his people, but the commitment he is making to them. What do I mean? This is him moving towards them. Coming to them and committing himself to them. He says, “This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”

This is my covenantal name. This is my name for my people, for all generations, not just y’all. This is my name for my people forever. From generation to generation, I am your Lord. I am the one who cannot be boxed in. I am the one who has power and authority over the entire creation, and I am yours forever.

Do we really get the implications of what happens when we turn to the Lord through faith in Jesus Christ? Has it really sunk deep down? Do we really grasp the implications of God revealing himself to us in Jesus Christ, and committing himself to us forever? It means that we become people who live for the praise his name. It means we become people who call upon his name. It means that we become people who trust in his name. It means that we become people who realize that we can call on his name in any and every circumstance, and he is never ever too busy to hear our cry! He’s never to occupied with something else or someone else not to hear and respond to the cries of his people! ().

Psalm 116:1–2 ESV

I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

We become people who trust the name of the Lord. We become people who begin to understand that there is power in the name Jesus. And because these things are true, even though we struggle, even though we begin more and more to live out of this trust in the powerful name of our Lord.

Let me ask you this. Have you called on the name of Jesus? Have you realized, as the Scripture tells us in that there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved? If you have, let me make it personal. Where is he calling you to trust in his name even more? Where is your place of fight? Where is that place of struggle; maybe even that compartment of yourself where you’re saying, “Lord, I can’t trust you in this!” I’m not going to give it up because to trust you is too frightening! What it might cost me, and what I might have to go through is too frightening! Where is this Lord, our God, calling you to confess the struggle; to confess the struggle and put your trust in his name? Where are you struggling to believe that he’s strong enough, that he’s Lord even over that? The struggle is real, but so is the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Lord! As we turn to this table, I say to you, give it up to him. Confess the struggle…

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