Sunday School Lesson--God's Name

How excellent is your name

Theme: God is LORD

 

Scripture: Exodus 33:12-34:8

 

A1 Outline

• B1 Setting: after Aaron had made the golden calf and most worshiped it.


• B2 Yahweh's rebuke Exodus 33:1-6


• B3 Yahweh's tent Exodus 33:7-11


• B4 Yahweh's glory Exodus 33:12-23


• B5 Yahweh's law Exodus 34:1-4


• B6 Yahweh's name Exodus 34:5-8

 

A2 Notes and questions

• B1 Meaning of your name. Would you want the name of someone famous or infamous? Why?


• B2 God's name
  
  
  
  • C1 Many titles
  
  
  • C2 Descriptive names
  
  
  • C3 Personal name--Yahweh
  
  
  • D1 Means self-existent. He is the I AM.
  
  
  • D2 This is His proper name as someone might be Mary or John.
  
  
  • D3 See below under Exodus 34:1-8
  
  
  
  


• B3 Yahweh's rebuke Exodus 33:1-6
  
  
  
  • C1 Who is giving the orders in this passage?
  
  
  • C2 What are His orders to Moses and Israel?
  
  
  • C3 Why did God say that He would not go with them? Is there any application for us today?
  
  
  • C4 Does God sound angry?
  
  
  • C4 Who is the "my angel" of Exodus 33:2?
    
    
    
    • D1 Some say that it is Messiah and reference Exodus 23:20-23.
    
    
    • D2 Others say that it is one of the angel host and reference Exodus 32:34
    
    
    • D3 Nonetheless, there seems to be a punishment here because of the people's sin in Exodus 32 concerning the worship of the golden calf.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • C5 What is the distressing words of Exodus 33:4?
  
  
  • C5 Why didn't they wear their jewelry that day?
  
  
  • C6 Does sin have consequences?
  
  
  
  


• B4 Yahweh's tent Exodus 33:7-11
  
  
  
  • C1 Why was the tent of meeting outside the camp? (Possible because of God's anger and departure that He would not lead the nation of Israel Himself).
  
  
  • C2 Some believe that the tent of meeting was 2000 cubits (~0.56818181818182 miles or 0.9144 kilometer) away from the camp, which later was named a Sabbath's Day Journey. Compare Joshua 3:4.
  
  
  • C3 Where was the cloudy pillar located that indicated God's presence? (At the entrance, not inside). Why not inside the tent?
  
  
  • C4 Where did the people stand when they worshiped the Lord?
  
  
  • C5 When Moses came back to the camp, where was Joshua?
  
  
  
  


• B5 Yahweh's glory Exodus 33:12-23
  
  
  
  • C1 In Exodus 33:12-13, what 2 things does Moses ask God for?
  
  
  • C2 Does Moses, conversing with God at the tent, enter into The Silence or is his mind active? What is conversing with God called?
  
  
  • C3 In Exodus 33:13, what is Moses pleading with God for? ("I want to know your plans and please you, but I need for you to go with us, so you can teach me.")
  
  
  • C4 What is God's answer in Exodus 33:14?
  
  
  • C5 Does God change His mind? (As seen many times in Scriptures, God has a condition. This condition is repentance. Sometimes this condition is not stated but implied. If this condition is met, then God will not carry out His punishment. See Jonah 3:1-10.)
  
  
  • C6 Why did Moses ask to see God's glory? Is asking questions like this wrong?
  
  
  • C7 Does Exodus 33:19 teach Calvinism? No, God does not arbitrarily choose who goes to heaven and who go to hell. It is God's character of love to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). God has set up conditions to be forgiven and saved. These are repentance and faith. Jesus Christ is the Passover Lamb who received God's wrath to pay the penalty for our sins (1 Corinthians 5:7).
  
  
  • C8 Why can't people see God's face and live? (God is holy; we are not holy, so we would die. When we are in heaven, we will be holy, because all our sin and sinful tendencies will be gone. Compare 1 Timothy 6:16 and Isaiah 6:5-7.
  
  
  
  


• B6 Yahweh's law Exodus 34:1-8
  
  
  
  • C1 In Exodus 34:1-3, God instructs Moses that only Moses can come up the mountain. Why? Is God cruel and evil to do this? Wouldn't this prove that the atheist is wrong when they say, "Why does God hid himself. We will believe, if he shows himself to us?"
  
  
  • C2 When Moses arrives at the mountain top, what does God tell Moses? (His name). What is His name here?
  
  
  • C3 What is the importance of someone's name? What is important about God's name?
  
  
  • C4 What does a name signify about a person? (Often, it signifies his character, who he is, and what he stands for and against).
  
  
  • C5 What does God reveal about His character? (Exodus 34:6-7
    
    
    
    • D1 Yahweh--self existence. God has no beginning and no end. He gives life. He does not receive life; He is life.
    
    
    • D2 God--a class of beings. The highest of any being. There is only one of this class--Yahweh.
    
    
    • D3 Merciful--not punishing when one deserves it. In this case, the mercy comes because a person has met God's conditions
    
    
    • D4 Gracious--not receiving what is deserved.
    
    
    • D5 Slow to anger--doesn't punish us immediately but gives time to repent.
    
    
    • D6 Abounding in kindness--gentle, helpful, and other kind things.
    
    
    • D7 Abounding in truth--facts, reality, unfeigned in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds. What is obvious outwardly is also inwardly. His motives are pure.
    
    
    • D8 Keeps His kindness for a thousand generations--He has a good memory. He really enjoys being kind. The word "generations" has been added. Many understand this that God has kindness for future generations that have not yet been born and/or have not heard the Gospel yet.
    
    
    • D9 Forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin--forgiveness because someone has to pay the penalty. Jesus did this at His crucifixion.
    
    
    • D10 Does not clear the guilty, but visits the iniquity of the parents up to the fourth generation--bad choices lead to bad consequences which are then taught by example, etc. to the following generations. This can be stopped by meeting God's conditions of repentance and faith.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • C6 What was Moses' response? What should be our response? What is worship?