He Knows Your Name

Dear Friends,

As we journey through Exodus, we finished Sunday with God’s declaration to the people that, even though things looked bleak right now, even though the Pharaoh had made it tougher on them, after Moses asked for their release, God would still do what God had promised to do.

It’s a comforting reminder, as they say, that it’s darkest before the dawn, right?

But that’s only halfway through Chapter 6 (and we’ll be going through Exodus 7-11 this Sunday).  Most of the second half of Chapter 6 (verses 14-25) is taken up by the always exciting genealogy.  In this case, it’s more of a list of the heads of families and some ages, it’s not meant to be comprehensive.  But it includes people that we hear about nowhere else in the scriptures.  And even they are representative of many others.  Because the Hebrew people in slavery and bondage in Egypt were “far too numerous for us.” (Exodus 1:9)

We read the story of the Exodus, and for the most part, we focus on Moses and Aaron and Miriam and Pharaoh, with a few other “minor characters” thrown in – and that’s for good reason.  Our brains couldn’t make sense of a story that had names and details of hundreds and thousands of people… but they’re there.  They are a part of the story.

Life is like that.  Few of us will be in positions where our names will be remembered centuries after we die.  There is only one George Washington or Abraham Lincoln.  There was only one Martin Luther King or Ghandi or Mother Theresa.  But regardless of whether our names are remembered in history books or not, God remembers, God knows each one of us, intimately.  And God loves each one of us, intimately.  And we know this because we experience God’s love in so many ways, as our eyes, ears and hearts are open to God.

Every genealogy that I read through in the scriptures, causes me to pause, for at least a moment, and give thanks for all the unnamed, but essential and beloved people like me who are a part of the story, but who just don’t show up on the page.  I’m grateful for them, and for the fact that God cares enough about them to include them… even if their names aren’t ever up in lights or penned on the page.

I hope and trust that you find comfort in this too!

Welcoming You to Grow in Jesus – the one who knows your name,

Pastor Don