Day 4: Where Did God Come From? — The Names of God
Where Did God Come From?
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”
God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself fully known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.
“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”
“Where did God come from?” This is one of the simplest yet mind-boggling questions children ask. If you're a parent, I'm sure you have been left speechless many times by the questions of your kiddos. I know I certainly have.
God revealed Himself in Genesis to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by using different names. But in Exodus, God reveals Himself as Yahweh, His personal name. A Jewish scholar named Moses Maimonides once made an astounding discovery. He said “All the names of God which occur in Scripture are derived from his works except one, and that is Jehovah. This is called the plain name because it teaches plainly and unequivocally of the substance of God.” In other words, most names of God teach us about what He does, but Yahweh tells us personally who God is.
In Exodus 3, God told Moses “I Am Who I Am.” There was no god before God. He was not created, but He is the One who created time, space, and matter. To me, the name Yahweh gives me encouragement that God is personal. He desires to be known and worshipped. And, my God doesn't answer to anyone. He doesn't have to explain Himself. He is the “I am.” He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. No matter what changes in your life, or in the world around us, He is always the same God. That's good news!
God, thank you that there are no other gods before You or above You. I have a personal relationship with the Most High God, Yahweh, through Jesus Christ. No matter what changes or challenges come my way today, I rest in Your character and Your goodness in revealing Yourself to me — both in the Word of God and in the Holy Spirit's work of salvation in my life. Help me grow and know You more and more today. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
