God’s First Name
Names are often meant to be descriptive or hopeful
I really enjoyed the movie “Holes”. All the boys who were required to dig holes – 5 feet deep and 4 feet in diameter every day – were given some pretty interesting nicknames. Armpit, Barfbag, Zero, Caveman are just a few examples. Armpit had a problem with B.O. Barfbag, well, I’ll let you figure him out. Zero was perceived as nothing and caveman found a fossil.
All recieved their names because of an attribute - real or perceived. When I was a kid I got called Sticky Ricky. I’m sure that each of you could tell a story or two about your nicknames too.
Names in the Bible are important. They often give you critical clues to the character and nature of a person.
Jacob
For example, take Jacob, one of two sons of Isaac who was the son of Abraham.
Jacob means "surplanter" or "cheater". He was named that because, the second born twin he was came into this life clutching onto holding onto his brothers heal - as if to pull him back in and to take his place. Later in life, Jabob did cheat his brother out of his inherited birthright as the first-born.
Later, Jacob changed. Through God’s influence he changed from being a deceptive, sneaky, slimy, oily character into a compassionate, sensitive, caring, and passionate man. So God changed his name too. His name changed from Jacob (meaning cheater) to Israel (meaning prince of God)
So what is God’s name?
Jehovah God. yod heh vav heh. These are the Hebrew consonants with vowel points that were added later on by Masoretic monks in the 800’s.
The odd thing is that the vowel points are not for God’s name but for the title LORD – Adoni. You see the people of God were so afraid to misuse or blaspheme God’s name they wouldn’t even say it. Today we don’t really know how to pronounce God’s First name!
When Moses was chosen by God to lead the people of Israel (These were all the descendents of Jacob who became Israel) out of slavery in Egypt God called to him from a burning bush in the foot hills of a mountain called Sinai. (That’s where Moses would receive the 10 commandments from God later on).
Let me read to you about what happened – directly from the text. This is in the version called “The Message.” I don’t have it for you on the screen so just focus on the words and catch what God told Moses.
Exodus 3:7-15 (The Message)
GOD said, “I’ve taken a good, long look at the affliction of my people in Egypt. I’ve heard their cries for deliverance from their slave masters; I know all about their pain. And now I have come down to help them, pry them loose from the grip of Egypt, get them out of that country and bring them to a good land with wide-open spaces, a land lush with milk and honey, the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
“The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I’ve seen for myself how cruelly they’re being treated by the Egyptians. It’s time for you to go back: I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt.”
Moses answered God, “But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
“I’ll be with you,” God said. “And this will be the proof that I am the one who sent you: When you have brought my people out of Egypt, you will worship God right here at this very mountain.”
Then Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the People of Israel and I tell them, ‘The God of your fathers sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What do I tell them?”
God said to Moses, “I-AM-WHO-I-AM. Tell the People of Israel, ‘I-AM sent me to you.’ ”
God continued with Moses: “This is what you’re to say to the Israelites: ‘GOD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob sent me to you.’ This has always been my name, and this is how I always will be known.
God’s First name describes him well
I AM WHO I AM. In the Hebrew language these words sound like the Hebrew consonants for God’s name – yod heh vav heh. I AM WHO I AM.
God is the one who IS. He sees all and has seen all. He understands all has understood all. He is before the beginning and he is after the end. God is “I AM”.
It was this that led Moses to service
When Moses stood on that mountain and caught a glimpse of God – just a glimpse – it changed him. Just like getting to know God changed Jacob from a cheater to a prince and he served God.
Now, Friend, this is someone worth knowing more about. Just knowing God can change your life. In the next few weeks we’re going to explore many of the names of God and how each of them describes a part of his being and how it can impact your life.
We’re all going to discover that the more you see of God the more there is to see.
Have you ever really looked at a diamond? The brilliance of the facets are, well, fascinating. (That’s where the word comes from!) The more you look the more it pulls you into it.
That’s what I want to invite you to do. Discover God and enjoy the process.
It is the discovery of God that changed and is changing me. I said that that way on purpose. I’m not done yet. But the more I know of God the more I am compelled to serve him and others. The more facets of God I discover and explore the more excited and passionate about life I get.
God changed Jacob. God Changed Moses. God changed and is changing me. God can change you, too.
That is what I want to share with you - all of you – in community. That is what God wants – for you to be a part of his family.
The Lord’s Supper
Today we would like to invite you to participate in a special part of that community – The Lord’s Supper.
It was given first by Jesus the evening before he was crucified. It was shared by all of his closest friends. They didn’t understand all of the meaning that first time. In fact, they even got into an argument over who was going to be the most important. But they still participated and it became a very meaningful part of their lives.
This might be the first time for you to do something like this. Or you might not believe you are good enough. Well, let me dispel your fears. This is a special gift that God has given to you. You are welcome at his table.
It doesn’t matter where you’ve been. It doesn’t matter what you have or haven’t done. What matters is simply this: It is the Lord’s invitation and you are free to respond. That means you don’t have to participate if you don’t want to too. This is an invitation not a demand.
The bread is symbolic of the body and flesh of Jesus. The grape juice is symbolic of his blood. Both are powerful symbols of life. Life that he sacrificed to make a way back to God for us.
Oh, one more thing, Jesus said, “Before Abraham was I AM”. Jesus is God.
Let’s Pray…
