The Name of God "Yhwh" appears in connection with the deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt. The giving of the name was Gods assurance that He would accomplish this deliverance.
Exodus 3:11-14 (KJV): "11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. 13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
Note that the RV and RSV margins give the alternative rendering "I will be" instead of "I am" in v14. This is the same word and tense as translated "I will be" in v12. This indicates that God will accomplish the deliverance or salvation of Israel out of Egypt.
This future activity in connection with the Name of God is emphasized in:
Exodus 6:1-8 (KJV): "1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. 2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. 4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. 5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: 7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD."
In the outcome, this deliverance was achieved by God sending the angel of His Presence, but also through the hands of Moses and Aaron.
Psalm 77:19-20 (KJV): "19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. 20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron."
Isaiah 63:9,12 (KJV): "9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.12That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?"
Gods Name was seen in the accomplishment of this deliverance, and this deliverance and praise to Gods Name is seen in the song of Moses:
Exodus 15:2-3 (KJV): "2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my fathers God, and I will exalt him. 3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name."
But when Moses asked to understand Gods way and glory, God revealed more fully His Name, showing the character of God, rather than the physical aspects of deliverance.
Exodus 34:5-7 (KJV): "5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the childrens children, unto the third and to the fourth generation."
This moral aspect of the Name hints at a greater purpose and a greater deliverance that was yet to come. Isaiah takes up the terms of the song of Moses and shows that this salvation was yet future from his day:
Isaiah 12:1-2 (KJV): "1 And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation."
Rather than the Name of God "Yhwh" appearing in the NT account, our attention is drawn to Jesus through whom salvation and deliverance is achieved.
Matthew 1:21 (KJV): "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
The name Jesus is a combination of the Divine Name "Yah" with the word salvation, and if the future tense of the Divine Name is used, then this represents "He will save" and Matthew 1:21 is a simple exposition of this name. With the deliverance from Egypt God worked through the Angel, Moses and Aaron, but now a greater salvation was to be wrought through Jesus, "he shall save his people from their sins".
Instead of the character and Name of God being proclaimed as it was to Moses, Jesus fully revealed Gods character and Name:
John 1:14 (KJV): "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
John 17:6 (KJV): "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word."
Jesus becomes the focus of Gods deliverance and salvation so that he fulfils the roles of the angel, Moses and Aaron. The incident of the lame man shows that salvation is now centred in the Name of Jesus:
Acts 3:6 (KJV): "Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."
Acts 3:16 (KJV): "And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all."
Acts 4:10-12 (KJV): "10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
The terms "the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ" become a summary of the gospel:
Acts 8:12 (KJV): "But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."
Kind regards
Trevor
Exodus 3:11-14 (KJV): "11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. 13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
Note that the RV and RSV margins give the alternative rendering "I will be" instead of "I am" in v14. This is the same word and tense as translated "I will be" in v12. This indicates that God will accomplish the deliverance or salvation of Israel out of Egypt.
This future activity in connection with the Name of God is emphasized in:
Exodus 6:1-8 (KJV): "1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. 2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. 4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. 5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: 7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD."
In the outcome, this deliverance was achieved by God sending the angel of His Presence, but also through the hands of Moses and Aaron.
Psalm 77:19-20 (KJV): "19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. 20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron."
Isaiah 63:9,12 (KJV): "9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.12That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?"
Gods Name was seen in the accomplishment of this deliverance, and this deliverance and praise to Gods Name is seen in the song of Moses:
Exodus 15:2-3 (KJV): "2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my fathers God, and I will exalt him. 3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name."
But when Moses asked to understand Gods way and glory, God revealed more fully His Name, showing the character of God, rather than the physical aspects of deliverance.
Exodus 34:5-7 (KJV): "5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the childrens children, unto the third and to the fourth generation."
This moral aspect of the Name hints at a greater purpose and a greater deliverance that was yet to come. Isaiah takes up the terms of the song of Moses and shows that this salvation was yet future from his day:
Isaiah 12:1-2 (KJV): "1 And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation."
Rather than the Name of God "Yhwh" appearing in the NT account, our attention is drawn to Jesus through whom salvation and deliverance is achieved.
Matthew 1:21 (KJV): "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
The name Jesus is a combination of the Divine Name "Yah" with the word salvation, and if the future tense of the Divine Name is used, then this represents "He will save" and Matthew 1:21 is a simple exposition of this name. With the deliverance from Egypt God worked through the Angel, Moses and Aaron, but now a greater salvation was to be wrought through Jesus, "he shall save his people from their sins".
Instead of the character and Name of God being proclaimed as it was to Moses, Jesus fully revealed Gods character and Name:
John 1:14 (KJV): "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
John 17:6 (KJV): "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word."
Jesus becomes the focus of Gods deliverance and salvation so that he fulfils the roles of the angel, Moses and Aaron. The incident of the lame man shows that salvation is now centred in the Name of Jesus:
Acts 3:6 (KJV): "Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."
Acts 3:16 (KJV): "And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all."
Acts 4:10-12 (KJV): "10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
The terms "the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ" become a summary of the gospel:
Acts 8:12 (KJV): "But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."
Kind regards
Trevor
