Where Identity Begins IV

Exodus 3

As we continue our Artios series, remember we're talking about reaching our potential in Christ. As we reach our potential, we want to be a church that helps others reach their potential.

Reaching our potential in Christ involves Knowing our Identity, Discovering our Strengths, and Serving our World.

Right now we’re focused on the identity part. Of course,

Knowing our true identity begins with knowing God.

And if we're going to know God, we need to know His Word - the Scriptures - because that is how He primarily reveals Himself. For instance, in the OT, God said, “I am Yahweh (or Lord)” 188 times. Significant – He’s revealing who He is.

Before we look God’s names and titles, we need to know that god (G/g) is not a name.

God (Hebrew – el or ʾělō·hîm / Greek - thēos) is a title or designation for spiritual beings.

All spiritual beings (Yahweh, angels, demons, seraphim, sons of God …) are ʾělō·hîm, but only One is ʾElō·hîm Most High.

No other god (ʾělō·hîm) is like our God (ʾElō·hîm).

Example: Mom is not a name - it is a title, a designation. There are millions of moms in the world, but only one is my Mom. My Mom’s name is Jeanie, but I call her Mom, even though it’s a common title. Likewise, there are many gods, but there is only one God.

Psalm 82:1 ESV

God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:

So, God is not a name, it’s a title, but here’s the thing – God has many titles and names, and they are given to us for a reason.

So, what is God’s name?

Exodus 3:13–16 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. 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,

So, Yahweh is God’s revealed name, and it’s the most common name for God in the OT - nearly 7,000 times. Let’s look at some names and titles of God (not exhaustive – more extensive list in your handout). Before we do that,

What might be some reasons God has multiple names?

Adonai (Lord, Master) Deuteronomy 10:17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord (Adonai) of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.

Disciples at times called Jesus, Master, which signified what?

El Elyon (God Most High) - Psalm 97:9 For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.

If you're the most high of something, then who's above you?

We also see this in Isaiah 14 when Satan said I'm going to exalt myself above the Most High, which didn’t work out too well.

What does that do for us?

El-Roi (The God of Seeing) -

Psalm 33:18–19 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.

What do you think that means “the God of seeing?”

We first see this with Hagar in Genesis 16 when she ran away from her masters, Abram and Sarai because she was being used and harshly mistreated. She's out in the desert completely alone, frightened, it's no place for a woman to be 5000 years ago. There's no one to rescue her and somehow God showed up and she said you are El-Roi, the God of Seeing.

It's not that God just sees us in our moment of desperation, but also this has a future eternal aspect to it.

Yahweh-Raah (Yahweh my Shepherd) -

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Yahweh-Rapha(Yahweh Heals)

Yahweh-ṣāḇā (Yahweh of Hosts / Commander of Heaven’s Armies) –

Isaiah 6:3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

1 Samuel 17:45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

How does that help you?

Yahweh-Shalom(Yahweh is Peace)

Yahweh-Shammah(Yahweh is There) –

Ezekiel 48:35 And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.”

Ezekiel wrote about the destruction of Jerusalem and the New Jerusalem. What's significant about this new Jerusalem?

There's a future aspect to this that God is already ahead of us, but not only ahead of us but also, He's there in that place called Heaven, our new home - and we will be with him forever and He with us.

Yahweh-Nissi (Yahweh my Banner) – Banner? Rallying point for troops, signified divisions, allegiance … my Banner, this is my God! Moses said that in Exodus 17:15

Yahweh-Yireh(Yahweh will Provide) - Genesis 22:14, 22:1-18

Redeemer (One who pays a price on behalf of another for their release) -

Job 19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

Now these are just the names of God from the Old Testament, and when you add the names of Jesus we have a very long list add names and titles. Jesus is our Good Shepherd, He's our living water, the Lamb of God, our Bread of Life, Savior ….

Again, what is significant or important about knowing the names of our God?

One God meets every need. Who He is / where we find Him / how He shows up / what He provides ….

How could knowing God’s names and attributes change how we live?

How could this give us confidence?

What names are challenging to you?

How could knowing God’s names and attributes help us know our identity?

One final thing to consider that is perhaps the most important part of this entire message.

Philippians 2:5–11 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him 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 under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Acts 4:12 ESV

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

You decide how important the name of Jesus Christ is – because our eternity depends on it.