Names

Exodus. When you hear that word, you probably think of leaving somewhere, a grand departure. The name of the second book of the Bible comes from a Greek word that means “going out.” That meaning holds true as it is the story of how the Israelites left Egypt and began their journey to the Promised Land. They were “going out” from Egypt. 

But the book of Exodus wasn’t written in Greek, it was written in Hebrew. The Hebrew name for this book is Shemot, which means names. The Book of Names is also a great title for this book as it starts by telling us “…the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob.” And perhaps most importantly, Exodus 3 is where God tells us His name.

Names are important throughout the Old Testament as they indicate a person’s character or their calling. They also reveal the character of God and how he relates to his people. 

In my first blog post, Enough, we saw how the Israelites were crying out to God. God was hearing, seeing, and knowing everything they were having to endure. In my second blog post, Meanwhile, we talked about how God wasn’t just idly watching the Israelites in their suffering. He was preparing a deliverer to bring them out of it.

And that deliverer’s name was Moses. The name Moses means drawn out. As you may remember, Moses was drawn out of the water by Pharaoh’s daughter. He would grow up to be the deliverer that God called to draw out His people from the land of Egypt. God knew before Moses was born the great purpose his life would serve. When the time was right (Exodus 3:4), God called him by name from the burning bush saying, “Moses. Moses!” 

And despite a miraculous experience with the God of all creation, who called him by name, Moses still struggled to submit to God’s calling on his life. I wonder if you might relate to this like I do. 

In Exodus 3:11, Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt.” (I relate to this question so much that I wrote a whole post about it.) 

But like God often does, He answered Moses’ question in an unexpected way. Instead of telling Moses who he was and why Moses was qualified for the job, God told Moses He would be with him. 

And then God told Him who He was. God told Moses His name. I AM WHO I AM. 

Friends, has God called you to do something that feels beyond your ability, understanding, or comfort zone? Are you, like me, wondering how or why he would choose someone as messed up as you, or me, to do such a hard and holy task? If so, let me remind you…it’s not about who you are or what you bring to the table. It’s not about your name. It’s about God’s.