What’s in a name? pp

Group Discussion  Why is it important that Moses is given the Name of God?

What’s in a name?  Moses is given a new name for God: YHWH  “I shall be (for you) who I am; I am there beside you, and I shall be there as the God who helps and saves.”  The Name reveals God in what God will do for others.

1) The name has consequences for Moses  This encounter with God changes Moses’ life radically.  He receives the Name of God as part of his mission.  The Name has the power to liberate people.  As a prophet, Moses gives witness and reveals the the meaning of the Name.

2) YHWH is a Name with power  The Name changes history and releases Israel from slavery.  A slave people become a nation by the Name.  The people at Sinai respond” Here I am” just as Moses did – echoing the Name.  There can be no Israel without YHWH – the Name is revealed in what happens to the people.

3) The Name results in a new way of living  This is an ethical event. Israel receives the Ten Commandments.  The reason for keeping the Commandments is, “For I am YHWH, your God.”  The Ten Commandments are a legal and ethical commentary on the divine Name.  We are called to be agents of God’s nearness by acting out of responsibility for others.

4) The Name is a source of judgment  The revelation of the Name provokes a decision from those who hear it.  The Name is not only a blessing but a curse.  The prophets act as spokespersons for God in Israel making the people aware fo the repercussions for breaching the covenant and neglecting their identity as God’s people.

 In the Book of Exodus, the people of Israel come to understand themselves as God’s people – adopted sons and daughters.  We understand ourselves as people of the covenant in continuity with the Jewish people.  When God chooses them, God’s choice – mirrored in Israel’s choice – is addressed to all nations.  Today the Ten Commandments still describe this covenant with God, making us responsible for others.

 This and the other stories of the bible testify that for us and for Israel, life is about relationship with God.  We are not meant to be alone and isolated – by our very being we are oriented towards others. In the second creation story we are told this when woman is created.  The steadfast relationship between God and Abraham was called the covenant – a word which expresses the most solemn unbreakable bond.

 When Moses encounters the burning bush, he recalls the covenant made by Abraham.  Because of this promise to Abraham, God delivers them from slavery.  God makes another covenant on Sinai and Israel understands itself through this covenant – it becomes their identity.

 As Christians, this covenant is even more powerfully renewed in Jesus.  Our identity as Christians is rooted in God through our relationship – a covenant – with Jesus Christ.

Activity: Internet Name Search  What does your name mean?  Why do you think you were given this name?

Contemporary Prophets Search  Prophets were the spokespeople for God who often saw the world differently from everyone else. Through their teachings and actions they revealed God to the people of their times.  With a partner, use your smartphone and find a contemporary prophet (someone who today is a spokesperson for God, revealing Him to us). Make sure you are able to explain why you feel this person is a contemporary prophet.