Exo 3:13-22 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Exod 3:13-22: 3:13-22 Moses’ second protest was that he had inadequate knowledge. He did not know God’s name. This might mean that God’s personal name had not yet been revealed (see study notes on 6:2-3). It is also possible that Moses meant he did not know the secret, magic formula that a man of power might have been expected to make use of. Interest in such things was common in the ancient Near East. God’s direct response is almost a riddle, but the majority of his answer is a statement of his faithfulness in the past and a demonstration of his knowledge of the future. There is nothing magical about the name Yahweh. Knowledge of secret formulas and magic powers is not the issue; the issue is the character of God and his lordship of history. The reason there is “something about that name” is because of the incomparable character and nature of the one who bears it.

Summary for Exod 3:13-22: 3:13-22 ^a Moses’ second protest was that he had inadequate knowledge. He did not know God’s name. This might mean that God’s personal name had not yet been revealed (see study notes on 6:2-3). It is also possible that Moses meant he did not know the secret, magic formula that a man of power might have been expected to make use of. Interest in such things was common in the ancient Near East. God’s direct response is almost a riddle, but the majority of his answer is a statement of his faithfulness in the past and a demonstration of his knowledge of the future. There is nothing magical about the name Yahweh. Knowledge of secret formulas and magic powers is not the issue; the issue is the character of God and his lordship of history. The reason there is “something about that name” is because of the incomparable character and nature of the one who bears it.
3:14 ^b I Am Who I Am: This name speaks of a God who is self-sufficient, self-existent, all encompassing, and without limitations, the one being in the universe who is not dependent on something else for his existence.
3:15 ^c Yahweh is probably a form of the Hebrew verb “to be,” so it could mean “he causes to be,” or “he who is,” or “I am.” Later Jews were not permitted to speak God’s name aloud, so the Hebrew text supplies the vowels from the word ’adonay (which means “lord” or “master”) whenever God’s proper name, YHWH, appears. In oral reading, the Hebrew reader would pronounce ’adonay, even though the written text is YHWH. We do not know the pronunciation of the divine name. The widely used Yahweh is an informed guess. The English word “Jehovah” is an artificial term made by combining the vowels of ’adonay with the consonants Y-H-W-H. In the NLT, this name is usually translated “Lord” (with small capitals), but it is transliterated “Yahweh” in the few instances, like this verse, where a point is made about the name itself. Also in 6:2-3 ^d; 15:3 ^e; 33:19 ^f; 34:5-6 ^g.
Summary for Exod 3:16-17: 3:16-17 ^h Moses was to tell the people of Israel that the God who now spoke to them was the same God their ancestors knew and worshiped, and that he would lead them into a fruitful land wrested from the hands of many others. Moses’ message was not a magical formula, but the word of a God who, standing outside of history, can yet enter and direct it.

• flowing with milk and honey: See study note on 3:8.
3:18 ⁱ Hebrews: See study note on 1:15.

• a three-day journey ... to offer sacrifices: If we think of the primary purpose of the Exodus as rescuing the Israelites from bondage, this seems like a disingenuous request. But God’s primary purpose was to create a people for himself, and he was taking them into the wilderness to teach them to worship him.
3:19 ^j I know: See thematic note for Hardened Hearts at end of chapter.
Summary for Exod 3:20-21: 3:20-21 ^k God’s power would be obvious, and the Egyptians would not only allow the Hebrews to leave, they would pay them to do so.

Thematic note: Clean, Unclean, and Holy
The rites and regulations establishing cleanness and uncleanness were to distinguish Israel from the surrounding nations. To understand a rationale behind these regulations, one suggestion has been that unclean things are associated with death or the ground (see, e.g., Lev 21:1 ^l, 11 ^m; 22:8 ⁿ). Recent studies, however, suggest the principle of “normalcy.” God is a God of order. Things that are normal in God’s order are called “clean” and are “permitted.” Abnormal things would be unfit for food or offerings and would be “unclean.” A normal land animal would be a vegetarian (see Gen 1:30 ^o). A normal human body would have no infections or discharges. A normal piece of cloth would have no mildew on it. If abnormalities occurred, the animal, person, or cloth was unclean.
What is unclean is not sinful but represents a kind of unworthiness that cannot come in contact with what is holy (e.g., Lev 11:44-45 ^p). If it is cleansed, it acquires the potential for holiness; it may be dedicated to God and become holy. If what is holy (such as the Sabbath) is treated like something common, God is blasphemed and the thing is profaned. If what is clean becomes unclean, it is defiled and requires cleansing. Some things, such as unclean animals, fish, or birds, remain unclean by definition and can never be cleansed, and, thus, can never become holy.
In the new covenant, things that were previously unclean have been declared clean (Acts 10:15 ^q, 28 ^r, 45 ^s). Yet God is still a God of order (1 Cor 14:33 ^t) and wants worship to be conducted in an orderly way (1 Cor 14:40 ^u). While God’s grace is abundant to repentant sinners, some things are still repulsive to his holiness and should never be brought into his presence (e.g., Ananias and Sapphira’s offering; see Acts 5:1-11 ^v).

Passages for Further Study
Gen 7:2 ^w; Lev 11:1–15:33 ^x; 21:1-23 ^y; 22:3-8 ^z; Num 19:1-22 ^aa; Deut 14:1-21 ^ab; 21:1-9 ^ac; Pss 19:9 ^ad; 24:3-4 ^ae; 51:7-10 ^af; Isa 52:11 ^ag; Matt 8:2-4 ^ah; John 13:10-11 ^ai; Acts 10:9-28 ^aj; Heb 9:13-15 ^ak, 23 ^al

Thematic note: Hardened Hearts
Exodus repeatedly states that the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exod 4:21 ^am; 9:12 ^an; 10:1 ^ao, 20 ^ap; 11:10 ^aq; 14:4 ^ar, 8 ^as). These statements can be troubling. Was Pharaoh forced to sin against God?
Other factors need to be taken into account: (1) The Lord knew ahead of time that Pharaoh would harden his heart (3:19 ^at); (2) Pharaoh himself became stubborn (8:15 ^au, 32 ^av); and (3) Pharaoh remained stubborn despite clear warnings (8:19 ^aw). Pharaoh was not a well-meaning, misguided individual who was not allowed to repent. Although God was ultimately in control of Pharaoh, Pharaoh himself was accountable for his actions.
This interplay between human choice and divine sovereignty is found in other places in Scripture. The Israelites hardened their hearts and refused to believe God in the wilderness (Ps 95:8-10 ^ax). God hardened the hearts of the Canaanites so that they did not seek to make peace with the Hebrews (Josh 11:20 ^ay). The message God gave to Isaiah hardened the hearts of his hearers (Isa 6:9-10 ^az); similarly in the New Testament, many people hardened their hearts in response to the message of the gospel (Matt 13:15 ^ba; John 12:40 ^bb; Acts 28:27 ^bc). People are responsible for their choices, but no one makes choices in a vacuum. Rather, they make them in the context of how God has made his world and providentially directs it.
The emphasis in Exodus on God’s control of Pharaoh puts the conflict between two belief systems into stark contrast. Pharaoh believed that he was sovereign and divine, able to do whatever he pleased. God demonstrated that this was not the case: Pharaoh was dependent, as much the prisoner of his choices as any other creature on the planet. There is only one absolutely independent “I Am,” and that is Yahweh, the Lord (see 3:6-14 ^bd; 6:2-8 ^be; 20:2 ^bf; 34:6-7 ^bg; Isa 45:3-7 ^bh; 48:17 ^bi; Mark 14:62 ^bj; John 8:23-28 ^bk).

Passages for Further Study
Gen 8:21 ^bl; Exod 3:19 ^bm; 4:21 ^bn; 8:15 ^bo, 19 ^bp, 32 ^bq; 9:12 ^br; 10:1 ^bs, 20 ^bt; 11:10 ^bu; 14:4 ^bv, 8 ^bw; Josh 11:19-20 ^bx; 2 Chr 36:11-13 ^by; Ps 95:8-11 ^bz; Isa 6:9-10 ^ca; Ezek 11:18-21 ^cb; 36:22-27 ^cc; Matt 12:34-35 ^cd; 13:10-17 ^ce; Luke 8:4-15 ^cf; John 12:37-40 ^cg; Acts 28:23-28 ^ch; Rom 2:14-16 ^ci; 11:7-12 ^cj; 2 Cor 3:13-18 ^ck; Eph 4:17-24 ^cl; Heb 3:6-19 ^cm; 6:4-8 ^cn