Following an Unnameable God

We continue reading the Bible with a passage from Exodus, the familiar story of Moses and the burning bush. Although, according to Genesis, the Israelites originally went to Egypt to seek relief from famine, they have since become enslaved. In this story, God calls Moses to be God’s representative to Pharaoh and free God’s people. Moses, however, is hesitant and offers several reasons he is not the one to do this. But God assures Moses that God will be with him. When Moses asks God’s name, God’s response has been one of the great mysteries of the Bible: “I AM who I AM.” God further identifies God’s self as the God of Moses’s ancestors. The story demonstrates that God is awesome and unknowable, but also very much relates to humans. It is a lesson for us – we are called to do God’s work, and although it may seem overwhelming and we feel incapable, the relational God is with us.