"The Memorial Name"
Summary
At the burning bush, God revealed his personal name to Moses: Yahweh — “I will be who I will be.” This name was proclaimed as a memorial for all generations. The chapter traces how that name connects Moses, the Law, the Psalms, and ultimately Jesus — who came in his Father’s name — showing that the rejection of the name is inseparable from the rejection of the Son.
When the angel of Yahweh appeared to Moses in the burning bush and called him to deliver Israel, Moses asked the crucial question: "What is his name? What shall I say to them?" God's reply was remarkable: "I AM WHO I AM" — and then, more precisely, "I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE." (Exodus 3:14)[1] The name points forward as much as it proclaims present reality: it is the name of a God whose purpose is unfolding toward a defined goal.
God then gave Moses his memorial name: "Yahweh, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations." (Exodus 3:15)[2] A memorial name is one designed to be remembered, proclaimed, and called upon — generation after generation — because it encodes a promise still being fulfilled.
The foundational confession of Israel was built on this name: "Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our Elohim is one Yahweh." (Deuteronomy 6:4)[3] This is more than a statement of monotheism; it is a declaration of identity and loyalty. "He who will be our mighty ones is the one who shall be" — the name carries within it the promise of the future manifestation of God's purposes.
The Mosaic Law, with all its sacrifices and ceremonies, was never the final word. Paul states plainly that "the law, having a shadow of the good things to come and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect." (Hebrews 10:1)[4] The Law pointed beyond itself to Christ.
Jesus came "in his Father's name" (John 5:43)[5] — bearing and embodying all that the memorial name proclaimed. He told the religious leaders: "If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about me." (John 5:46)[6] Israel's rejection of the name over centuries found its culmination in their rejection of the one who came in that name. But the name endures: "Your name, O Yahweh, endures forever, your memorial, O Yahweh, throughout all generations." (Psalm 135:13)[7]