“Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord 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 this is My memorial to all generations.’”
Exodus 3:13-15 NKJV
Many people are familiar with the passage from “Romeo and Juliet” where Juliet is musing over the significance of a name. She basically comes to the conclusion that a name is unimportant, is arbitrary: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” You see, in their case, the name of Romeo (Montague) and the name of Juliet (Capulet) dictated that they be enemies, as there was a generational feud between their families.
Well, Juliet’s assessment is fine for a character in a play about “star-crossed” lovers. But just as we don’t believe that the stars determine our destiny, so too should we reject the notion that all names are essentially unimportant.
In fact, the Lord does not take a casual approach to a name.
Consider the fact that He, in placing Adam over the animals, gave Adam the authority to name them (Genesis 2:20). Adam, as the “namer,” held authority over the named.
As Jacob wrestled with the Lord, before parting ways with Him, Jacob asked what the Lord’s name was, with the Lord offering an interesting reply:
“Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.””
Genesis 32:29-30 NKJV
It sounds as though the Lord was reminding Jacob of his position of being subservient to that of the Lord. When we see Jacob’s tendency toward maneuvering, we might read into this response from the Lord the beginning of a process, ultimately resulting in Jacob—later renamed Israel by God—coming to understand God’s authority over him. In operation, this would mean that Jacob’s getting things through maneuvering, should not, could not, extend into his relationship with God.
Indeed, the name of the Lord contains all that He is. There is power in the name of the Lord!
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.”
Proverbs 18:10 NKJV
We also know that God-Made-Flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ, has been given a name with power over all things
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:9-11 NKJV
In our opening scripture we find Moses, having been given a call to duty from the Lord, wonders what name he should use to present the Lord to the Hebrews.
In the Lord’s response we see that the He is not limited to one particular title, and indeed, in Him all things consist. Therefore, His name is best described as “I Am.”
We should also note that God repeatedly references Himself as a God of Covenant. In this case, mentioning His covenant by invoking the names of Abraham and Isaac. And, as we have discussed earlier in our journey with Moses (Day 6), God also came to be known as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
Meditating upon all the titles we use to reference our Lord is good, reminding us of His greatness and the unlimited scope of His power. But, we know that our Lord Jesus made clear how we are to reference God in our direct communication with Him:
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.”
Matthew 6:9 NKJV
We see two crucial components here concerning the name of our God: We see that for the child of God, He is known as our Father. As well we see that His name is holy.
Make no mistake, calling out any title of the Lord without truly being in relationship with Him, will ultimately do you no good. Consider what the sons of Sceva discovered the hard way:
“A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.”
Acts 19:13-16 NLT
But, for those who truly know Him, recognizing Who He is, His name is a source of refuge, healing, comfort, and power. Indeed, all we need is found in His name.
For today let us discover what Moses discovered:
The Name of the Lord is not just a title; it is Who He is!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
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