A Prescience That Is Present

Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” ¹⁴God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:13-14 ESV) One of the most effective forms of communication is face-to-face. In an age of social media and instant communication around the globe and every time zone, it is even more important that we communicate in person, face-to-face. This truth is reflected in God’s call to Moses to be His hands and feet and voice in freeing His people from the hand of Pharaoh and even more so in how He sent His own Son to free us from sin and every evil. Today at International Lutheran Church, Jesus answers the question of His authority with a question of His own so that we would be reminded of God’s present nature for us in Jesus and His Work of salvation for us.

This weekend we are blessed to have Pastor Trevor Sutton with us sharing about God’s grace present in our Savior Jesus. As part of our life together at International Lutheran Church we are certainly familiar with visitors and those who join us maybe for the first time to experience God’s grace in person. Today is no exception. In fact as we return to our standard church year calendar and the readings for this 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, we are reminded of how God is present with us, communicating His grace and mercy to us in His Word and Sacraments so that we would be equipped for every task He has for us this week.

When God called Moses to be His hands and feet and voice to His own people and to free them from the hand of Pharaoh, it was important to Moses that he could communicate the identity of who it was that had sent him to them. God’s response (“I Am”) reveals the beautiful truth that communicates to us in so many ways God’s nature and presence for us. While it is true that Moses trembled with fear and hid his face from the sight of God, God’s presence with us is not something we should fear, but rather take comfort in as He comes to communicate His forgiveness and grace upon us all. This is the Good News. God is present to save. Even as Moses learned the name of God, he also learned the meaning of that name – the One who is the great I AM is truly present to deliver us all out of our bondage to sin and death.

And it is also this prescience (both spatial and temporal) that has been made manifest in our Savior Jesus. He is the great I AM who brings God’s gifts and Spirit into our space and time. Sometimes we do ask, where is God? And sometimes we wonder how long we must wait for Him to act. His Name helps us to see that He is here in His Word and promise – both spatially and temporally. In His Word and Sacrament (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper) we see and feel and “experience” His prescience for us. He is here and now to save. And just as Moses was equipped to be His servant, we too are called and sent in our Baptism to love and care for our neighbor (family, co-workers, friends, people we interact with each day) in our daily lives. God give us His Spirit that we would share His name and identity (the Good News of the forgiveness of sins) with everyone in what we do and say.  

Pastor Carl