The God who IS
A New Name
Exodus 3
“God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.”
Moses was overwhelmed with the task that God was calling him to perform. God appeared to Moses in the wilderness and called him to go back to Egypt, deliver the people out of their bondage, and lead them back to the land God had promised Abraham. Where God saw an opportunity, Moses only saw overwhelming obstacles. Moses had already been down that road, and he had failed miserably. The people had rejected him and his attempt to be their deliver (see 2:1-14). Moses feared that when he called the people to rally around him to revolt against the tyranny of Egypt, they would respond by questioning his divine authority. While the question seems strange to us, it was relevant to Moses and the people. In a polytheistic world, there were multiple gods with varying degrees of power and authority. Moses, and the people of Israel, recognized that the real issue was the cosmic battle between the God of Moses and the gods of Egypt.
In response to Moses’ inquiry, God proclaims his name, “I AM.” The name is given in the first-person form, “I AM .” Thus for the Jews, the name became transliterated into the 3rd Person form “HE IS,” which we pronounce today as Yahweh. The “I AM” is the simple, imperfect tense of the verb “to be,” which also carries the idea of the one who causes to be. Thus in the name Yahweh, God is reminding Moses that he is the creator and sustainer of all that exists. The name of Yahweh emphasizes that God is both the Lord and master of all creation and history.
In a polytheistic society, the one who creates and sustains the universe possesses the ultimate authority and is the one to whom all the other deities acquiesce. To demonstrate the power of Yahweh over all gods, God pronounced a series of plagues upon Egypt, with each plague directed at specific deities the Egyptians worshiped. The conflict to gain the freedom of Israel was not just a conflict between Moses and Pharoah; it was a contest between the gods of Egypt and the one God of Israel. When God reveals himself to Moses as the creator and sustainer of the universe, he is affirming that he is the God who possesses all power and authority. He is unparallel in his authority and unequal in his power. He created the universe, and he is the one who watches over his people. However, the name also became synonymous with the God, who forms a covenantal relationship with his people. The God who causes all things to exist and sustains the universe is the God who identifies and relates to his people. Thus we find God affirming, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The LORD (3rd person HE IS of I AM), the God of your Fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’” The God who promises to deliver Israel is the God who has power and authority over all creation and all other ‘gods.’
This same God is the God we worship in Jesus. Jesus affirms that he is “I AM” in John 8:58, which the Jews immediately recognized that Jesus was claiming to be non-other than YAHWEH himself. Furthermore, in Philippians 2:9-11, Paul also affirms that Jesus is given the name that is above all names. That name is Yahweh! He is the creator and sustainer of the universe (Col. 1:16-17).
Just as Israel was comforted by the promise that the God of the universe, the one who sustains all things, is the one who calls us into a relationship with him. Just as Yahweh promises a personal relationship with the Israelites, Jesus makes a covenant with us to be our God. Therefore, we no longer need to fear the circumstances around us, for Yahweh himself watches over us.
Exodus 3
“God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.”
Moses was overwhelmed with the task that God was calling him to perform. God appeared to Moses in the wilderness and called him to go back to Egypt, deliver the people out of their bondage, and lead them back to the land God had promised Abraham. Where God saw an opportunity, Moses only saw overwhelming obstacles. Moses had already been down that road, and he had failed miserably. The people had rejected him and his attempt to be their deliver (see 2:1-14). Moses feared that when he called the people to rally around him to revolt against the tyranny of Egypt, they would respond by questioning his divine authority. While the question seems strange to us, it was relevant to Moses and the people. In a polytheistic world, there were multiple gods with varying degrees of power and authority. Moses, and the people of Israel, recognized that the real issue was the cosmic battle between the God of Moses and the gods of Egypt.
In response to Moses’ inquiry, God proclaims his name, “I AM.” The name is given in the first-person form, “I AM .” Thus for the Jews, the name became transliterated into the 3rd Person form “HE IS,” which we pronounce today as Yahweh. The “I AM” is the simple, imperfect tense of the verb “to be,” which also carries the idea of the one who causes to be. Thus in the name Yahweh, God is reminding Moses that he is the creator and sustainer of all that exists. The name of Yahweh emphasizes that God is both the Lord and master of all creation and history.
In a polytheistic society, the one who creates and sustains the universe possesses the ultimate authority and is the one to whom all the other deities acquiesce. To demonstrate the power of Yahweh over all gods, God pronounced a series of plagues upon Egypt, with each plague directed at specific deities the Egyptians worshiped. The conflict to gain the freedom of Israel was not just a conflict between Moses and Pharoah; it was a contest between the gods of Egypt and the one God of Israel. When God reveals himself to Moses as the creator and sustainer of the universe, he is affirming that he is the God who possesses all power and authority. He is unparallel in his authority and unequal in his power. He created the universe, and he is the one who watches over his people. However, the name also became synonymous with the God, who forms a covenantal relationship with his people. The God who causes all things to exist and sustains the universe is the God who identifies and relates to his people. Thus we find God affirming, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The LORD (3rd person HE IS of I AM), the God of your Fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’” The God who promises to deliver Israel is the God who has power and authority over all creation and all other ‘gods.’
This same God is the God we worship in Jesus. Jesus affirms that he is “I AM” in John 8:58, which the Jews immediately recognized that Jesus was claiming to be non-other than YAHWEH himself. Furthermore, in Philippians 2:9-11, Paul also affirms that Jesus is given the name that is above all names. That name is Yahweh! He is the creator and sustainer of the universe (Col. 1:16-17).
Just as Israel was comforted by the promise that the God of the universe, the one who sustains all things, is the one who calls us into a relationship with him. Just as Yahweh promises a personal relationship with the Israelites, Jesus makes a covenant with us to be our God. Therefore, we no longer need to fear the circumstances around us, for Yahweh himself watches over us.
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