Wednesday February 16, 2022

God reveals himself to Moses (2)

God said to Moses : I am who I am. Exodus 3:14

God spoke again to Moses, and said unto him : I am the Eternal. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as the Almighty God ; but I was not known to them by my name, the Eternal. Exodus 6:2,3

Moses' dialogue with God continues and Moses freely expresses all his fears. Faced with the Israelites to whom he must offer deliverance, what legitimacy can he claim ? Who is sending it ? What's her name ? God's answer : I am who I am, shows that the existence of God does not depend on anyone. He is the source of everything that exists. He is free and sovereign. Moses can engage with confidence in his mission.

The people, who participate in idolatry in Egypt, are still in ignorance of God. He will discover the name of the one who commits himself for him : Yahweh, the Eternal. This revelation is intimately linked to the history of the people and dear to the hearts of the Jews. They never pronounce this sacred name, for they invoke the decalogue : You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain (Exodus 20:7).

It is the Lord who promises deliverance and Moses speaks in his name. The Israelites will know the Lord when he manifests his power through the plagues sent on Egypt. They are judgments on Pharaoh and the gods of this land (Exodus 12:12).

This new revelation is made to Moses before his intervention with the Pharaoh. God cannot commit more nor bring more to his servant than the promise of his presence and his power. Moses is thus perfectly armed to meet the Pharaoh and compel him to free the people.

Even today, the Lord takes special care to encourage his servants and make them feel his presence : Do not be afraid ; I am the first and the last, and the living (Revelation 1:17). Christ, the one who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty (v.8.) took the initiative to rescue us from our misery. He will complete everything that concerns us.

Source (Pleasing the Lord)