THE REVELATION OF GOD'S NAME


THURSDAY, FIFTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Exod 3: 13-20; Ps 105:1,5,8-9,24-27; Mt 11:28-30

The Awesome Name of God

We continue our reflection on Moses’ vision of God on Mount Horeb, while looking after his father-in-law’s flock. Moses had no prior knowledge or experience of God. Hence, God speaking to him from the heart of a burning bush was a new and strange experience to him. God was asking him to go to Pharaoh, the one he was fleeing from. The strangeness of the vision and the mystical aspect of the experience gave him some strength, but did not remove all his doubts about the possibility of such a mission. The doubt he raised was even on how to introduce God to the Israelites and convince them of the intention of the unknown God to them. His doubt prompted the question: “I am to go, then, to the sons of Israel and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you.” But if they ask me what his name is, what am I to tell them?”

The name God revealed to Moses underscores his presence and full knowledge of all his creatures. As we have noted already, God is existence and present to all his creatures; he knows and wills all of them into existence out of his infinite love. We have interpreted the non-consuming flame that Moses saw as the love God shares with all His creatures in giving them existence. His name implies and means this understanding. ‘I Am who I Am. This,’ he added, ‘is what you must say to the sons of Israel: “I Am has sent me to you.”’ The name God revealed to Moses is a mystery and awesome. Moses was drawn into the mystery of God.

The name of God means he is never a stranger to any of his creatures, for he knows each of them and wills them into existence out of his infinite love. Only God is existence; everything exists to the extent he knows and wills them to be. God was not a stranger to Moses nor the children of Israel, for he ordered every aspect of their lives and experiences. The familiarity with the vision and revelation of God’s name communicated to Moses convinced him of the possibility of the mission that was humanly impossible. God's revelation of his name implies an ever-present reality; He is connected to their root by revealing Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses was to self-authenticate himself by attaching or connecting himself to this ever-present God. “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.” The revelation of God and his will concerning the situation and condition of the people of Israel initiated the solution to their problem. The completion of the solution awaits their faithful cooperation. The same applies to our problems and situations; the knowledge of God’s will initiates their solutions that will come to completion as we cooperate in faith.

Moses listened to what God had to say and believed by cooperating with God’s will. We need to listen to God to receive light on our situations and conditions in life, and to work with him in faith. By listening and receiving the revelation of God with faith, we come to Jesus Christ, our Saviour. “Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.” The Eternal Word gives us rest when he reveals the will of the Father for us. Receiving the revelation in faith enables us to stop attempting to solve our problems with our human strength. It is like lifting our heavy burdens off our heads or shoulders and handing them to God. We know rest when we hand over the concern for our welfare to the Father. The knowledge and experience of the Father entail this spiritual act of abandonment to God’s will. The knowledge and experience of the Father are made possible by our new spiritual birth. By this spirit, and the Holy Spirit who comes with the word of God, we start living the life of the Son of Man. Thus, Jesus added: “Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” The life of the Son is a yoke on us because it is walking in obedience to the will of the Father. Our new life or spirit defines a journey into the mystery of Christ. We can do it only by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray: O God, show forth the light of the revelation of your awesome name on us who go astray in ignorance of you, so that we may return to the right path, give to all Christians the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ and to strive after all that does it honour. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.  

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