Yesterday we read of how Moses asked God for his name – he wanted a name for this God who was going to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. More than a label, Moses wanted to know the character of God, and whether he could be trusted. God’s answer was enigmatic:

Rather than being evasive, the whole “I am who I am” answer tells Moses and Israel to “watch this space.” You’ll see what kind of god I am by what I’m about to do.

Now we’ll have to read the rest of Exodus – and indeed, the rest of the Bible – if we want to know it all. But already in chapter 3 we get some previews of how God is going to reveal himself in the near future. Here’s a lightning-quick summary (courtesy of Alan Cole’s commentary on Exodus):

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This week we’re looking at some highlights from the story of the Exodus, focussing on the Passover feast, as a way of setting the scene for our Easter series in Matthew the following week. We pick up the story in Exodus chapter 3.

What’s in a Name?

What’s in a name? Is it just a label to distinguish us from the person next to us, or does it have a deeper significance, a deeper meaning about who we are?

I don’t think people these days place too much significance on the meaning of the names they give to their children – more on how it sounds with the surname. At least I think that’s how my parents approached the task of choosing names. Because mine means “honouring to God,” whereas my sister’s means “prophetess of doom ignored by men.” Either that or they were just mean.

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