Joel M Bradshaw

13Then Moses said to 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?” 14God 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.’” 15God 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, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.–Exodus 3

God was commissioning Moses for the task appointed for him. And he told Moses great comforting words about the suffering of His people, Israel. Read yesterday’s blog for a similar take on this. Today I want to focus on HaShem (Hebrew for “The Name”). When I talk to observant Jewish people today, that’s the word they use to talk about God. I’ve encountered some friends who say Adonai, but most now say HaShem. My weekly discussions with my Jewish friend at the nursing home all center around HaShem!

Biblical Hebrew has two basic ideas with verbs. There are verbs that describe completed actions and others that describe incomplete matters. HaShem described Himself as EHYEH ASHER EHYEH which is commonly translated as I AM WHO I AM. In verse 15 HaShem then told Moses a proper name version of Ehyeh, Yahweh. This is ‘the name’ that many will out of reverence not speak today.

In their distress, Israel needed to know that this Yahweh was indeed the God from their past. He linked Himself to their patriarchs. As they suffered, Israel needed to know that Yahweh’s name continued to the future. But Israel was suffering in the present.

1. God’s past actions prove that He is trustworthy.
2. God’s future actions give hope.
3. God’s being present with His people demonstrate His care.

God used an incomplete verb with Moses. The I AM meaning communicated the basic message. God doesn’t stop being. God didn’t tell Moses I WAS or I WILL BE or I CAN BE. He used the verb tense in the ancient Hebrew that communicated that He is present and that never stops being true.

The only hope is the very God who later would promise to send a sign named Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel means “God with us” and communicates that HaShem not only exists but is present with His people. There was great fear and suffering in Isaiah’s day, too.

Isaiah prophesied about Jesus (Matthew 1:22-23). For in Jesus, HaShem was on earth indeed with us. After Jesus resurrected and ascended to Heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to be with us. We can still know that God is with present and caring.

Israel’s hope is to call upon HaShem and to trust in His Son Yeshua. It’s the only hope a Gentile like me ever had as well. The prophet Joel (the one I was name after) once uttered that all who call upon the Name of the LORD will be saved (2:32). His Hebrew was baSHEM YAHWEH. The basic theological message of the New Testament is that Jesus Christ is HaShem in the flesh (Colossians 1:19). Jesus has the Name above any other Name (Philippians 2:9-11).

God is our hope. He is present with us. That action has not been completed. What was declared to Moses is still present today. Messiah Yeshua is Israel’s hope. Call upon that very Immanuel in your distress! He is present with us and faithful to care.–JMB