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You have heard how the great orator quoted Psalm 23 and the audience went wild with applause. Then an old man quoted the same psalm, and the audience bowed their heads in worship. What made the difference? The orator knew the psalm; the older man knew the Shepherd. When God sent Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, God promised to give them a fresh revelation of His character and nature. We read in Exodus 6 where God said, “I am Yahweh. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El-Shaddai — God Almighty — but I did not reveal my name Yahweh to them.” God now promised to reveal the meaning of His name Yahweh. That name speaks of a God who is self-sufficient, self-existent, without limitation, the only being in the universe who is not dependent on something else for His existence. The Israelites had heard that name before, but they did not know the meaning of His name by experience. By delivering Israel from slavery, carrying them through the wilderness, and giving them the land of Canaan, God revealed the meaning of His name. They came to know from their experience that God is loving, wise, and powerful. When we come to know Him, not merely as an orator might know of Him, but by experience, He changes our life. God transforms us because of our faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
