More than a Label: The God Who Names Himself – Sermon – Pastor David Page

The Story Behind the Name

To really grasp the significance of God naming Himself in Exodus 34, we need to understand something about Israel and their relationship with God. Israel had just experienced a huge spiritual failure. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, the people grew impatient. They melted down their gold and made a calf to worship. In doing so, they directly violated the covenant God had established with them.

At this point, Israel was in a precarious place. They had witnessed God’s power in Egypt, He delivered them from slavery, parted the Red Sea, and provided food and water in the wilderness. Despite all of that, they turned to idolatry. They forgot His provision and protection. They doubted His presence and faithfulness.

Moses’ breaking of the tablets was a reflection of the severity of the breach. Israel’s relationship with God looked broken, trust was shattered, rebellion was evident, and the covenant seemed under threat. In human terms, this was a low point. They had betrayed the very God who had delivered them, and the consequences could have been catastrophic.

And yet, this is where God does something remarkable. He calls Moses back up the mountain and, in a moment of profound grace, declares His name and character:

“The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty…’” (Exodus 34:6–7)

Notice what God does: He doesn’t start with punishment, judgment, or condemnation. He begins by revealing who He is. He names Himself. He opens His heart.

Why is this important for us today? Because it shows a foundational truth about God: even when His people fail, when they mess up, doubt, or turn away, God’s heart toward us doesn’t change. His first impulse is mercy, compassion, and steadfast love. The revelation of His name in this moment is not just historical, it’s a pattern for every one of us.

For the themes of this sermon series, this matters deeply:

• God’s name is a revelation, not a label. It communicates who He really is at His core.
• God’s heart is toward relationship. He wants His people to know Him, not just obey rules.
• God remains faithful even when we fail. The Israelites’ failure mirrors our own tendency to doubt or rebel, yet God remains steadfast.

By understanding the state of Israel, imperfect, impatient, and prone to rebellion, we see the depth of God’s grace and it frames our three points:

1. God Names Himself: He initiates the relationship.
2. God’s Name Reveals His Heart: He shows mercy, compassion, and steadfast love.
3. Knowing His Name Shapes Our Identity: Understanding His character transforms how we see ourselves and how we live.

This context reminds us that God’s revelation of His name is not abstract or theoretical, it’s relational, practical, and meant to shape our lives, just as it shaped the lives of Israel.

Let’s explore what that means.

God Names Himself

The first truth here is simple but profound: God names Himself.

He doesn’t outsource this task to us. He doesn’t let Israel decide. He doesn’t say, “You can imagine me however you’d like.” He reveals His name: Yahweh.

John Mark Comer puts it this way:

“Maybe the truth is that we want a God who is controllable because we want to be God… we want to be the authority on who God is or isn’t.”

Isn’t that the temptation? To make God in our image? To fashion Him into a version that never challenges us, never confronts us, never disagrees with us. But the true God refuses to be managed or molded. He names Himself.

Think about this in human terms. Imagine you only knew me based on your guesses. You might think, “He probably loves BBQ.” (Good chance.) or, “He looks like a double-double coffee guy.” (Actually—black.)

The only way you can really know me is if I tell you who I am. “Here’s my name. Here’s what I care about. Here’s what I’m like.”

That’s what God is doing in Exodus 34. He’s saying, “Let me tell you who I am.”

In the same way, the only way to truly know God is to receive the name He has given. Otherwise, we end up with a version of God who is just a projection of ourselves.

So, here’s my challenge for some of you:

Are you letting God define Himself, or are you defining Him in your own terms? Do you believe in the God who has revealed Himself, or in a God who just happens to look suspiciously like you?

God’s Name Reveals His Heart

The second truth we need to see is this: God’s name isn’t just a label, it reveals His heart.

When God says, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…” He’s not giving us abstract qualities to memorize. He’s showing us who He actually is. This is His posture toward His people, His default orientation.

John Mark Comer captures it beautifully:

“When God describes himself, he starts with his name. Then he talks about what we call character. He’s compassionate and gracious; he’s slow to anger; he’s abounding in love and faithfulness…”

Notice that God doesn’t start with His strength or His power or His ability to punish. He starts with His heart. He says: “Here is who I am at my core: merciful, gracious, faithful, and loving.”

That is good news for all of us because many of us carry an image of God that emphasizes judgment, distance, or anger. Exodus 34 rewrites that narrative. God is not primarily waiting to punish us or to catch us in our failures. His first impulse toward His people is mercy and grace.

Think about a parent rushing to comfort a child who’s fallen. Their first instinct isn’t to scold, it’s to gather the child in their arms, wipe the tears, and speak words of reassurance. That’s God’s heart toward us. Yes, discipline and holiness matter, but His first impulse is compassion.

Let me give you another illustration, this time from scripture:

We see this same heart of God in the story of Jonah. Jonah is sent to warn the city of Nineveh, a place full of corruption and sin. Jonah doesn’t want to go, he believes God should be angry, that judgment is what the people deserve. But when Jonah delivers God’s message, the people repent, and God relents from sending judgment.

God’s heart toward Nineveh wasn’t destruction first, it was mercy. His love and patience are what give people space to turn and be restored. In Jonah 4:2, Jonah even complains that God is “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love,” because Jonah wants punishment, but God’s heart is mercy.

This shows us that God’s mercy isn’t theoretical; It’s active. His grace impacts real people, in real situations, in ways that reflect His character.

Here’s the question for us:

• When you think of God, do you picture someone primarily angry, disappointed, or distant?
• Or do you picture someone whose first response to our failures and fears is compassion and grace?

If it’s the first, Exodus 34:6–7 is meant to reshape that picture. God is telling us: “My default posture toward you is mercy, not punishment. My heart toward you is love, not anger.”

This changes everything – how we pray, how we approach life, and how we relate to others. If we truly grasp God’s heart, it frees us to approach Him with confidence, not fear and to approach others with compassion, not judgment.

Knowing God’s Name Shapes Our Identity

The third truth is this: what you believe about God shapes who you become.

Our mental image of God isn’t neutral. It’s like a blueprint for how we live, how we treat others, and how we understand ourselves. If we think God is primarily angry or distant, we will carry fear and insecurity. If we see God as compassionate, faithful, and just, we’ll live with confidence, hope, and love.

John Mark Comer puts it this way:

“Often what we believe about God says more about us than it does about God. Our theology is like a mirror to the soul.”

That’s why this matters so much. Knowing God’s heart through His name is not just theological; it’s transformational.

Think about a child growing up in a home where love is steady and reliable. That child grows secure and confident, able to extend love to others. Contrast that with a child growing up uncertain whether they are loved, this child will live grasping for approval, constantly anxious.

Your picture of God works the same way. The more accurate our picture of His heart, merciful, gracious, faithful, abounding in love, the more secure we become in our identity as His children.

Biblical Example – Peter after Denial

Look at Peter in the Gospels. He denies Jesus three times, failing spectacularly. On his own, Peter would have been consumed by shame and fear, thinking he was disqualified from God’s purposes. But after the resurrection, Jesus seeks Peter out. In John 21, He asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?”

Jesus doesn’t redefine Himself; He confirms His heart, His name, toward Peter. As Peter responds, he is restored, not just forgiven, but commissioned. His understanding of God’s love and mercy reshapes his identity. Peter goes from fearful failure to bold leader in the early church.

This is exactly what knowing God’s name does for us. When we grasp His heart, it reshapes our identity. We stop defining ourselves by our mistakes or fears. We start seeing ourselves as God’s beloved, forgiven, and empowered to live in alignment with His character.

It causes us to ask questions like:

• How is my picture of God shaping my daily life?
• Does it produce fear, shame, or anxiety or does it produce love, peace, and confidence?
• Am I living as someone defined by God’s heart or by my own failures and assumptions?

Here’s a practical step for this week:

• Take a moment each day to reflect on Exodus 34:6–7. Say it slowly. Pray it over yourself. Let God’s heart redefine your self-image.
• Journal for a few minutes: write down what you believed about God before, and how His self-revealed heart challenges or changes that.

When we let God’s name shape our identity, we live differently. We approach others with grace, extend patience, and step into our calling with courage because we know the God who holds us and has named Himself merciful, gracious, and faithful.

Living This Out

Here’s the invitation: Let God carry the weight. You don’t need to control or manipulate outcomes. You don’t need to live under the pressure of performing for Him. He’s already told you His name. He’s already revealed His heart.

When we surrender our distorted images of God, we find life, freedom, and joy.