The Angel YHWH and Moses

Moses Asks God’s Name

PART TEN

In this study we are reading the Bible to understand how the ancient Israelites came to know the Creator God. In today’s reading we will find Moses actually asking God what His name is as he encounters Him in the burning bush experience.

But first, a bit of a review, in case you have just jumped into the middle of this study, let’s go back over a few important points.

In Hebrew texts, God’s Name is spelled only with the consonants Y-H-W-H, and it is called the "Four-Letter" name or Tetragrammaton in Greek. In English Bibles, God’s name is almost always translated LORD (all caps). Language scholars say it is built on the first person of the verb “to be” or “I am” which is given as a proper name. Rabbinic Judaism refers to it as "HaShem" which is literally "The Name" (the "ha" is the attached prefix article "the").

Now, let’s get into today’s session with reading Exodus 3:1-6 NKJV:

1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared (H7200 - ra’ah Niphal imperfect : to appear, to present onself) to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold (H7200 - ra’ah Qal imperfect - look at, gaze at, watch, observe), the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”

4 So when the LORD (YHWH) saw that he turned aside to look, God (Elohim) called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” 6 Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

Both the visible Angel of Yahweh and the invisible Yahweh are in the burning bush. Moses has been watching and observing this fire that was not consuming the bush. But once God calls to Moses and identifies Himself as the God of his fathers; Moses immediately hides his face. Why?

Because He saw the form of the God Who called him. The Bible says it was “The Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush.”

Moses becomes afraid to continue to look, so he hides his face. This suggest that he is seeing something other than fire, most likely Moses saw the form of the angel/man in the fire; who is now identified with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The passage doesn’t say, “Moses was afraid to look at the fire,” it says he was afraid to look upon God.

God made Himself known through a visual encounter.

In verses 7-13 we have the conversation between Moses and the LORD as to the necessity of this visitation and commission. The LORD let’s Moses know that He has seen the affliction of His people in Egypt, He has heard their cry and He knows their sufferings; and He has come down to deliver them.

This word translated come down in Exodus 3 is very significant. It is the same word translated came down in Genesis 11, and go down in Genesis 18. When ever it is used in relationship to God, it indicates direct action is about to follow—God is going to intervene in the affairs of men.

• Genesis 11 concerns God’s response to the tower of Babel: the confusion of languages along with the scattering and disowning of the nations.

• Genesis 18 is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

• Exodus 3 is the deliverance of His people.

Let’s continue with Exodus 3:13-15:

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?”

14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ 

I believe that Moses is asking a legitimate question, he really doesn’t know God’s Name. Moses was turned over to Pharaoh’s household as a baby. It also suggests that there would be leadership among the Israelites back in Egypt that did know this name. God gave Moses the answer that would convince the children of Abraham that YWHW had sent him.