Exodus 33:17

Known By Name

I know thee by name. Exodus 33:17.

In Macedonia they had an unusual custom. When a baby was about to be baptized there was just one person in the world who knew its name. That person was its godfather.

The father and mother stay at home on the day of the christening and the nurse carries the baby to the church door. There she is met by the godfather, who takes the infant from her and carries it up to the priest in the nave. The priest repeats a prayer, after which he asks, “What is the name of the child?” Then, and not till then, does the godfather reveal the secret.

Immediately the name is made known some boys run with the news as fast as they can to the home of the baby's parents. They, you may be sure, are waiting very impatiently to hear what their little one is to be called.

This odd custom has arisen out of a strange superstition. In the old, dark days, the people of Macedonia believed that a child was not under the protection of God until it was baptized, and that, on account of this, an unchristened infant could come under the power of demons and witches. The danger was not great so long as the name was not known, but if the demon or witch once learned the name of the child it was easy to lay a spell on it. For this reason one friend was entrusted to choose the name and to keep it a dead secret until the baby was brought to church. Of course we know this isn't true.

Now in our text God says to Moses, “I know thee by name.” Perhaps that doesn't seem very wonderful to us, because Moses was a very great man and the leader of God's chosen people. But there is something much more wonderful than that God knows you and me by name. Out of the millions and millions of boys and girls on the earth brown ones and black ones, red ones and yellow ones and white ones He knows you by name, just as if you were the only boy or girl on earth.

And when God says, “I know you by name,” it means much more than “I know your name.” That is all the length the Macedonian godfathers can go, but God can go much further. “I know you by name” means that God knows all about you. He knows about your home, and your school, and your companions. He knows about your joys and pleasures. He knows about your difficulties and troubles and temptations. And just because He knows you so well and loves you so much He is able to help you in them all and sympathize with you.

There was a little boy once who didn't realize this. He had been taken to see King Edward's funeral and he had been greatly interested in it.

After he was safely in bed that night his mother went upstairs to tuck him in, as all good mothers do. And she asked him a question which good mothers sometimes have to ask their small bad sons “Freddy, did you say your prayers?” Freddy gave a sigh. “No, mother, I didn't,” he said. “It wouldn't be any use tonight. God can't attend to me. He's far too busy unpacking the King!”

God is never too busy to attend to boys and girls. He is never too busy to attend to any one. There is room in His great loving heart for everybody.

Think not thou canst sigh a sigh,

And thy Maker is not by:

Think not thou canst weep a tear,

And thy Maker is not near.

(Blake, Songs of Innocence, 48.)

Yes, and think not you can laugh a laugh of pure joy and God is not beside you to join in your gladness.

But there is something else God knows about you. He knows your capabilities. He has given you powers and talents and He knows what you are able to do. He wants you to make the very best of yourself because He loves you.

And the way to do that is to take these powers back to Him, and ask Him to teach you how to use them so that you may serve Him, so that you may grow braver and stronger every day, so that you may help and bless others.