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In answer to this question, the Lord explained to Moses, and bade him tell Israel, the
import of thename Jehovah, by which He had at the first manifested Himself, when
entering into covenant withAbraham. (Genesis 15:7) It was, "I am that I am" - words
betokening His unchangeable nature andfaithfulness. The "I am" had sent Moses, and,
as if to remove all doubt, he was to add' "the God ofyour fathers, of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob." "This," the Lord declares, "is my Name for ever, andthis is my memorial
to all generations;" in other words, as such He would always prove Himself, andas
such He willeth to be known and remembered, not only by Israel, but "to all
generations." Here,then, at the very outset, when the covenant with Abraham was
transferred to his seed, the promisealso, which included all nations in its blessing, was
repeated. In further preparation for his mission,God directed Moses on his arrival in
Egypt to "gather" the elders of Israel together, and, taking upthe very words of
Joseph's prophecy when he died, (Genesis 1:24) to announce that the promisedtime
had come, and that God had "surely visited" His people. Israel, he was told, would
hearken tohis voice; not so Pharaoh, although the original demand upon him was to be
only to dismiss thepeople for a distance of three days' journey into the wilderness. Yet
Pharaoh would not yield, "noteven by a strong hand" (ver. 19) - that is, even when the
strong hand of God would be upon him.But, at the last, the wonder-working power of
Jehovah would break the stubborn will of Pharaoh;and when Israel left Egypt it would
not be as fugitives, but, as it were, like conquerors laden with thespoil of their
enemies.
Thus the prediction clearly intimated that only after a long and severe contest Pharaoh
would yield.But would the faith of Israel endure under such a trial? This is probably
the meaning of Moses' nextquestion, seemingly strange as put at this stage:
"But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will
say, Jehovah hath not appeared unto thee." (Exodus 4:1)
To such doubts, whether on the part of Israel, of Pharaoh, or of the Egyptians, a
threefoldsymbolical reply was now furnished, and that not only to silence those who
might so object, but alsofor the encouragement of Moses himself. This reply involved
the bestowal of power upon Moses towork miracles. We note that here, for the first
time in Old Testament history, this power wasbestowed upon man, and that the
occasion was the first great conflict between the world and theChurch. These miracles
were intended to be like "a voice" from heaven, bearing direct testimony tothe truth of
Moses' commission. So we read in Exodus 4:8 of Israel "hearkening unto"
and"believing" "the voice" of the signs, and in Psalm 105:27 (marginal reading) that
Moses and Aaron"shewed the words of His signs among them." But while this was the
general purpose of the threesigns now displayed - first to Moses himself - each had
also its special reference. The first toPharaoh, the second to Israel, and the third to the
might of Egypt.
(^)