Remember the times in your ministry when it seemed everything was going bad. Remember those occasions when you wanted to quit. Remember when you were wondering, “Why did this happen to me?” Maybe you are in the middle of one of those occasions right now. As a result, you look up to heaven and say, “Lord, just give me three good reasons why I shouldn’t quit.” When you are looking for those reasons, look right here in Exodus, chapter 6. Here are those reasons.
The Lord gets the attention of Moses in 6:1, “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.’”
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That is the introduction to what God is about to say. Then, in verses two through eight, the Lord gives Moses what I have called, “Three Good Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Quit.”
In verses 2 & 3 we read, “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 known to them.’” These verses reveal significant insights into God’s character. Who is our God?
He is the God who speaks. You notice in this text that God spoke, “I am the LORD.” God spoke this to Moses. God spoke this literally. God communicated with Moses. The text is not specific as to whether God spoke with an audible voice or whether it was in the mind of Moses, but in some manner God spoke to Moses, and Moses listened to His words. God is a God who speaks to his leader. We know, of course, that God spoke to Moses in a different way than He speaks to you and me. I do not go to bed at night expecting God to speak to me audibly, or to grant me dreams and visions. However, that same God used Moses at a later time to write Scripture that speaks to me. Indeed, this text before us right now, written by Moses, speaks to my heart and life. And through his completed revelation, the Bible, God still speaks to me today. God is a God who speaks to His leader. My responsibility is to be ready to listen to what God says. God is not only the God who speaks. We see another truth in this text.
He is the God who reveals Himself. In speaking to Moses, God revealed Himself. He said, “I am the LORD.” He is Yahweh. He said that by His name “Yahweh” He did not make Himself known to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. That statement does not imply that the proper name “Yahweh” was unknown in patriarchal times. We observe that the name Yahweh is used numerous times in Genesis. Rather, God was saying the primary way that He worked with Abraham, the primary way He manifested Himself with the patriarchs was as God Almighty, El Shaddai. God instructed Moses that in the past He worked as the God who cares, as the God who protects, and the God who provides, but now He will demonstrate a different element of His character. God told Moses that He is the covenant keeping God. God made the covenant with Abraham. Now He will demonstrate that He is the covenant keeping God.