What is the best meal you have ever eaten? The factors that determine your answer might differ. Perhaps it was the taste of the food. Or perhaps the quality of the food or the location is what makes the meal memorable. Maybe it’s the people you were with. Perhaps it was something else that happened while you were eating… the best joke you’ve ever heard. Or maybe you have a very short memory. When I asked Cole what his most memorable meal was, he said: Gemeente BBQ… “it was the most fun and the tastiest!” Luke said: McDonald’s. He’s still in the stage of his development where he doesn’t remember anything. Joel’s answer: “that one time we ate at Sabine’s house with the bbq.” Heather answered taco’s with her extended family when she was a little girl.
For me it depends. Heather’s parents introduced me to the world’s best pizza in Dubuque, Iowa. Eating the freshest fish in my life with my grandparents on Grand Cayman Island. Or my first date with Heather… we’d been friends for over two years and yet we were still nervous. Heather took a drink of her water and the ice cubes let go of the bottom of the glass and splashed water all over her face… so funny.

So often meals and memories go together.
In Luke 22 Jesus instructs his disciples to get everything organised for the Passover meal. The scene reminds me of the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, where all the wives are in whirlwind of preparation. The venue is picked and the food divied up, the decorations assigned. The disciples forgot to arrange an important person… the servant to wash everyone’s feet. And this sets the stage for a memorable evening. I think if the disciples would have been asked this questions, they would have agreed this last evening meal with Jesus was their most memorable meal.

The first establishment
So what is this scene? And what is it that we do on the first Sunday of every month? In order to really answer that question, we need to go back to Egypt… Exodus 12. The showdown between the God of Israel and the gods of Egypt has come to its climax. There have been 9 plagues already and yet Pharaoh stubbornly refuses to let God’s people go.
Passover is instituted. An innocent lamb without blemishes. It’s blood painted on the foorframe. The death angel comes to Egypt. Can you imagine the wailing? If the first-born son of everyone in Bergen op Zoom was found to be dead one morning. Can you imagine the mayhem, the sorrow, the anger, the riots, the memorial services. Israel is sent packing. God has won. His most definitive victory is yet to come at the Red Sea. Drop down to verse 26… why do this every year? To remember. To remember what God did in passing over his people.

There is a memorial aspect - the deliverance from Egypt’s power. There is also a preparatory aspect - the provision of a substitute. The lamb died in place of the first born son.

The last establishment
With the disciples in the upper room, Christ indicates he has desired with desire (literally) to eat this meal with them. His last passover. In 24 hours he will be dead. Crucified innocently. These are his last moments with his trusted twelve - and one of them is going to betray him.
Christ suddenly and most unexpectedly institutes something new. He is the fulfillment of Passover… according to Paul He is our passover lamb. And since he fulfills what the Jews have been commemorating for 1400-some years, he brings that memorial to an end and institutes a new memorial. Remember me. My body given for you. My blood flowing for you to inaugurate the new covenant.
We remember our deliverance from Sin’s power and we look forward to the fulfillment in the kingdom of God when we will eat this meal again with the Lord.

> We have been introduced to the big name of God - Yahweh. The name that Moses took to the Jewish people in Egyptian slavery. The name that connotes eternality, independence, and immutability - an eternally self-sufficient and unchanging God. He, who simply is.
> We have come to know the jealousy of God - El Qanna -, which stands up to defend the relationship when sin threatens. This name speaks of His commitment in relationship. He is moved by our relationship.
> We have studied the gracious and merciful God. The God who forgives and places limits on the natural consequences of sin (3 generations). Patient, loyal and generous and responding to every heart that turns to Him.
> We have been encouraged by El Roi - the God, who sees. He sees our past, our mess, and our escape and yet still moves in comfort us with His presence.
> We have been impressed by El Shaddai - Almighty God, Who’s plan cannot be twarted, Who’s decision cannot be stopped and Who’s might cannot be overcome. And He is our refuge and He shelters us with His wings.
> We have been lead by Yahweh Rapha - our Healer, Who is our restoration and has brought reconciliation between God the Father and man.

Exodus 17:8-16
The scene is a battle between weary Israel and the Amalekites. The Amalekites attack Israel in their weakness (taking out the ones who are lagging behind according to Deuteronomy 25:17-19). Moses aks Joshua to mobilize.
Remember, the Israelites are slaves, not warriors. Imagine the question and the insecurity of the people.
Moses climbs a hill in the morning and lifts his staff. Aaron and Hur notice at one point that their army advances when Moses’ hands are raised and the Amaliktites advance when his hands lower. So they have him sit on a rock and they support his hands until sunset. Israel wins. An altar is built and God is glorified for His victory.

Now let’s consider at how many points this could have failed:
Joshua - I’m not a warrior.
Mozes’ tired arms - forget this.
Aaron and Hur - I’m more interested in watching.
The people - too tired.

God fought, but didn’t fight this time. He wanted to be their banner.

Three points to be made about God our Banner:
He is our rallying point - we congregate around Him. We come together because of Him.
He gives us focus - we look up and see Him and are motivated to keep going and keep battling despite our state of mind or tired bodies.
He grants the victory - He fights, but doesn’t fight. He is the One who is victorious, but oftentimes, we’re the one holding a sword. He will make it happen and He wants us to look to Him.

In Hebrews 12, the author fixes our attention on Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, the one Who runs ahead to pave the way and the one who is running behind us to motivate us. He ran His course for the prize - you. He endured the cross, despising its shame. Now run. Now fight. Now follow Him!

The Lord is Yahweh Nissi… our rallying point, our focus and our victory.

De laatste 5 minuten ontbreken. 1 Petrus 2:21-24. Jezus Christus heeft voor ons aan het kruishout geleden en die Zijn striemen zijn wij genezen, hersteld, verzoend met God.

> We have been introduced to the big name of God - Yahweh. The name that Moses took to the Jewish people in Egyptian slavery. The name that connotes eternality, independence, and immutability - an eternally self-sufficient and unchanging God. He, who simply is.
> We have come to know the jealousy of God - El Qanna -, which stands up to defend the relationship when sin threatens. This name speaks of His commitment in relationship. He is moved by our relationship.
> We have studied the gracious and merciful God. The God who forgives and places limits on the natural consequences of sin (3 generations). Patient, loyal and generous and responding to every heart that turns to Him.
> We have been encouraged by El Roi - the God, who sees. He sees our past, our mess, and our escape and yet still moves in comfort us with His presence.

This morning we will consider another one of God’s big names. In fact, El Shaddai is the name by which Job and Abraham knew God. Not until Moses does God introduce Himself as Yahweh.
Scholars are not entirely sure what Shaddai means. The verb comes from to be strong and likely refers to the strength of God as it relates to His keeping His covenant promises. In Genesis 17 God reveals Himself to Abram as El Shaddai and says: walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” (Gen 17:2) In Job 13, he appeals to the shaddai of God and wants to appeal his case before El Shaddai. Job struggles with the suffering he has to endure when he has not sinned and makes His appeal to the God, Who is strong enough to keep His promises.
El Shaddai, then, is best translated “God, the Almighty” or in a more modern vernacular: The strongest of all. Theologically we refer to His omnipotence. This divine strength guarantees that He can make true on His promises.

I’ve drawn three biblical conclusions concerning God’s omnipotence:
His plan cannot be thwarted
His decisions cannot be stopped
His might cannot be overcome

Biblical history has proven this very truth. Through all the epocs of man God has moved forward with His plan. According to Paul His plan was framed before the foundations of the earth. It was this plan that hinted at with Adam and Eve and it was the only plan to survive the flood. It was the plan that was promised to Abram, confirmed to Isaac and reaffirmed to Jacob. It was this plan that was lived out by Joseph to save Judah and took Moses and the people through the Red Sea to Mount Sinai. It was this plan that permitted Joshua to invade the Promised Land, prompted prophets to warn and Judges to fight and it was this plan the Kings forgot. It was this plan that brought the people back after the captivity. It was this plan that was revealed to a 14 year old girl in Nazareth, announced by shepherds and sought by wise men. His plan came to fruition in Bethlehem and was finished at Golgatha. God is powerful enough to ensure that His plan unfolded through some 5000 years of human history. That is might.

God has proven that when He begins something or when He promises something it will come to pass. Paul underlines this confidence in Philippians 1:6.

In Psalm 91 the writer builds on this confidence in El Shaddai. This Psalm brings us to a natural response to God’s omnipotence. I draw three practical insights:
Run to His refuge
Trust in His omnipotence
Rest on His plans

John and Anna Kay had a tackboard in their bathroom with many sayings. One of those sayings captures the truth of this Psalm: God never promised a calm voyage, but he guarantees a safe arrival.

Even Christ encountered this unmovable and unstoppable plan in the Garden, but through His finished work on the cross nothing can separate us from the love of God… His plan all along.

> We have been introduced to the big name of God - Yahweh. The name that Moses took to the Jewish people in Egyptian slavery. The name that connotes eternality, independence, and immutability - an eternally self-sufficient and unchanging God. He, who simply is.
> We have come to know the jealousy of God - El Qanna -, which stands up to defend the relationship when sin threatens. This name speaks of His commitment in relationship. He is moved by our relationship.
> We have studied the gracious and merciful God, to even show His people mercy after failing so miserably moments after Moses receives the ten commandments. This is the forgiving God, who places limits on the natural consequences of sin (three generations), He is patient, loyal and generous and responds to the heart that turns to Him in repentance.

This morning we will move back in time to Genesis 16. We are introduced to a Name that is only mentioned here. And this time, rather than a God revealing Himself, a woman calls God El Roi. Before we turn to Genesis, I invite you to read Psalm 33 with me.

She was sixteen. She still couldn’t believe she had landed a good job, working for in a small family-owned business as the office errands-girl. The job paid well and the husband-and-wife team were kind to her. They saw her as a charity case of sorts... she had run away from home when she was fifteen - something she doesn’t like to talk about. People don’t really know that much about her and she prefers to keep it that way… “just let me be the wall flower.” She and the boss’ wife spent a lot of time together and shared a lot of laughs. She was a fair boss, but made her work for her paycheck.
All of that changed the moment the boss took a special interest in her. He took her out for coffee once and asked about her life and if she was happy. She was just starting to feel comfortable when he blurted out that his marraige had hit a bump and that it all had become quite complicated. It was a bit strange, but at the same time she was glad that he trusted her enough to share these things. She even thought he was really sweet for the way he sat there looking at her.
A few days later she found a sticky note on her desk asked her to come to an address. It was just a few blocks away, so she walke. She stopped at the coffee shop and ordered a latte to go and was surprised that the address was a motel. She stood there for a few moments sipped her coffee when her phone vibrated. A text message from Abe - her boss. “Room 205”. She was surprised. So many thoughts ran through her mind in that moment and before really thinking about it, she was standing in front of a blue door. She hesitated one last time and then knocked.
Work wasn’t the same after that. Abe didn’t really seem to pay much attention to her and she was sure that the boss’ wife knew. They hadn’t laughed at each other in a long time. Maybe it would all just pass.
Six weeks later she was sitting in her bathroom holding a positive pregnancy test and a pink slip. In just a few weeks her world had come crashing down.

Why would I start a sermon with a story like that? Well, Scripture interrupts its chronicling of Abraham and Sarah’s life with a story just like this. We have followed them from Ur of the Chaldeans, watched him become an significant and wealthy person, cheered for him as he went to war and won, feared for him as he entered Egypt and loses his wife to the Pharaoh. He has had incredible encounters with God and received some amazing promises. And then in chapter 16 it is interrupted by this story of Hagar - Sarah’s slave.
We have been rooting for Abraham and Sarah, so we don’t tend to consider Hagar’s side of things. But you felt sorry for the girl in the story didn’t you? She was young, taken advantage of, and her boss should have known better. This is Hagar’s story.

She flees from Sarah and ends up in the wilderness, crying her eyes out...

This morning we will begin a short summer sermon series on the names of God. We will look at seven names. Not because the number seven has any special meaning of complete-ness, but because there are seven Sundays left in the summer. It’s pragmatic.
When God reveals His name, he discloses something personal about Himself. We - as adults - have become all too accustomed to this and so we miss the special-ness of sharing your name. But think of that child - any child really - that when asked its name hides behind mom’s legs, looks away, or sheepishly barely whispers its name. Why? Because it is information about yourself - an identification - and it’s personal. Your name is your first identifier. Instead of being one among an unknown crowd of others, you have become known - by a name. When that name is called you respond, you look up, and you allow yourself to be interrupted by another.

In Psalm 9:10 (verse 11 in a Dutch Bible) David pens the following strophe:
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

David connects knowing God’s name and trust. The personal nature of the relationship between God and His people is highlighted here. Knowing a person’s name marks the beginning of the relationship. As is so often the case in the Psalms, the poet states the same statement in two different ways to strengthen the point. “Put their trust in you” is parallel to “you have not forsaken”. God’s capacity and promise to never forsake is why we trust in Him. We don’t trust people that are prone to run when the going gets rough. You can’t count on them. It follows then that the other two statements in this verse are parallel: “Knowing His name” and “seeking you”. Let me illustrate: knowing my name marks the beginning of a relationship with me, but if you want to deepen that relationship you will look for me and use my name to find me among the crowd of others. Knowing God’s name is personal and marks the beginning of the relationship and we never tire of seeking Him.

In Exodus 3 we encounter Moses at the burning bush. Perhaps you think: again? Two months ago we looked at God’s question to Moses in chapter 4. We’re going to consider God’s introduction in chapter 3 this morning. This scene at the burning bush remains a solemn encounter between a prince of Egypt and the King of kings.

God introduces Himself in an impersonal way first: the God of your fathers - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (verse 6) This introduction elicits fear (couple that with the fire that isn’t consuming the bush and the command to take off your sandals - fear is a pretty normal response). God explains His plan in verses 7-10 and answers Moses first objection (Who am I) in verse 11 and 12. Then Moses asks for God’s name in verse 13 and God’s answer is recorded in verses 14-15.

I am that I am
The personal name of God reveals some very real truths about His person and character.

Infinite in eternity
God’s identification as I am reveals that God exists and that He is in a state of being. Repeating the verb intensifies the continued state of being. God is. There never was a time when God was not. God reveals Himself as the God, who has always been and always will be. There is no direction in time that you may travel to find a change in the tense of this verb. God is.

Independent from creation
The restatement of the verb also highlights God’s independence. There is nothing that contributes to God’s being. Everything flows from Him, is dependent on Him, and is kept by His infinite power. We need God, but He does not need us.

Immutable in His character
The tense of the verb says something about His character. He is implies that he does not change. God does not identify Himself as “becoming”. He does not increase in knowledge, change point of views, or adapt to changing circumstances. An...