A daily, 32-day Lenten Devotional Series by Rev. Dave Brown
Moses must have been greatly encouraged with this good news until he heard the next words from God: “Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel out of Egypt.”
Moses responded to this call with two questions: Who am I? and Who are You (What is Your name?) The first question was about his ability. Whatever he had learned from his parents was but a dim memory, and whatever he’d learned in the palace was long gone. Besides, he had already failed in an attempt to bring justice. That failure cost him the next 40 years of his life. Now he was an 80 year-old shepherd.
Modern counselors might have advised Moses to trust his past learning and present training. God commissioned Moses to trust in His presence and in His promise to bring the deliverance to pass.
The second question Moses asked concerned the name of the God who called him to go back to Egypt. “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?”
This second question was asked conditionally. Moses wanted to negotiate the commission of God, rather than submit to it. Moses also presented the question indirectly as if it was being asked by the Hebrews. How did Moses know what they were thinking about God? He hadn’t seen any of them for 40 years. Had they all forgotten about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Had they all forgotten that God had made a covenant with them that included posterity as plentiful as the stars in the heavens and a land which was flowing with milk and honey – both plentiful and abundant? Moses was using the Hebrews to cover his hesitation. But God did not hesitate to answer him. He said “I AM WHO I AM.”
Reflections: In a recent gathering of The Gospel Coalition (September, 2023) John Piper was assigned this question. “What is the name that the Lord presents to Moses and then to Pharaoh?” Here’s his response:
“His name is YHWH. It appears 6,800 times in the Bible. I AM WHO I AM, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Here are twelve things that YHWH means:
1. He never had a beginning – nobody made God;
2. He will never end – he cannot go out of being;
3. God is absolute reality - not one of many realities;
4. YHWH is utterly independent;
5. All that is not YHWH is dependent and secondary to him;
6. All the universe is as nothing in comparison to YHWH – contingent, like shadow to substance;
7. YHWH is constant – same, yesterday, today and forever;
8. YHWH is the absolute standard for all that is good, true, beautiful;
9. YHWH does whatever he pleases – he is utterly free, no constraints on him;
10. YHWH is the Most Valuable Being in the universe – more worthy than all else;
11. Jesus is the I AM – he has absolute being – Before Abraham was I AM.
12. I AM became flesh – we have seen him – He is explosive, untamable; He changes everything.