SERIES: OUR GODFATHERS

TEXT: EXODUS 3:1-14.

God’s most important Old Testament name was spoken by God Himself from a bush on fire. It reveals not only who and what He is, but His covenant-keeping name. Eight other names are given on to His covenant name giving a rich, deep reveal of what God is like. This morning we have come to worship the God of Moses. He is our God for we are saved by the covenant keeping God who appeared to Moses on a burning bush.

1. What’s in a name?

• Pharaoh once asked a good question, who is the Lord that is should serve Him? Who and what is God?
• An unknown God cannot be served.
• A great definition of God is found in the Westminster catechism “God is a spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.”
• God reveals Himself by making known or proclaiming His name. To worship God is to call upon His name-Gen. 12:8, to fear it-Deut. 28:58, to praise it-2^nd 22:50, to glorify it-Psalm 86:9.
• It is wickedness to take the name of God in vain-Exo. 20:7 or to blaspheme it-Lev. 18:21.

2. The most common names of God in scripture.

• ELOHIM-“GOD.” It is the name that signifies the creative power and omnipotence of God.
• EL-SHADDAI: Elshaddai is the name God used with Abraham. Shaddu means “mountain” and used in conjunction with El which means “Almighty God.” It can also mean “The God who is sufficient-Gen. 21:32-33.
• Adonai literary means “Lord Master.” It conveys the idea of rulership and dominion-Exodus 23:17; Isa. 10:16, 33.
• MELEK is the word that speaks of God as “King” Nebuchadnezzar said “I praise the king of heaven-Daniel 4:37

David recognized God as king “The Lord is king forever-Psalm 10:16. He is the king of glory”-Psalm 24:8-10. “I will exalt you my God the king!”-Psalm 145:1.

Today let us look at God’s special name revealed in connection with His bringing Israel and us unto covenant with Him. Let us learn:-

THE BACKGROUND OF MOSES.

1. MOSES’ UPBRINGING.
2. According to the ancient historian Philo (life of Moses 1:13) Moses was the adopted son of Hatshedsut. She was her father’s only child and she was otherwise childless.
3. Stephen said “Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptian and was mighty in words and in deeds-Acts 7:22.
4. Moses knew he was of Israelite birth and willing to relinquish his Egyptian inheritance.
5. Moses chose something better than ruling on the throne of Egypt short time or having a closet full of gold, something better than a few dancing girls.
6. Where are the pharaohs of Egypt today? Where are the dancing girls? (Dead-dust). Where is Egypt’s glory today? Pyramids.

• Had Moses chosen them that would have been what remain of his poor choice.

What Moses saw:-

• Moses saw the eternal glory of God’s kingdom, the eternal kingdom of God would smash and triumph over all others.
• Moses saw a city with walls made of precious stones, the streets of gold and pleasures that abound forever.
• Moses saw Jesus Christ would make him an heir of it all and would seat with Jesus on His throne and rule and reign!

7. Comparing the throne of Egypt with the throne of God! How petty the gold of Egypt.

• How petty to choose the passing pleasures of this world over eternal rewards! (Temporal thinkers and eternal thinkers).

8. Moses weighed everything on the scale. The best part of the world verses the worst part of eternal life.

• God’s kingdom won the contest. Have you made the same choice?

9. However Moses made a mistake-He tried to deliver the children of Israel with the arm of flesh-he killed an Egyptian and fled Egypt for the wilderness of Sinai.
10. 40 YEARS OF NO ACTION.
11. Forty years passed with Moses on the backside of the desert. In that desert there were no;

• Beautiful Egyptian girls
• No good food, no pleasant sounds and smell, no entertainments
• Moses slept on the ground, ate locusts honey and drunk from the creek.
• 40 years in the heat of the desert.

Satan mocked him “what a fool are you?”

• It is all for nothing to serve your God.
• Moses came to the lowest of life.

Are you at your lowest? God has not forsaken you-Just hang there!!

WHAT GOT MOSES’ ATTENTION?

• Moses saw a burning bush, it was burning and yet not consumed!!
• It burned like a gas –Log fire, the bush remained perfectly unharmed.
• On the day of Pentecost there was fire on their heads yet their hair was not burnt!!
• The burning bush signified Grace in judgement.

WHY WAS THE BUSH ON FIRE?

• To get the world’s attention –God wants us to burn through – will we be that bush?
• To show his judging /purifying nature, when the world sees your purified life,-they will be attracted.
• To demonstrate mercy – the bush though on fire it wasn’t harmed. God burns the dross and the chaff with unquenchable fire.

WHAT IT SIGNIFIED.

(Vs. 8)-“I have come down……….”

• It signifies the “move of God”
• May God “come down again” in our day and turn the word upside down!!!

WHO IS THE GOD OF MOSES?

THE GOD OF BURNING BUSH.

• When Moses was on Mt. Sinai kneeling before the burning bush, he asked God what His name was.
• God replied “Tell the Israelites “ I AM has sent me to you” (Ex. 3:14-10)
• “I AM” is translated as “LORD” in the KJV and it occurs 7000 times!!!
• This name “LORD” is actually from Hebrew verb “havah” –“To live” and encompasses the past, present and the future.
• God the “Eternal one” who enters into the relationship and covenant with His creature.
• This name is also called the Tetragramaton (Four consonants) it has no vowels-JHVH or YHWH.
• God is not of the past (WHO WAS) nor is He the God of the future (WHO WILL BE) but God lives outside the realm of time , who is the past, present and future at the same time! He is the Great one “I AM”.
• God of Moses is the “self-existent one.”
• The God of Moses Elohim is the creator God, He does not stand aloof from His creatures – but He sees their needs and comes down to help and save them – He is Jehovah the covenant God.
• He is the covenant maker and covenant keeper (Malachi 3:6)

THE HYPHENATED NAMES OF GOD.

1. Jehovah –Jireh (Gen 22:14) “God who provides”
2. Jehovah – Nissi (Ex 17:15) “The Lord our Banner”
3. Jehovah – Shalom (Judges 6:24) “The Lord our peace”
4. Jehovah – Rohi (Psalms 23:1) “The Lord my shepherd”
5. Jehovah – Tsidkenu (Jer. 23:6) “The Lord our righteousness”
6. Jehovah – Tsuri (Psalms 19:14) “The Lord my rock”
7. Jehovah – Tsabarth (Psalms 1:3) “The Lord of hosts”

The God of Moses is our God – Hallelujah! Amen.

CONCLUSION:

• President Abraham Lincoln (USA) during the civil war said his own pastor was a failure, because he did not ask of his congregants “something great.”
• President Rooselvelt believed ‘Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much such people never know victory nor defeat.
• Will you do great things for God?
• Do not consider your abilities, only consider the power of God who sends you.
• Moses found that the covenant – keeping God was going to keep His word.
• What do you want God to do for you today? Do you know the God of Moses?

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Rev, DR. Willy Mutiso

Rev, Dr. Willy Mutiso is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Athiriver. He is widely known for his practical and dynamic teaching style which helps people apply the timeless truths of Scripture to their everyday lives.

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