Week 5 - Reading the Bible in a Year & Gerhard's Sacred Meditations
The 'Shem' of God
Out of all five books in the Pentateuch (a fancy way of saying the first five books of the Old Testament which were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by Moses) Exodus is my personal favorite! This week, we get to read the best part of the story of God rescuing Israel from slavery in Egypt.
One of the most important chapters in Exodus is the third chapter. The chapter features a dialogue between Moses and God. God appears to Abraham in a bush that is on fire but does not burn up. This encounter happens on Mount Sinai (3:1) where Israel will gather later in chapter 19. But here, in chapter 3 God commissions Moses to be His prophet and to lead His people out of slavery in Egypt.
We have been tracing a theme of name (shem) throughout Genesis. Here, after God calls Moses to this great task, Moses asks God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘the God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God responds by saying, “I AM WHO I AM.”
In Hebrew, verbs generally either indicate a complete or incomplete action or state of being. A completed action or state of being generally (but not always) indicates something that has already happened, similar to English’s past tense. For example, “he ran,” or, “he was,” both indicate completed actions. He began to run, and now he has finished running, therefore he ran. An action that was started and completed.
It is not a big secret, and this is not something new to be pointed out, but when God says, “I AM WHO I AM,” the verb for, “I AM,” is incomplete. My ESV Bible points this out with a footnote by offering an alternative translation, “I will be what I will be.” This is an incomplete state of being. An incomplete verb typically indicates something that is in progress or that is yet to be done. So, to use our running example, you would say, “She is running,” or, “She will run.”
What is the significance?
In the context of Exodus 3, God is saying how he will be known will be defined by what he will do. The emphasis is on the future actions of God. This plays out throughout Exodus 3 and the remainder of the book because God then tells Moses what he is going to do. In verse fifteen and following, God defines who he will be by saying what he is going to do. He will be the God who rescues His people. “Say this to the people of Israel: The LORD (YHWH), the God of your fathers… This is my name (shem) forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations… I have observed you… I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to… a land flowing with milk and honey… So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”
And then, what God describes in Exodus 3 plays out through the rest of Exodus, the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua. Along the way, the people of God stumble and fall to sin, idolatry, and unbelief. Yet God shows himself to be who he has said he would be, the God who rescues his people.
Over and over, we will see God rescuing His people. When Pharoah’s army comes to crush Israel along the Red Sea, God rescues them. When His people have no food or water, God rescues them. When nations attack His people, God rescues them. When enemies carry off His people to Babylon, God rescues them.
In Luke 9:28-36, we hear about when Jesus took Peter, John, and James to the mount of transfiguration. There, in an incredible and miraculous way, Jesus was transfigured and became a dazzling white as His divine glory shone forth. He also met with two of His prophets, Moses and Elijah. Luke records this amazing detail for us when he says that Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus about, “his exodus, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”
In Christ Jesus’ death and resurrection, God accomplishes the greatest rescue in the history of all things. God rescues His people is from sin. Sin, which is its own slavery, exile, war, and affliction. Sin, which has corrupted every human being since Adam and Eve. Sin, which brought about the fall of all of creation. In Christ Jesus, God is leading His people through an even greater exodus than the one he accomplished in Egypt.
In Exodus 14, when Israel had its back against the sea and Pharaoh’s chariots crushing down on them, Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today… The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
So, be still. Be silent. And behold the salvation which the LORD has worked for you in Christ Jesus. He fights for you. Believe in Him.
Readings
MEDITATION V
AN EXERCISE OF FAITH FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST IN THE AGONY OF DEATH
To me the Grace of Jesus is of Infinite Value.
BEHOLD, O Lord Jesus, how basely I have treated Thy passion; my heart is deeply pained and my soul greatly saddened, because I have no works or merits of my own to offer for my salvation; yet since Thy passion, O Jesus, may be my work, let Thy works also be my merit. Surely I do not rightly treat Thy passion, because, when that is amply sufficient for my salvation, I am seeking to supplement it by my own good works. And if I should discover any righteousness in myself, Thy righteousness would be of no avail to me, or certainly I should not so ardently desire it. If I seek to justify myself by the deeds of the law, I shall be condemned by the law. But I know that I am no longer under the law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14). Shamefully have I lived; “O Holy Father, I have sinned against heaven, and am no more worthy to be called Thy son” (Luke 15:21); but refuse not to call me Thy servant. Let not, I beseech Thee, the blessed benefits of Thy passion be denied me. Let not Thy precious blood become of no avail in freeing my soul from sin. Sin hath always dwelt in me; I beseech Thee, now, let it die with me. Hitherto the flesh hath had dominion over me, now let the Spirit triumph in me. Let the outward man perish, that the inward man may rise into new glory. Hitherto I have always followed the temptations of the devil; let him now, I pray Thee, be trampled under my feet (Rom. 16:20). Satan is at hand to accuse me, but he has nothing in me. The very idea of death terrifies me; and yet death will mark the end of my sins and the beginning of a perfectly holy life. Then at last shall I be able to please Thee perfectly, O my God; then at last shall I be established in goodness and virtue. Satan holds up my sins before me to terrify me; but let him accuse Him, who hath taken upon Him my infirmities, and whom the Lord hath smitten for my sins (Is. 53:4). My debt is exceeding great, nor can I pay the least part of it; but I trust in the riches and kindness of my Surety; let Him free me, who hath become surety for me; let him pay it, who hath taken my debt upon Himself. I have sinned, O Lord, and my sins are many and great beyond measure; and yet may I never voluntarily commit that most heinous sin of charging Thee with a lie, when Thou dost declare by words and by works and by an oath, that perfect satisfaction hath been rendered for mine iniquities. I fear not my sins, for Thou art my righteousness; I fear not my ignorance, for Thou art my wisdom (1 Cor. 1:30); I fear not death, for Thou art my life (John 14:6); I fear not my errors, for Thou art my truth; I fear not my corruption, for Thou art my resurrection (John 11:25); I fear not the pains of death, for Thou art my joy; I fear not even the terrors of judgment, for Thou art my righteousness.
Let the dew of Thy divine grace and of Thy quickening consolation be instilled into my languishing soul. My spirit is drying up within me, yet soon it shall exult in Thee; my flesh droops and languishes, but shortly it shall spring up again into new life; the nature of my body is such that I must undergo corruption, but from corruption Thou shalt free me, as Thou hast delivered me from every other evil. Thou, O God, hast created me; and how can the work of Thy hands perish? Thou hast delivered me from all my enemies, how then could death alone prevail against me? Thy body, Thy blood, and all that Thou hadst, even Thine own self, Thou didst give for my salvation, and shall death then deprive me of that which was purchased with so costly a ransom? Thou art my righteousness, O Lord Jesus; my sins shall not prevail against Thee. Thou art the Resurrection and the Life, death shall not prevail against Thee; Thou art God, Satan shall not prevail against Thee. Thou hast given me the earnest of Thy Spirit (1 Cor. 1:22); in this do I glory, in this do I triumph; and most firmly do I believe, doubting nothing, that I shall by and by be admitted to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7). Thou, O my dearest spouse, Thou art my wedding garment, which I put on in my baptism (Gal. 3:27); Thou wilt cover all my nakedness; nor shall I attempt to sew on to this most precious and beautiful garment the vile tatters of mine own righteousness; for what is our righteousness in Thy sight but filthy rags (Is. 64:6)? How could I dare then to patch the robe of Thy glorious righteousness with mine own abominable rags? In this robe will I appear before Thy judgment-seat, when Thou shalt judge the world in righteousness and equity (Acts 17:31). In this garment shall I appear before Thee in Thy heavenly kingdom; this robe shall so cover my confusion and shame that they will be remembered no more forever. Then shall I appear before Thy face glorious and holy, and this flesh of mine, this body of mine, shall be clothed in Thine effulgent glory, even a glory that shall continue forever and ever. Come, Lord Jesus, come; and let him that loveth Thee say, come (Rev. 22:20)!
Johann Gerhard, Gerhard’s Sacred Meditations, trans. C. W. Heisler (Philadelphia, PA: Lutheran Publication Society, 1896).