We are in chapter twenty-three of Exodus with our word for today which is a construct of the noun and pronoun together translated as a phrase. שְׁמִ֖י my name. It is used 91 times in the Old Testament. Only four times our phrase is used to refer to human beings. A good example of this is how Jacob uses it to refer to himself. (Genesis 48:16). Another example is when David sends a group to represent his interests to Nabal (1 Samuel 25:5). This sense of sending a representative to act on your behalf or in your name is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 23:20-21 Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for שְׁמִ֖יmy name is in him. Including this use of our phrase we find it used 87 times to refer to God himself. So this angel is to be respected as if it was God himself there because the angel is acting on God’s behalf. We see glory associated with God and his name. Isaiah 42:8 I am the Lord; that is שְׁמִ֑יmy name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. Did you catch that God’s glory only belongs to him no one else? We also see God’s name referenced as great. Jeremiah 44:26 But hear the word of the Lord, all you Jews living in Egypt: ‘I swear בִּשְׁמִ֤י by my great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke שְׁמִ֜י my name or swear. Malachi 1:11 שְׁמִי֙My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because לִשְׁמִ֖י my name will be great among the nations.” God declares that his name is to be respected. Malachi 1:14 Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, וּשְׁמִ֖י “and my name is to be feared among the nations. Malachi 2:2 If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor לִשְׁמִ֗י my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me. Malachi 2:5 My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of שְׁמִ֖י my name. Along these lines God declares that he will protect his name. Ezekiel 20:44 You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for שְׁמִ֑י my name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel. Ezekiel 36:23 I will show the holiness of שְׁמִ֣י my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 20:9, 14, 22 But for the sake of שְׁמִ֔י my name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep my name from being profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites … But for the sake of שְׁמִ֑י my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out … But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of שְׁמִ֑י my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. I’ll close with this thought of God’s name being associated with his protective love for his people and the prediction of Christ coming to heal those who fear his name. Psalm 91:14 Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges שְׁמִ֖יmy name. Malachi 4:2 But for you who revere שְׁמִי֙ my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.
