Connect Exodus 3:15 to God's promises in Genesis. How are they fulfilled? Listening to God at the Burning Bush Exodus 3:15: “God also said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites, “The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.” This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ ” • God identifies Himself by the same covenant name and the same covenant relationships first declared in Genesis. • He ties His rescue of Israel to everything He had already promised to the patriarchs. Core Genesis Promises to the Patriarchs 1. Nationhood • Genesis 12:2 – “I will make you into a great nation.” 2. Land • Genesis 12:7; 15:18; 17:8 – promise of Canaan “from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.” 3. Blessing to All Peoples • Genesis 12:3; 22:18 – “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” 4. God’s Personal Presence • Genesis 15:1 – “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield.” • Genesis 28:15 – “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” Echoes of Genesis in Exodus 3:15 • “The God of your fathers” directly links Moses’ generation to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. • The name “LORD” (YHWH) reveals the covenant-keeping character behind every earlier promise. • By asserting “This is My name forever,” God guarantees that what He pledged in Genesis is still active and irreversible. How Exodus Launches the Fulfillment Nationhood • Exodus 1:7 – Israel “multiplied greatly” in Egypt, confirming Genesis 12:2. • Exodus 12:37 – about six hundred thousand men on foot leave Egypt, emerging as a full-fledged nation. Land • Exodus 3:8 – God says He will “bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey,” the very territory sworn to Abraham. • The exodus begins the journey that ends in Joshua 21:43 – “So the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers.” Blessing to All Peoples • Egypt experiences both judgment and revelation; many Egyptians leave with Israel (Exodus 12:38), foreshadowing global blessing. • The Passover delivers a pattern that points forward to redemption for every nation (John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7). Presence • Exodus 3:12 – “I will surely be with you,” echoing Genesis 28:15. • God’s dwelling expands from the burning bush to the tabernacle (Exodus 25:8). Further Fulfillment through Israel’s Story • Numbers 23:19 – God is “not a man, that He should lie,” underscoring the reliability of His Genesis promises. • 1 Kings 4:20-21 – Solomon reigns “over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt,” matching the land boundaries given to Abraham. • Psalm 105:8-11 celebrates that “He remembers His covenant forever… the covenant He made with Abraham.” Christ: The Climactic Fulfillment • Luke 1:72-73 – God acts in Jesus “to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant… the oath He swore to Abraham.” • Galatians 3:16 – “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed… who is Christ.” • Revelation 7:9 – a multinational multitude worships the Lamb, fulfilling “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Every stage—from patriarchs to Moses, from Moses to the Messiah—unfolds exactly as God pledged. Exodus 3:15 stands as the hinge: the same God, the same name, the same covenant, moving inexorably toward complete fulfillment. |
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