What's in a Name?

Illustration: Baby names, how do you choose?

Meaning? Relatives? Family legacy?

READ: Exodus 3-4

The Importance of God’s Name

First…The Burning Bush Account

Moses, the shepherd now (Egyptians despised shepherds)

Could have been a rock or bush, bush made more sense

Area near Mt. Sinai, likely 2-3 weeks from home, good grassy slopes

Bush not consumed, gets Moses’ attention

God calls to him when He sees that Moses is intrigued

Holy ground

Angel of the LORD = Theophany, God Himself, this is no job for an angel

God explains His plan

Description of Canaan (“ites”)

God says “I KNOW, I’ve heard My people!”

Go to Pharaoh - yes, the most powerful king on earth

3 days’ journey

Euphemism (ancient language culture) for “we are leaving, we’ll be back when we want to be, and if we don’t want to be, we won’t”

SIMILAR: “Can you hang on for a second” or “be with you in a moment” or “just wait a minute”

Pharaoh will only let you if he’s forced, compelled - so, I’ll strike them and he’ll let the people go.

PLUS…the Egyptians will fund your journey!

MOSES: Who am I to do this? Good question, not reluctant, yet. He understands he is an exile, a murderer, and of all places to go....Egypt?

He is now identified as a follower of God, not Egyptian

God Reveals Himself

Supernaturally - the bush

Moses - interested

Supernaturally - Creation, all around us

Creation was all around Moses, but God intervened personally

Creation is all around us, but God intervenes personally

Through the Holy Spirit

Working in believers, like you

God’s Name

Up to now, through Genesis, we know that others called on the name of the Lord, but we don’t know it.

After Joseph, and 400 years in Egypt, people no longer call on His name, and sadly, people don’t know it

They know TITLES

Adonai (LORD), Shaddai (ALMIGHTY), Rohi (SHEPHERD)

They describe attributes of God, but they do not fully describe Him

Mr. and Mrs. _________ to some

______and ______ to each other

Or even more endearing “nicknames” or names of closeness

GOD’s NAME - Short Hebrew lesson....

(Slides)

“I AM WHO I AM”

Statement of existence - “The One Who Created Sustains”

ehyeh - yahweh

God say His name - “I AM”

We say His name - “HE IS”

POINT: What/Who Yahweh says He is, He is ALWAYS!

Love, Compassionate, Forgiving, Just, Powerful - ALWAYS

God: I’ll send you

Moses: Me? Who am I?

God: I’m with you, do it and come worship Me here.

Moses: But I don’t know who to say sent me

God: I AM WHO I AM (statement of being); Say I AM sent me.

Moses: What if they won’t listen?

God: Show them the staff, the hand in the bosom

Moses: I don’t speak well

God: RRRRRGGGHHHH!

Fine, Aaron, your brother, he’ll go, too

You tell him what to say, based on Me

Moses: OK, I’ll go

So How Does This Help Moses?

This is NOT a conversation that God had with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob

BUT HE DID WITH MOSES!

Abraham - knew God, yes, but not this intimately

BUT HE DID WITH MOSES!Ahty, A

Moses wants to know: Who is God? What makes YOU YOU?

GOD: Whatever I am, I will be!

This Yahweh, THE GOD, Creator, Sustainer, is going to deliver His people.

Not Moses, Yahweh is going to do it

Moses will be the leader

He’s not told to just go get the people, He’s told to LEAD them

(This murderer, loner, loser)

And he asks about how he is worthy

God says: I’m God, ALWAYS, so if I say I will be with you, I will be with you!

In Egypt:

To the people of Israel - shows signs, they believe

They see God amazing, they bow and worship

So…How Does This Help You, Us?

We talk “identity” - yes, it’s good we do

But so what, I mean, says who???

SAYS GOD

SAYS I AM

SAYS YAHWEH

“If I say you are a sinner, you are!

If I say you are forgiven, you are!

If I say you belong to Me, you do!

If I say you can do this, you can!”

Do we see God answering?

Do we bow and worship in response?

Do we make excuses

Do we follow?

See, God’s plan was not exactly Moses’ plan.

But Moses responds with worship

What do we do when our plan is not what God’s plan is?

THE BIG SO WHAT?

God’s Name - YAHWEH, means

He is unchanging, unshifting, consistent, ALWAYS

Love - yes, always

Compassionate

Forgiving

Mercy

Just

Slow to Anger

Strength

YES, YES, YES

Yahweh says: I am all of these, always!

We say: Yahweh, you are all of these, always!

And so God wants a relationship, personal

CLOSE

God’s plan then - deliver His people

God’s plan now - deliver His people, from bondage of sin

And if you place your trust in Him, in Yahweh, you are HIS!

But, but, but

Nope - God’s promise to Moses is the same as to you

He’s God, His name reminds us, His name is the promise

He’s got this! Really, He’s got this!