“What's In A Name?” (Ex. 3:6; Matt.22:32) [reflections on Watchman Nee's book – Changed Into His Likeness series, For Washington:Christian Literature Crusade, 1907 (1971 reprint) – Chapter 2]

What’s in the name – like Moses’ dad?
That’s Aaram, though to court he had
Been spirited to save his life,
Midst Pharaoh’s baby-killing strife.

But even more, who’s Aaram’s God?
By way of Hebrew speech, quite odd –
Known by the names of those who found
God’s presence in their daily round.

The three forefathers of their group
Formed three-part handle – chicken soup
Of three big aspects of their God
Experienced there on that sod.

In Abe the group learned, God does start
All aspects of one’s life – each part
Some precious aspect of the whole,
Which God imparts to build each soul.

In Isaac, group learned, life’s a gift,
Inheritance conveyed as kiss
From God through parents to each one,
As village raises daughters, sons.

In Jacob, group learned not to take
What should be given – don’t forsake
Your mercies as you struggle, strut,
Your day upon life’s stages, but –

Allow God’s touch to yield that limp
Which Jacob had – though tough as flint,
And wily as a weasel, he
Was brought to inner victory.

Those three produced an insight-mix,
Which went with group when Joseph fixed
Their famine’s situation dire –
Pulled ember from disaster’s fire.

Four hundred years the group lived there;
Their status changed to slave’s despair,
But God of that eternal mix
Was God they had there in their fix.

Each generation learned from dad
And mom that mixture their group had;
Which started with ancestors three;
In fathers’ God that mix they’d see.

So that’s the handle that group used –
“God of our fathers” and they’d fuse
On that, “The God of those first three”,
As what defined that mix – says Nee.

Nee’s book spells out the content rich
We find in Bible – Scripture which
Got passed along within their group
Of three-fold God, like chicken soup.

So Moses, on that shepherd’s hill,
Saw “Burning bush,” which stayed there ’till
He went and took a closer look,
As story goes in Scripture-book.

“Hey Moses, I’m that three-fold God
Your father’s group knows on their sod
Back at the Nile River’s mouth;
Go set them free – remove all doubt –

By telling elders of their group,
The ‘Three-fold God’, their chicken soup
Of blessing poured through those three men,
Met you, then on this mission sent –

You back into your father’s group,
To set them free, o’er desert route –
Be sure to use that name with them,
Once you go back to home again.

God of one’s fathers on this earth
Is what each learns from time of birth;
These differ, but this group new well
That God helped them in slavery’s hell.

The starter-God of Abe was back
Through Moses, for they freedom lacked;
God saw their plight, sent to Moses in
To life’s next phase at last begin.

The giver-God would meet their needs;
On journey home, with manna feed,
Then shift to milk and honey fare –
Rich daily bread for them prepare.

The clean-up God who’d grow them up
Into His clan, would make them tough,
But tough-in-Him – humility
Of Jacob bring on bended knee.

Once, Jesus used that moniker;
And Hebrews’ author in his words
Invoked that three-fold label there;
Now, Nee new banquet here prepares.

Yes, father’s God, and mother’s too,
Each child receives as culture’s view;
But here we’re given in three-fold name
God’s nature – not for all the same –

But it’s the God who spoke to Abe;
Son Isaac; then to Jacob gave
Rich insights into Kingdom, come
To earth – first them, then through God’s son –

To all mankind – God’s process rich
To pull us all from Satan’s ditch,
Back into life God had in mind,
As He His Kingdom first defined.

Lord, thanks for Nee’s rich tapestry
Of insights, culled that we might see;
Help me to hear You through Nee’s words,
That through my work may You be heard.

Thanks Lord for this.

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