Editor's note: Enjoy this devotion from Dr. Joel Muddamalle, co-author with The Proverbs 31 Ministry Team of Let in the Light.
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Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. So Moses thought, “I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered. — Exodus 3:2-4
When my wife, Britt, and I were newlyweds, we kept learning new things about each other. She learned about my obsession with Chicago sports and deep-dish pizza. I learned about her passion for Hot Tamales candies and watching the same movie repeatedly. But one of the things she didn’t know was the name my family called me.
Britt had known me only as Joel. But my family and childhood friends called me Joey. Britt looked at me once and said, “Okay, Joey it is.” And since then, she’s only ever called me Joey.
Today, if you hear someone call me “Joey,” there’s a good chance we have a track record of trust and a relationship that is unique and special. In Exodus 3:2–4, we find a remarkable moment in the relationship between God and His people — the revelation of God’s name through the use of light.
Exodus 3:2 starts by saying that the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses “within a bush.” And then Moses saw an incredible thing: a burning bush that never burned up. When he explored further, the text explicitly says, “God called out to him from the bush.” Did you catch that? The angel of the Lord was within the bush, but then God Himself called out from the bush. So which one was it? And why is this even important?
First, let’s start with why it’s so important. Here we find that God uses “light” as an image to reveal Himself to His people. But then, a few verses later, God discloses His intimate name to Moses —Yahweh. This name is often referred to by Old Testament scholars as the Tetragrammaton, and mystery and deep reverence surround it because it’s so special. When I was in seminary learning Hebrew and had to read out loud, my professor would have us use an alternate word like Adonai when we came across the Tetragrammaton as a reminder of how sacred the Lord is. This was also the practice of rabbinic Judaism as a precaution against taking the name of the Lord in vain. The best translation of this name is
“I am who was, I am who is, and I am who will always be.”
Or, in other words,
God is simply the great “I Am.”
When God revealed His name to Moses, it was an invitation to know Him in a unique way, just as those closest to me know me as “Joey.”
Second, why does it matter that the “angel of the Lord” was “within a bush”? Biblical theologians make the observation that the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament was none other than the preincarnate Christ. And in the New Testament, Jesus referred to Himself as the great “I Am” in the Gospel of John (8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; 18:6).
In the Old Testament, God revealed Himself through fire. And simultaneously a seed was planted that was intended to anticipate the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus.
What an encouraging thought for us today.
- No matter how dark things get for us, light always overcomes the darkness.
Light brings revelation, and there is no greater revelation than God Himself. Scripture continually reminds us that God has always been revealing Himself, He is revealing Himself, and He will continue to reveal Himself. As we grow in our knowledge of God, we can truly declare that He is the great “I Am.”
JOURNAL PROMPT
Scripture shows us that God longs for us to know Him. How has God shown Himself to you in the past? This could be a fresh understanding of who He is, an answered prayer, or a sign that showed your prayers were heard.
~ Dr. Joel Muddamalle
Excerpted with permission from Let in the Light by The Proverbs 31 Ministry Team, copyright Proverbs 31 Ministries.
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Your Turn
Is this a dark season in your life? Remember, light always overcomes the darkness. Yahweh is with you and He will show you that He is the great I Am. Trust Him! ~ Devotionals Daily