Slices
Prepare
Is there an area of your life right now where you feel out of control? How does this make you feel? Pray that God will reveal his work in your life to you today as you read his Word.
Bible passage
13 Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is his name?” Then what shall I tell them?’
14 God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I am has sent me to you.”’
15 God also said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites, “The Lord, the 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 for ever,
the name you shall call me
from generation to generation.
16 ‘Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, “The Lord, the God of your fathers – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites – a land flowing with milk and honey.”
18 ‘The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.” 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.
21 ‘And I will make the Egyptians favourably disposed towards this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. 22 Every woman is to ask her neighbour and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.’
Explore
As you read this passage, were you reassured by all that God was doing? Let’s take a look at him at work:
. He reassures Moses of his calling (v 14).
. He tells Moses what to do (vs 16,18) and gives Moses a receptive audience (v 18).
. He observes his people (v 16).
. He promises deliverance and blessing (vs 17,21).
. He has control over the Israelites’ enemies (vs 19–21).
. He will perform wonders (v 20).
. He had given Moses a sign that his promises would be fulfilled (3:12).
God is totally in charge! We do not need to doubt God’s power and abilities, though we might. God foresees all that will happen and equips Moses with numerous promises to reassure him.
God knows and loves his people (v 16), and this passage is part of the wider plan in which God saves his people, ultimately through Jesus Christ. As the words of 1 Peter 2:9 tell us, as Christians we are part of God’s family, called out of darkness into God’s marvellous light.
Respond
God has a great plan for us as part of his family, even though we may not always feel that. Reflect on the words of 1 Peter 1:3–9, and allow yourself to be filled with hope in whatever you’re facing.
Deeper Bible study
Meditate on a title of God or Jesus. Pray, sing, or write a prayer-poem to the Lord in response to your reflection.
Although it may appear as if Moses is beating around the bush, his question (v 13) is a valid one. Moses finds himself in much the same position as a newly appointed ambassador who must present a ‘letter of credence’ (his ‘diplomatic credentials’) to the head of state in a foreign country. Such a letter would ask that credence be given to the ambassador’s words and actions on behalf of his country. Ambassadors do not commence their duties until their credentials are accepted.
When Moses presents himself to the Israelites as God’s emissary, they will surely ask, ‘What is his name?’ (v 13). Moses must be able to offer convincing credentials. In the ancient world, the name disclosed the nature. ‘… the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’ (v 15) was identified by many titles, each denoting some attribute of God: El Elyon (God Most High, as in Melchizedek’s title);1 El Roi (God who sees me, as described by Hagar);2 El Shaddai (God Almighty, as revealed to Abram).3 To Moses, however, God now entrusts a special revelation of his name: ‘I AM’ (rendered Lord or Yahweh) or ‘I AM WHO I AM’ (v 14) – which both encompasses and supersedes all other titles. ‘Unlike previous names, “Yahweh” does not limit God’s nature to any particular characteristic: he is what he is. Furthermore, his nature does not change’4 – he is the God of their fathers as well as of all future generations (v 15).
Many centuries later, the title is applied to Jesus himself, fleshing out the bare bones of that divine ‘I AM’ with a variety of descriptors about who he is and what he does – for instance, ‘I am the bread of life’, ‘I am the light of the world’.5
As ‘Christ’s ambassadors’, we are sent with the ‘message’ and ‘ministry of reconciliation’,6 to testify for Jesus in workplace, neighbourhood and social circles. In what ways are you being an effective Christ-ambassador?
1 Gen 14:18–20 2 Gen 16:13 3 Gen 17:1 4 TD Alexander, NBC: 21st Century Edition, IVP, 1953
5 John 6:35; 8:12 6 2 Cor 5:18–20
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Exodus 3,4; Matthew 19
Pray for Scripture Union
The planning team is working towards the Scripture Union Conference in May 2021; pray that they will produce a programme which will enable those who attend to see the opportunities created by the new mission framework and to catch the vision. Pray too for speakers and workshop leaders as they prepare material.
