When Moses encountered God at the blazing bush, God introduced Himself as ” The God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Exodus 3:6. God continues to talk with Moses about His plan to free Moses’ kin from Egyptian bondage. Everything God had to say was exceedingly pleasing to Moses until He said this, “Come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:10.
As you may recall, Moses raised many objections to God’s plan for him to deliver the Israelites from slavery. One way he questioned God’s plan was by asking how he was to answer the Israeli elders when they wanted to know the name of this “god” who had sent him on this task. I think Moses was “grasping at straws” in an attempt to get God to back off from His insistence that he undertake this enormous task, but let’s try to understand some things about Moses’ time and place that were at play.
The Importance of a Name.
Moses was keenly aware that there were many “gods” whose names the Israeli elders would recognize. So it was highly likely they would want a specific name for the “god” who had sent him on this arduous task. This was serious business, something requiring a lot of trust before taking on a confrontation with the Pharaoh.
Among the Jewish people, and perhaps other ethnic groups, a person’s name often represented a parent’s prediction or wish about the character or accomplishments of their child. In Moses’ case, the name meant ” drawn from the water,” describing the circumstance in which Pharaoh’s daughter found him.
God renamed Abram, giving him the name Abraham, because he would be the father of many nations. Jacob, the scoundrel son of Isaac, would be given a new name, Israel, after an all-night wrestling match because he prevailed with God to receive a blessing. Obviously, the most notable instance of the importance of a name in scripture is the name sent from heaven to Mary in Matthew 1:21, “You shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.” The name Jesus means “God saves,” and describes what Jesus came into the world to do.
Moses would need to identify God by a name that would revive hope and bolster the faith in the Israelites to risk the opportunity God was offering them.
The Meaning of God’s Name
The last post concluded with God revealing His personal name, YHWH, which is translated as Yahweh in Hebrew. But what does the name Yahweh mean? Why, when properly understood, would the Israelites be ready to accept Moses’ leadership and the risks involved in confronting Pharaoh?
I’ve been thinking and reading about the name Yahweh for some time. As stated before, the name comes from four Hebrew consonants, YHWH, and has been translated “I AM.” The writing of a Hebrew scholar I have been studying says that it would be rather meaningless to the elders should Moses say, “I Am has sent me to free you.” The scholar reminds us that “I AM” is a philosophical construct, appealing to the Greek mind. The Hebrew people were practical, needing a concrete solution to their dilemma. So, what does the name Yahweh really mean to the enslaved Jewish people?
Let’s examine the context of God’s name being given to Moses to gain a clearer understanding of its meaning. In Exodus 3:6, God introduces Himself to Moses, ” I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” What is God saying to Moses? I think He is saying something like this, “I have a personal connection, a history with you, your father, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” This statement to Moses should evoke hope for the enslaved Israelites because of God’s faithful provision for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, his father, and himself. Surely, this statement alone would remind Moses that the One who spoke with him was the faithful, promise-keeping Lord of the universe.
Furthermore, when Moses protests that he is not the right person for the job, God counters with this promise, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” Exodus 3:12.
What is God saying to Moses about Himself? “I am going to Egypt with you, and I’ll make you this promise: you and the people will come to this mountain, where you are now, and worship me.” Trust me in this, and I will prove myself to you.”
Next, we skip past the question about the Name in Exodus 3:14 to Exodus 3:16, where God specifically tells Moses what to say to the elders. Interestingly, God doesn’t tell Moses to use the name Yahweh but says, “Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘ The God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has appeared to me, saying, I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt…”‘
Where is all this taking us? What is it telling us about the meaning of God’s name? All this makes a wonderful promise to Moses and the enslaved Hebrews. I believe the most accurate and meaningful understanding of the name Yahweh is “I will continually be what I have always been.”
Wow! Think about God in your past, your present life, and your future.” He will continue to be what He has always been to you!