EmmDev 2022-08-03 [Attributes and Names of God] I am who I am

I am who I am

Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' " God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation. (Exodus3:13-15)

Picture Moses in the desert. He's an exiled and defeated man struggling with what is happening to his people and yet when he tried to do something about their plight, it backfired and got him into trouble. He's given up hope on the future and has resigned himself to a nomadic life.

Then he comes across a burning bush that burns but isn't consumed.
And God meets him there.
Moses needs to take off his sandals (the humility we talked about yesterday).
And as he encounters God, he is given a mission to go to liberate his people.

But Moses has doubts. If the people were as disillusioned as he was, what picture of God could he give them? The burning bush has set Moses on fire, but what will put flame to their hearts?
"Give me your name" he asked...
But this is dangerous territory...
In Hebrew culture when you know someone's name you have power over them - they must respond when you call...
So God doesn't give a name. He gives a concept. "I am who I am."
"I am" - present continuous first person singular of the verb "being".
"Who am I? I just am."
"Not I was." (This implies a beginning - God has no beginning - all things start with Him)
"Not I will be." (This implies a destination or end or journey - God has no end - all things find their end/meaning/purpose in Him.)
He is the X in the equation - we can't pin down its value, but it changes everything.

When He does give a name, it is derived from the verb "Being".
The Hebrews wrote it as "Yahweh" (for a while people pronounced it "Jehovah" but the Hebrews would never read the name aloud, they would substitute it with a more generic reference to deity: "Adonai" (Sovereign One.)) (When you see LORD (with small caps) in your Old Testament, you are seeing Yahweh...)

So God's name revolves around the fact that He IS. No beginning, no end.
He can't be pinned down and even the chosen name He gives indicates His independence.
He is eternal, limitless, uncontainable and worthy of our humble worship.
All other things burn and are consumed - but God is self-contained - He needs nothing - but His presence changes everything!

---