Pastor Slaughter

August 27

Pentecost 13

Name of the LORD

Exodus 34:5-9

Names. They are pretty important. Cait and I spent a long time trying to figure out Annabelle’s name. It seemed like we spent hours shifting through names on google trying to find one we both like. I wanted to name her Shelby after my favorite care. She wasn’t going to name our baby after a car. She wanted Lucy. I remembered someone from Highschool who had a dog named Lucy so I didn’t want that. She had all kinds of students that she taught over the years that we couldn’t name her. She gave the suggestion Annabelle. It sounded pretty to us and it means “favored grace and beauty.” Her middle name Nannette was a tribute to my mother and grandmother who were both ladies of great faith and I pray that she has the same kind of faith like my mom did.

It was stressful at times trying to figure out a name because she would be stuck with that name and didn’t want to mess it up. I already feel a little bad for when she has to start signing legal documents…. Annabelle Nannette Slaughter. A name is something that we carry with us all of our days and it is something that people identify us with.

Today we are going to be talking about another name. It is also a name that goes with you. It is a name whose meaning reminds you of a very important truth that you are to carry all of your days. But this name isn’t just meant for you but it is mean for you to share. Today we will be looking at the Name of the Lord. 1) it is a name that goes with you and me.

In our lesson for today, God proclaims his name to Moses. This phase is like the John 3:16 of the OT Most Jewish people new it and this refrain was reacted throughout the Old Testament. “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and overflowing with mercy and truth, maintaining mercy for thousands, forgiving guilt and rebellion and sin. He will by no means clear the guilty. He calls their children and their children’s children to account for the guilt of the fathers, even to the third and the fourth generation.” It’s like God is giving a sermon on his name in these couple of verses.

The timing of when God chooses to reveal his name in this way to Moses gives me a whole new perspective that I didn’t catch until now. Chapters 24-40 really have to do with matters pertaining to worship. But in the middle of that in chapter 32 you see how people turned and began worshiping a golden calf. Saying this is our god. This is the god who brought us out of Egypt! In the middle of God giving instructions on how to worship him, they turn worship a golden statue. Moses sees this breaks the stone tablets that God had made and inscribed his 10 commandments, which they broke the very first one.  Moses intercedes on behalf of the people. And God had Moses chisel out two new stone tables and bring them to the mountain. And that is where the LORD passes by in front of Moses. And it is there, in the context of that situation that the LORD proclaims his name, “The LORD the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and overflowing with mercy and truth. Maintaining mercy for thousands and forgiving guilt and rebellion and sin.”

God was with them for the 400 years in Egypt. God was with them as he freed them from slavery, and the people turned away from him and worshiped a golden calf.  And in response to all of that, He proclaims his name to them. “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and overflowing with mercy and truth…”

I have a newfound appreciation for the name of the LORD. I mean why would God give his name to people who turned their backs on him, who gave their hearts to false a god, after he had done so much for them? I can’t reason it, I can’t rationalize it. Then a thought occurred to me, “How could the LORD proclaim his name to me, a sinner who has been tremendous blessings time and time again and yet I still sin and I still fall short. Why would God write his name on me at my baptism?” And maybe you have wrested with something similar. Can God truly forgive me?

Then I begin to focus on the second part of God’s name “He will by no means clear the guilty. He calls their children and their children’s children to account for the guilt of the fathers, even to the third and the fourth generation.” Thinking about this as a father terrifies me. It makes sense to me as well because we pass on our interests, our likes, our priorities. If you like fishing and take your kids fishing, they tend to enjoy fishing. If you eat, live, breath a certain sports team, I am guessing your children will cheer for the same team. The same could be said of our priorities. If God becomes second and we worship the golden idols of time, activities, sports, work, instead of worship, time in God’s word, and Bible study, what do we pass on? Our sin…

After the worshiping of the golden calf, after the Lord comes to him and proclaims his name to Moses bows down and worships God and says, “If I have now found favor in your sight, Lord, please let the Lord go along with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, pardon our guilt and our sin and accept us as your possession.” We see Gods forgiveness and he goes with the people of Israel.

God is committed in dealing with us the way he has revealed himself! When God speaks his name he shows us who he is. We see his compassion and grace, slow to anger, abounding with mercy. But we also realize that God is a just God who will by no means clear the guilty.

When we initially hear this it sounds like a contradiction, right? Do we wonder if God all of sudden flip flops like he forgives us at one moment and the next he condemns us? Does it then seem like we can’t depend on God like cousin bubba who says he will help but never does?

But God is committed in dealing with us by the way he reveals himself. We see that in the person and work of Jesus. In Jesus we see God’s justice and forgiveness meet. God was so committed to his grace that he was born a man so that he could die in our place to fulfill the requirements of the law. No sin, therefore goes unpunished. But God is true to himself, to his compassion and grace and mercy in forgiving us our sin. He was punished under the law of sinners for our sins, so that grace might reign and that we sinners might have peace forevermore.

This is the Lord that goes with us. This is the Lord that we come here together and worship. This is the LORD that has washed us clean in our baptisms and placed his name on us. This is the LORD who promises to be with us for all eternity. This is the LORD who does not change!

My family in Christ, names are pretty important and God’s name is especially important because in God’s name he reveals who he is and what he does. We hear that name being proclaimed when we worship each week. We are reminded of how he is committed to who he is and we see that in Jesus our Lord and savior. When you leave here today. Remember that the LORD goes with you. When we struggle with sin and guilt, speak God’s name remember who he is, ““The LORD the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and overflowing with mercy and truth. Maintaining mercy for thousands and forgiving guilt and rebellion and sin.”  Amen.