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Daily Devotions

Exodus

Exodus 
Day 
Day 21

"Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth." Genesis 14:19

Text: Exodus 3 : 13

STILL STRUGGLING WITH DOUBTS

Though God had assured Moses that He would be with him, nevertheless doubts continued to cloud his mind. He had to express yet another doubt that needed an answer.

“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?'”
EXODUS 3:13

Moses appeared to raise a valid question to the Lord! He anticipated the fact that the children of Israel could indeed raise this very question. How would he answer them?

A TRICKY QUESTION

The question Moses raised to the Lord was NOT a straightforward question at all! At best, it was a rather tricky question.

1. Does God have a personal name?

This was the root of the tricky question. What would be His personal name? What would be the significance of knowing God’s name anyway? No easy answers are forthcoming.

To venture to know God’s personal name would be to display foolishness or sheer arrogance! Moses would have a hard time defending his knowledge of the personal name of the Lord.

On the other hand, not to know God’s name would also put him on the spot! How could he say that God sent him, if He had not identified Himself to Moses?

2. Does God need a personal name to identify Himself with?

The patriarch Jacob once asked God for His name. On the occasion, he had wrestled with the Lord who had appeared to him in the form of a man. After a whole night of struggling with this Divine Man, he begged to know His name.

“Then Jacob asked, saying, ‘Tell me your name, I pray.'”
GENESIS 32:29a

He too was taken up with curiosity as to the personal name of God. What good would knowing “God’s name” do to him? The Lord replied,

“Why is it that you ask about My name?”
GENESIS 32:29b

God did not reveal His name! Does God need a personal name to be identified as human beings do? God had revealed Himself in numerous ways to the patriarchs of old, but He had never spoken of having a personal name at any time! He wore many titles, such as “Possessor of heaven and earth” (Cf. Genesis 14:19). He was also called “God Most High” (Cf. Genesis 14:20). Were these titles not sufficient to identify who God was?