Exodus 3:13

We're on page 56, Exodus 3.

Last week we spent our time thinking about the salvation of God.

! The narrative up to verse 12 was thinking about the salvation delivered to Moses by God.

! That he himself received, was then to go and proclaim to his people,

and then ultimately he was going to go and proclaim it to the self-appointed God of the world, Pharaoh.

A message of deliverance in direct opposition to this Pharaoh.

And we thought about how salvation, this message of salvation, it's shocking,

because it comes to people who really, really don't deserve it.

People like you and me.

We thought about how it's always plan A, it's never plan B.

It's never plan B.

From the beginning of eternity, God chose a people,

and he's been unfolding that plan throughout history.

Even in the darkest moments of history, God has always been on track, 100% with plan A.

And that the goal of worship, it wasn't simply that we'd have our sins paid for,

that our feeling of guilt would be alleviated, that we'd get to go to heaven.

The goal of salvation is that we might bow the knee and become worshippers of this living God.

But this morning, we're taking a turn from just thinking about the salvation of God

to thinking about the God of salvation in the remainder of chapter 3.

The reason we're doing that is because that's the turn the narrative takes in verse 13.

And Moses asks in verse 13 the logical question about hearing such a plan.

A question that if you were put in Moses' shoes,

after hearing this great plan of salvation, you would ask too.

Although it may be in different words.

Salvation is proclaimed.

And Moses says,

Sorry, who are you?

Who are you?

Or verse 13, to put it in Moses' words,

What is your name?

Now, what Moses isn't doing is he's not asking for a personal introduction over coffee at the end of church.

He's not going,

Oh, hi, I'm Adam.

What's your name?

Oh, God.

Great.

Great.

Nice to meet you.

Now, what he's doing is asking for God's personal credentials.

He's heard of this epic, colossal salvation.

And he says,

Who are you?

What qualifies you to be able to defeat Moses,

to defeat Pharaoh?

And deliver your people?

And the thing is,

if you've never asked that question this morning,

then I don't think I did a very good job last week,

describing what salvation is like.

Or maybe it's just that you struggle to see the insurmountable task of saving people like you and me.

Saving people like us.

Because the salvation that God's promised,

it is huge.

Saving a bunch of enslaved sufferers,

who have been trapped for 400 years,

never knowing what a day off felt like.

And they're moving them to a free people,

in a beautiful,

vast land,

under the care and protection,

of a good,

gracious,

loving God.

And we described last week,

didn't we,

that that is just a picture of what comes to us in Christ.

Going from people who are enslaved to sin and Satan,

trapped by our own deceptive hearts,

corrupt,

living with the consequences of a broken world.

We move from that to people who are raised,

from death to life,

to know and worship an eternal God,

in perfect perfection,

a world remade.

Who could do all of this?

Who could deliver on that kind of salvation?

The thing is,

we ask that question in a much smaller way,

every morning when we wake up,

don't we?

Is God able to get me through today?

Am I actually going to make it?

By the end of today,

am I still going to be a Christian?

You know,

the difficulties,

day after day,

alone,

are enough to not just ask,

can God deliver eternal salvation,

but can he deliver me today?

Today,

the task is great,

and Moses know the people,

people like you and me,

are going to want to know,

who are you?

Who are you that you can deliver?

And God responds with two things,

two things that you really need to know,

two things you need to know about God,

two realities about him,

that you need to set and fix your hearts upon,

in order to have confidence,

that God can deliver on this salvation.

And that's how we're going to split our time up,

today,

we're going to look at these two things,

and the first thing that you need to know,

is his name.

Halfway through verse 13,

read with me.

And when they asked me,

what is his name?

What shall I say to them?

And God said to Moses,

I am who I am.

And he said,

say this to the people of Israel,

I am,

has sent me to you.

He gives a mysterious name,

doesn't he?

Translated in the Old Testament,

with the letters L-O-R-D,

in block capitals,

it's there in verse 15 as well.

It's the same I am,

but now just translated.

But it's important,

this isn't a title.

You know,

we see Lord scattered throughout the Bible

as a title,

an ascription,

but it's not the same as saying,

you know,

he's a shepherd,

or a king,

or a father.

It's not just a title,

this is his name,

this is who he is,

in and of himself.

And names are really important,

aren't they?

There's nothing like being greeted

at the end of the service,

by your personal name.

You know,

I've only been here a few weeks,

and yet people come up to me,

and say,

how's it going Adam?

That personal,

intimate connection,

and here,

the God of the universe,

is revealing his name to his people,

close communion with them.

And there's so many things

we could say about this name,

but firstly,

I am is,

it's a mysterious name,

isn't it?

I am,

is a mystery.

And we can't really grasp

the depths of what's going on.

When someone says,

you know,

my name's Adam,

we've got a context for it,

and it seems normal.

But just to say,

if you asked me,

what's your name,

and I said,

I am,

you'd be,

sorry,

you are what?

But Herman Babink,

a hearer of mine,

he has this great line,

talking about this,

and he says,

God is that which he calls himself,

and he calls himself

that which he is.

So,

so when the people of Moses,

people of Moses,

they come and say,

who is this God?

When you say,

yeah,

who is God?

Well,

he just replies,

God is.

Any,

any more questions?

It just brings silence,

doesn't it?

Who is God?

There is no adjective great enough to ascribe to him,

just God is.

We lisp with vocabulary to try and grasp the greatness of God.

Even the greatest descriptions you've ever read by your greatest authors of God

are pale shadows of who he really is.

Even though we know true things concerning God,

he's so far above us,

so far beyond us,

so far beyond our understanding that he's mysterious to us.

And when confronted by the mystery,

the awesomeness of this God,

we can fall into some traps.

Because I've spoken to a few of you,

a few of you are like me,

and you're prone to becoming a rationalist.

Confronted with the great mystery of God,

you try and explain away God's greatness.

You think you can put him in a box,

using your terms and your vocabularies and your own categories,

and you try and explain him away,

bringing him down.

But then, as a few of you have met,

I wouldn't say who,

but you've tendencies to become a bit mystic,

maybe a bit Welsh mystic.

And you think God is so big,

and so unknowable,

and so grand that,

well, this isn't Paul's temptation at all,

but we start to think of what,

well, we can think what we want of God.

We can start thinking,

yeah, no one can really know,

because it's just so big.

So we drag God down,

and we just let him loose.

But that's not the right response.

The third response,

and the right response,

and the response we see of Moses,

is that he becomes a worshipper.

John, whether you're prone to rationalism,

or mysticism,

repent,

and humbly come,

and sit under what God has revealed of himself,

and worship him,

as the great I am.

The great mysterious I am.

You will never know everything about God.

And yet he has revealed something of himself

that you can grasp.

But secondly,

God reveals something else about his name.

His name reveals that he's unchanging.

God is immutable.

He's eternally who he is.

He reveals his name.

This is a bit geeky,

but some of you will be pleased to hear this.

It's in the present form of the verb to be.

So,

you think,

why does that matter?

Well,

it means that God is not,

I was who I was.

And it means that God is not,

I will be who I will be.

But it's I am.

Eternally present.

And this unchanging nature

is the ground and source of his faithfulness.

His faithfulness to his creation.

We come,

and we go,

and we fluctuate,

and we fade,

and change.

We have ups and downs,

and yet God is the same.

Yesterday,

today,

and forever,

because he is eternally present,

holding time in the palm of his hand,

knowing nothing of the change of seasons

affecting him.

I am is unchanging.

So when the people cry out,

how do we know

that you can save us?

How do we know that you can deliver?

Well then,

just look down

at verse 17.

The reason you can know

is because God has promised,

and he does not change.

How do you know?

How do you know

that you'll make it through the day?

How do you know

that God will come good

on his promises to deliver you?

Well, God does not change,

and he has promised.

But this one,

I think,

is a real kicker.

Something that I don't think about

at all,

until confronted by passages like this.

But I am.

God,

revealing his name,

shows us

that he is independent.

Independent.

With the kids,

I've got everyone

to take a big breath.

But as that oxygen

rushes into your lungs,

you are dependent on it.

You are dependent

on the laws of physics,

water.

You're dependent

on the breakfast

you had this morning.

We're dependent

in every single way.

But two,

well,

perhaps teenagers,

most of all.

You know,

we long for independence,

don't we?

Can't wait to get off

the shackles of our parents.

But here's a harsh reality

for you.

You will never be independent.

As long as you are

a creature,

you will forever be

dependent on him.

But being dependent

on the God of the Bible

is not a burden.

It's a great joy,

isn't it?

To know that he is good

and provides all your needs.

For I am alone

is independent,

depending on nothing else,

especially in his creation.

And everything else

is dependent on him.

This is hard to grasp,

but Psalm 50

helps us a little.

You can turn there

if you want,

Psalm 50.

Or you can just listen.

Listen to what

Psalm 50 says.

Starting with verse 7.

I am God.

Your God.

Not for your sacrifices

do I rebuke you,

that your burnt offerings

are continually before me.

I will not accept

a bull from your house

or goats from your fold.

Why?

For every beast

of the forest is mine,

the cattle on a thousand hills.

I know all the birds

of the hills

and all that moves

in the field is mine.

If I were hungry,

God says,

I would not tell you.

For the world

and its fullness of mine,

do I eat the flesh of bulls

or drink the blood of goats?

Offer to God

a sacrifice of thanksgiving

and perform your vows

to the Lord,

the Most High,

and call upon me

in the day of trouble

and I will deliver you

and you shall glorify me.

God needs nothing.

Not even the sacrifices

he's prescribed

his people in the Old Testament.

Silly question.

Does God get hungry?

Of course not,

but even if he did,

he wouldn't tell you

because everything belongs to him.

He owns everything

because everything

owes their existence to him.

That includes Pharaoh

who's about to go

in opposition against him.

God doesn't even need sacrifices.

Again,

silly question.

Does God drink blood?

Of course not.

God does not need anything.

And verse 21

of Psalm 50

finishes like this.

You thought

that I was one like you.

But he's not.

He needs nothing.

Yet we reduce God down

and think of him

nothing more than someone

we're kind of in relationship with.

We think,

you know,

if I give God something,

he'll give something back.

We think God needs our help

in order to accomplish

his purposes.

And we're so influenced

by the culture surrounding us

that we think

I scratch your back,

you'll scratch mine.

We think God is like

a divine vending machine.

As long as I put

the right money in,

I'll get the right thing out.

But God does not need

anything from you.

So,

I struggle with this so much

that he does not need anything.

He's so other.

But this is such good news.

Because it leads to

a really interesting observation.

Moses wants to know

who is God

to go and fight

Pharaoh.

And you think

the answer would come back,

don't worry Moses,

I'm bigger than Pharaoh.

Pharaoh.

That's how we often pray,

isn't it?

You know,

I've got this problem,

and then we pray,

but thank you

that you're bigger than

dot, dot, dot.

But that's not

his response.

His response is,

I am.

Because if he said,

I'm greater than Pharaoh,

that would kind of

put God on just

a continuum,

a spectrum with Pharaoh.

I'm sure many of you

remember playing

Top Trumps as a kid.

Children,

maybe you still play with them

and have them littered

around your living room floor.

And you're always hoping,

aren't you,

that you've got the car

that beats the car

your friend has.

You know,

the car that drives

the fastest,

or the snake

that has the most venom.

Or the animal

that's just a bit bigger

and faster.

And as great as

Top Trumps is,

that is not

what is going on here.

God is not just

the next Top Trump card

up from Pharaoh.

It's not on a continuum

where God has

slightly higher stats

than Pharaoh.

That would constantly

leave you worried,

wouldn't it?

But what if one day

someone plays

the next Top Trump card up?

What if one day

there's a bigger God?

What if there's

someone greater

that can thwart

those prayers?

God simply answers,

I am.

Even Pharaoh,

even the game,

owns its dependence

on me.

God is not on a spectrum

with Satan.

You don't just have to hope

that God is further

up the spectrum

than Satan.

Nothing is too difficult

for him.

Because nothing

compares to him.

We see that a little,

don't we?

When Moses

hears from God

what Pharaoh's

response is going to be.

You look down

back at our passage,

he even says

what Pharaoh's

response is going to be.

He knows what

Pharaoh's response

is going to be

in the future

to what God does

because even Pharaoh

is dependent on him.

later on Romans 9,

Paul tells us that

even Pharaoh was

raised up so that

God might display

his glory in him.

Everything in this world

is dependent on God

and displays his glory.

And our big problem,

it's always good

isn't it to hear

that line from a

27 year old preacher

who has half the life

experience of most of you.

But,

our big problem,

we stumble again

and again

into thinking

that God

is like us.

we think,

do you know what,

I'm finding this

really hard.

And we think,

oh well,

God must find things

hard too.

God finds nothing

difficult.

We ought to have

great thoughts

of God's

and we so easily

allow our thoughts

to become small

and narrow.

He is a great

mystery, isn't it?

But maybe you're

struggling to grasp

the concepts.

But these are just

words that are

coming to you

and you're finding

it difficult to

really wrap your

head around them.

Well,

God knows that

we might struggle

and so he gives us

a picture of it

as well.

We read about it

today and talked

about it last week.

But it's there

in the burning bush.

Just think about it.

All we've described

is displayed for us

in the fire

of the burning bush.

I am

revealed as

the God

who is

mysterious.

This mysterious

fire in the midst

of the bush.

Unchanging fire,

perpetually burning

and in need

of nothing

in the midst

of the bush

yet completely

independent of it.

I am God.

The God of Abraham,

Isaac and Jacob.

The God of us

this morning

is the self-sufficient

eternally burning

fire who requires

nothing to exist.

But the picture

of the burning bush

is also really

comforting.

Because where is

the fire?

fire?

Well the fire

being in the midst

of the bush

leads to our

second point.

Just look down

at verse 15

of our passage.

God also said

to Moses

say this to the

people of Israel

the Lord

the God

of your fathers

the God

of Abraham

the God

of Isaac

the God

of Jacob

has sent me

to you.

this is my name

forever

and thus

I am to be

remembered

throughout all

generations.

Hearing God

as I am

should just

provoke awe

and wonder.

But hearing

that I am

is your God

should just

bring pure joy.

I just think

this is the best

news.

The picture

of the burning

bush helps us

understand it

because the

self-burning

perpetual

eternal fire

of God

isn't just

kind of

floating around

abstractly

but he is

in the midst

of the bush

and the bush

picture his

people.

God

is in the midst

of his people.

I am

is God

but I am

is your God.

In the same

breath of telling

of his otherness

he speaks to

his closeness

his condescension

again we sang

with the kids

earlier

closest

than the closest

friend.

And that's

what's going

on here.

He doesn't

need us.

He doesn't

need anything

and yet

he wants

you.

He wants

to be

in the midst

of his people.

He longs

to be

with you.

So God

stoops down

to make it

a way

to make it

possible

for us

to be

with him

and for

him to

be with

us.

And we

talked about

it last

time didn't

we?

That he

knows,

he sees,

he cares

about the

affliction of

his people

and he's

not watching

it on the

news

abstractly

and distantly

this

independent

burning fire

no he's

with his

people

experiencing

it and

knowing

and caring

and he

stretches

out his

mighty

arm

to deliver

his

people.

God is

not aloof

he is

close

and this

God

is your

God

he's the

same

he has

seen

your

suffering

you know

I always

think

you look

around a

congregation

and there's

no one

that hasn't

had at

least

some

difficulties

in the

week

but yet

God

has seen

it

even if

we don't

show it

on our

faces

and he's

seen

your

sin

he's

seen

that

thing

that

we

stumble

into

again

and

again

he's

seen

your

suffering

and he

has

seen

your

sin

and he

cares

for you

he has

heard the

prayers

of his

people

and he's

acted

in history

in a

way

once and

for all

to deliver

us

but each

day

he hears

the prayers

of his

people

and tends

to them

sustaining

them

caring for

them

taking them

home

perhaps you

believe in

God

but more in

just kind of an

abstract way

you don't know

God as your

God

you kind of

believe he's

out there

I urge you to

come and bow

the knee to him

that you might

know him as your

God

because think about

the Egyptians

is the fact

that God

is I

am

good news

to them

it's

terrifying

but to know

that I

am

is your

God

that brings

the greatest

comfort

you know

in Exodus

we see

God

mightily

displaying his

name

I am

as he

stretches

out his

arm

with

miraculous

plagues

sent on

Egypt

to deliver

his

people

the

crossing

of the

Red

Sea

but in

the same

way

last week

we saw

that was

just a

shadow

well it's

just a

shadow

this time

isn't it

in John's

gospel

John

records

for us

Jesus

drawing on

this

revelation

of his

name

I

am

again

and

again

I

am

we see

Jesus

is the

fulfillment

of I

am

God

dwelling

with his

people

in the

midst

of his

people

Jesus

says

I

am

the

bread

of

life

I

am

the

light

of

the

world

I

am

the

door

I

am

the

good

shepherd

I

am

the

resurrection

and the

life

in the

same

way

I

am

the

way

the

truth

and

the

life

I

am

the

true

vine

and

Jesus

summarizes

it

by saying

before

Abraham

was I

am

and I

am

is

me

Jesus

stood

walking

talking

seeing

knowing

caring

is

obviously

with his

people

that here

he's revealing

that he's

the God

of his

people

each

time

making it

clearer

and clearer

and clearer

as he

is identifying

himself

with

I am

the

conversations

I've

had

with

Muslims

where

they

say

Jesus

never

says

he's

God

it

never

comes

out

of his

mouth

well the

Jews

were so

clear

what

Jesus

was

claiming

as he

says

I am

that they

sought to

stone him

for

blasphemy

make no

mistake

what Jesus

is claiming

for them

but we

shouldn't be

surprised

should we

because the

burning

bush is

a picture

of the

incarnation

I am

in the

midst

of his

people

but it's

not just

a picture

this is

the pre-incarnate

Jesus

revealing what

God will do

in the

climax of

history

when he

doesn't just

appear for a

moment in

time in a

bush but

when he

truly becomes

God with

us

it's a

detail that

we skimmed

over last

week

but Moses

saw in

the bush

a being

in human

form

the Bible

says

the angel

of the

Lord

appeared to

him in

fires of

flame

from within

the bush

but

this must

be Jesus

like no

angel would

accept worship

from Moses

let alone

command it

the angel

of the

Lord

who is

with God

and is

God

revealing

himself

this could

be no

other person

than the

second person

of the

Trinity

Jesus

revealing

himself as

I am

coming to

rescue

his people

and this

astounding

picture

what is

it makes

so much

sense

of John

18

Jesus in

the garden

of Gethsemane

the soldiers

come seeking

to arrest

Jesus and

hand him

over to the

Jews to

have him

put on

trial and

killed

and then

verse 4

of John

18

Jesus

knowing

all that

would happen

to him

just like he

knows exactly

what will

happen with

Pharaoh and

the unfolding

of his plan

then

here he knows

again

he came

forward and

he said to

them

whom do you

seek

they answered

him

Jesus of

Nazareth

and Jesus

said to

them

I am

and they

fell to

the ground

they drew

back and

fell to

the ground

they drew

back and

fell to

the ground

like Moses

did when he

saw Jesus

in the burning

bush

simply by

revealing that

he is the

ancient of

days

I am

present in

their midst

but the

thing is

I am

I am

has not

come down

to stretch

out his

arm in

mighty acts

and miracles

but by

simply

and humbly

stretching out

his arms

on a cross

not to

defeat

Pharaoh

but to

defeat

sin

and death

the infinite

God

clothed in

humanity

I am

making it

possible

forever

to be

God

with us

what do

you need

to know

what do

you need

to know

in order

to have

confidence

that God

can accomplish

his purposes

that God

really can

come good

on all

he's

promised

sure

what do

you need

to know

that today

you'll get

through

and that he

will take

you home

one day

you need

to know

that I

am

is God

but that

God

is I

am

and he

will do

whatever

it takes

to save

his people

and if

you ever

doubt it

if you

ever doubt

it

just look

to Jesus

and see

the I

am

in the

midst

of his

people

going to

such

great

lengths

let me

pray

as we

finish