(Exodus) Exodus 3:14-22 — J. Vernon McGee

The Eternal Name of the Self-Existing God

Over in Psalm 135, verse 13, he says this,. "'Thy name, O Lord, endureth forever, and thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations.'". Now, that name is the name that's here, I Am, Who I Am, the self-existing One.

The important thing, I think, for us to see, this is the name that is the name that speaks of the fact that God is, that God exists. Or, let me read Isaiah 50, verse 4,. "'The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.

He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.'". The Lord God, the self-existing One, the One that is the Creator, the One who is the Savior. And this is the One that I believe is none other for us today than the Lord Jesus Christ.

God's Covenant Name and Moses's Commission

This is what He's to tell the children of Israel. Now, notice verse 15,. "'And God said more over 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 forever, this is my memorial unto all generations.'". That is the God that appeared unto Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. This is the procedure that He is to use. Verse 16,. "'Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt.

The Three-Day Request and God's Promise of Deliverance

And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, unto the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. And they shall hearken to my voice, and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt.

And ye shall say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us, and now let us go. We beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. For I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

I'll stretch out my hand, I'll smite Egypt with all my wonders, which I'll do in the midst thereof, and after that he'll let you go.'". The thing is here that God is giving to Moses the agenda. This is the procedure.

Moses, the Elders, and Pharaoh's Refusal

He's to go first and call the elders of the children of Israel, and to let them know God is calling, and that he's come down now to deliver them. Then with the elders, he's to go first to Pharaoh, and he's to break it gently to him.

He doesn't say, we're going out now all the way back into the land of Canaan, we're leaving you for good. But we just want to go three days out in the wilderness to make a sacrifice unto our God. Now he says, Pharaoh won't let you do that.

The Plagues as a Campaign Against Egypt's Gods

Then he says, that will open up the campaign that I'll carry on against the gods of Egypt. And after that campaign, though I will show mighty wonders, he'll still not let you go. But finally, I will bring one that will cause him to let you go.

And God says, I've come down now to deliver you, and this is the way it's going to be. When we get to the plagues of Egypt, we'll see it actually was a battle of the gods. I think this is one of the most remarkable things.

But we have so many wonderful things coming up here in this book of Exodus, so let me move on. Now, after that, God says, he'll let you go. Verse 21, and I'll give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians.

Israel's Back Wages and the Spoiling of Egypt

It shall come to pass that when you go, you shall not go empty, but every woman shall borrow of her neighbor. Now notice that word borrow, it's not steal. Actually, what it means is to take back wages.

You see, they were slaves, they were not being paid. And now God says, you're going to collect your back wages, and that's what they're to do. And of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, raiment, and you shall put them upon your sons and your daughters, and you shall spoil the Egyptians.

Just think of it, there were several hundred years of slavery. And God says, you're going to collect back wages for all of that, and I'm going to send you out of the land of Egypt.