“And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”
(Exodus 3:15)
The Lord did not simply exercise authority over Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the way He does over all creation; He bound Himself to them by covenant. He entered into a special relationship of promise, protection, and blessing. He committed Himself to their good, pledged His faithfulness to their future, and declared Himself to be their shield and their exceeding great reward. That the infinite Lord of heaven and earth should desire such a relationship with fallen sons of Adam is beyond our grasp.
God could have exercised covenant care without allowing His name to be attached to theirs. Yet He chose otherwise. He openly owned them. He named Himself after them. “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. This is my name forever, and my memorial unto all generations.” He allowed His eternal name to be carried in connection with men who, by every natural consideration, were weak, obscure, and unworthy.[1]
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were long dead when these words were spoken to Moses. In life, they were strangers and pilgrims, wandering without possession or power. They were marked by failures, subject to sin, and wholly dependent on God’s mercy. Considered in themselves, they had nothing to commend them. And yet God attached His name to theirs. That God should borrow a title from His servants, and allow His memorial to be framed in reference to them, is an incomparable honor.
The patriarchs, though lowly in the eyes of the world, were shaped by grace into a spirit and manner of life that reflected something of God’s own character. For that reason, it was fitting that He should own them. Their faith, their obedience, and their separation from the prevailing corruption made it consistent with divine honor for God to be called their God.
To the surrounding nations it seemed ridiculous that the supreme God should identify Himself as the God of three wandering men. Yet God did not abandon the name but retained it until He had exposed the emptiness of idols, overturned false worship, and vindicated His glory in the face of mockery.
In fact, God even gloried in the name. By acting on behalf of these men and their descendants, He displayed the holiness, truth, power, grace, and goodness of His nature. And the lesser the objects, the greater the display. His faithfulness shone more brightly because those to whom it was shown were so insignificant in the eyes of the world. Thus the name was an occasion for His glory.
Exodus 3:15 teaches that God’s memorial is always covenantal. His name is bound up with His faithfulness to people He has chosen and shaped by grace. This truth exposes the seriousness of covenant privilege and the danger of presuming upon it without holiness. It also calls every hearer to examine whether God’s name rests upon them in truth, and whether their lives reflect the reality of such a claim.
Contemplations:
- God attaches His name where He has shaped the heart. God does not lend His memorial to lives that contradict Him. This reality urges me to examine whether my conduct aligns with the claim of belonging to Him. If God were to be named after me, would that honor His holiness or obscure it? This forces me to consider whether my faith is sincere and visible.
- Covenant privilege is undeserved, but not careless. The patriarchs had no natural claim to such an honor. Rather, their unworthiness magnified God’s grace. At the same time, they were not indifferent to holiness. I need to hold these truths together. Grace does not excuse worldliness and mercy does not make obedience optional. I must resist the lie that covenant relationship allows spiritual laziness.
- God is not ashamed of weakness, but He is ashamed of impurity. I need not pretend strength before God. Poverty, obscurity, and frailty do not repel Him. But I cannot shelter sin under grace. If I delight in what God hates, I place myself where He will not own me. I desire a heart that hates what contradicts His holiness.
- God’s glory increases as His grace descends. It amazes me that God gains honor not by attaching Himself to greatness, but by displaying faithfulness to the lowly. So I do not need to be impressive; I need to be faithful. God’s name is magnified when His grace is seen working in those who would otherwise have nothing.
Prayer (confession)
Holy and faithful God, I confess that I have treated Your name too lightly. You declare that Your memorial is bound to those You call Your own, yet I have often spoken of belonging to You without weighing what that indicates. Forgive me for presuming upon covenant language while failing to reflect covenant obedience. Cleanse me from careless profession that does not honor Your holiness.
I confess that I have wanted the comfort of being called Yours without the cost of being shaped by You. I have desired the privilege of Your name while resisting the discipline that guards it. You are not ashamed of weakness, but You will not own impurity. Forgive me for tolerating what You hate, for excusing patterns of thought or conduct that contradict Your character.
I confess my fear of obscurity and my craving for approval. I have sometimes measured worth by how others see me, rather than by whether my life reflects a sincere faith. You were not ashamed to be called the God of wandering pilgrims, yet I am often ashamed of appearing small. Free me from pride and teach me to value holiness over recognition.
I confess that I have forgotten the weight of Your covenant mercy. You bind Yourself to Your people freely, yet You do not do so lightly. You sanctify those You claim. Forgive me where I have wanted the benefits of belonging to You without the transformation that should accompany it. Renew in me a heart that trembles at Your name and delights to honor it.
I confess that without Your grace, I would have nothing but shame to offer. If You are pleased to be called my God, it is only because You have worked faith where there was unbelief and obedience where there was resistance. Continue that work. Do not leave me to myself. Make my life a fitting place for Your name to rest.
Humble me under the wonder that You would take a name from Your people at all. Let that wonder produce repentance, reverence, and careful obedience. Let me never drag Your name into reproach by careless living, but instead magnify it by a life shaped by grace.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for Exod. 3:15:
Psalm 135:13, Psalm 102:12, Hosea 12:5, Isa. 63:12
[1] Edmund Calamy, A Funeral Sermon Preached upon Occasion of the Decease of the Eminently Pious Mrs. Elizabeth Williams, (London: Printed for J. Lawrence, 1698), 15–20.
