Mensa Otabil - What is Your Name, Lord? (10/03/2025)
Exodus chapter 3, verse 13. 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?" That seems like an unusual question coming from Moses. We think that he should not be asking such a question, but he did ask it. When I go back and the people say, "What is the name of the God who sent you?" what am I going to say? Why did Moses have to ask that question?
Because Israel had been in Egypt for about 400 years. This is a long time from the time of Abraham—over 600 years since Abraham. After 400 years in Egypt, they really had forgotten about the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. They were now worshiping the gods of the Egyptians. They remembered that their fathers had a God through a man called Abraham, but they had really lost contact with this God. So Moses is asking this question for several reasons.
First, Moses needed to assure himself that he was talking to the right deity. He is very much aware, having lived in the house of Pharaoh, that there are many gods that perform supernatural acts. Just because there was a burning bush and a supernatural event, does not mean this is the true God he is talking to. Moses needed to be sure, "Which God am I talking to who is doing these acts?"
This serves as a sign for us: just because there is a supernatural act does not mean this is Jehovah God doing it. We need to test the spirits, and that's what Moses is doing. "Which God am I talking to who is performing these wonderful works?" For Moses's own information, he needed to know which god or deity he was relating to.
Moses also needed to go back to the Hebrews and show them the difference between the God who wanted to deliver them and the gods of the Egyptians. The gods of the Egyptians were many, covering so many areas of life: heavenly bodies, bodies of rivers, gods that covered metals, gods that covered fire, gods that covered activities like farming and love, and so on. The name of a god determines the jurisdiction of that god and the power of that god.
So if this God that Moses is talking to wants to deliver the people of Israel, what is His name? His name will then determine His power, the extent of His authority, and how far He can go. If He confronts the many gods of Egypt, will He have what it takes to challenge all of them? When Moses says, "Tell me Your name so I can assure the children of Israel that this God You are dealing with is strong enough," he refers to whether this God can handle the god of the Nile, the god of flies, the god of frogs, the god of thunder, the god of healing, or the god of darkness. Is this God strong enough to deal with all of them?
As God's messenger, Moses needed to return with the clear message that the delivering God was superior to the other gods of the Egyptians. So basically, "What's Your name?" translates to "What kind of God are You? What is Your power? What are Your limits?" God told him something remarkable. We will hear God's name tomorrow because it reveals the scope of His power.
Let us pray. Say with me: "Heavenly Father, magnify Your name in my situation. Let all the world know that You are God Most High. In Jesus' name, Amen." Well, I'll catch you again tomorrow. I am Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.