What is in a Name?

August 25, 1996 pm

Hebrews 11:23-29

The Bible tells us, in Exodus chapter 2, that Pharaoh's daughter named Moses. She found this little baby boy in a bassinet in the bulrushes, and gave him the name, Moses, which means "drawn out." It was to be a very prophetic name.

For God is the hero of the Book of Exodus, but Moses is the human instrument that God chooses to "draw out" his people from Egyptian slavery, and with strong leadership oversee their formation into a nation, a people that has strong identity to this very day, 4,000 years later. The keeping of the Passover which Moses kept "by faith" as the Hebrews passage tells us, is still a central part of Jewish faith.

The central figure of Exodus, I repeat, is God Himself. Exodus is still a vital study— a vital message for people of faith. The message of Exodus is a statement about the very nature of God. It is a statement about salvation as deliverance from bondage. It is a call to the freedom of following God into His promises.

But you can't fully understand Exodus unless you know a little bit about Moses. Moses comes across to us across the ages as a mighty man. We have seen Moses portrayed in sculpture as tremendously impressive, a magnificent general, an imposing figure. And so perhaps he was. But the Bible tells us that Moses was the meekest man who ever lived. Meek is an interesting word. It means strength under control. Moses may have had a big ego— but he never let it dominate him!

Moses' life divides neatly into three segments of forty years each. The part of his life for which he is famous began when he was turning 80 years old. And the Bible says that although he lived to be 120 years of age he was vital and strong right up until the day of his death.

Moses literally changed his world. Through his contact with God he gave us the Ten Commandments that are the foundation of our Judeo-Christian heritage. But all this because one day Moses met God, and believed what God told him, and then Moses held on and "endured" because, as the text says, "Moses saw the one who is invisible." In other words, Moses had faith to trust and obey God.

But it certainly didn't come easy for Moses.

For the first 40 years Moses led a highly privileged life. He had many advantages- which God could use later on, perhaps. Perhaps Moses had to "overcome" some of his advantages. Perhaps he knew he was (1) a miracle, special; and so though he could do whatever he, Moses, thought was right all by himself. Moses also (2) knew he was highly trained—skilled—educated— and felt he could analyze what people needed. Moses (3) was action oriented— and ready to DO something about what he saw as injustice. But Moses forgot one small detail. Moses forgot God.

So— magnificent sacrifice,, and tremendous idealism— all Moses' best efforts were for nothing. Moses failed!

For the second 40 years of Moses' life Moses was pretty much out of circulation. He had to flee for his life as a murderer, even though he was saving a man's life when he killed the Egyptian. What a frustrating time this must have been for Moses. He was on a desert, keeping sheep. Have you ever been in a place where the landscape seems to vast that human beings seem so small they shrink down to nearly invisible? Moses kept getting "smaller and smaller..." Or, perhaps Moses simply thought his life was in the past— and perhaps this is where that powerful meekness developed. After 40 years on the desert, feeling smaller and smaller, one day God finally said, "Moses, you are now small enough that I can use you! I have a job for you! Come here!

That third and last period of 40 years of Moses' life was immediately preceded by a personal contact with God. Exodus chapter 3 is one of those wonderful seminal stories. Moses sees a bush burning— perhaps he had seen bushes burning several times before. But as he watched this bush was not consumed- It kept burning and burning— until Moses travelled the distance to draw near to see what was going on. You know the story. God spoke:

"Moses, put off your shoes! You are on holy ground!"

Moses met God. Moses heard a new "name" for God that was never heard before, and that still challenges us to worship and awe. God is the great I AM THAT I AM! Moses argued with God— but not the argument of pride or When Moses was ready to go God's way—wholly— the way of faith— then he was ready to accomplish more than he ever dreamed possible. A powerless group of slaves was not only set free— they became a nation— a people— and have retained their identity across 4 millenia!

WE are called to that freedom! I Peter 2:9, 10

Exodus is still a vital message for the church of God.

God still hears people who cry to him in their bondage in sin and injustice.

God still asks people to call other people to freedom. (Even when, like Moses, they say, "Who, me??" Perhaps especially, or even ONLY when they realize they need God so very much!)

God is saying "I am calling YOU to be my people!

God is saying, "I am asking YOU to tell someone they can go free!"