And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord 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, and this is My memorial to all generations.’” (Ex 3:14-16 NKJV)
Here is Moses, he was saved from death as child and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter, grew up in one of the most pagan societies possible, and had to flee because he was a murderer. He spent 40 years with his adopted family (Acts 7:23) but must have kept some ties to his birth heritage because he went out to his people (Ex 2:11). He spent another 40 years living in the wilderness with his father-in-law, Jethro, before he encountered the Lordin the burning bush (Acts 7:30). It is possible that he learned more about God from Jethro than he did living in Egypt since Jethro was a priest of Midian. That he was a true priest to the Lord is evident when he brought a burnt offering and sacrifice to God (Ex 18:12).
It is remarkable that the Lord chose Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. Though he may have learned much from Jethro, it would still seem primitive in comparison to what the Lord would teach him in person. That teaching began with establishing God’s name for the nation of Israel. God first identifies himself as “I AM.” A Hebrew translation of his name is “To be, to become, to come to pass, to exist, to happen, to fall out.”[1]But he also goes on to say that the Lordis his name to be remembered forever. This is the name we also know as Yahweh or Jehovah and means “the existing one.”[2]
This is an amazing point in the history of the Bible. We’ve seen the Lord appear to Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Lord is not a new name to the people of the Bible, but this is the first time that he specifically tells them that this is his name and how he should be addressed. He links Lord to I AM to ensure a very important point that separates the Lordfrom all other so-called gods. He is self-existent. He has no beginning and no ending. He sustains himself and exists because he is.
This truth defies human logic because we are mortal and we always think in terms of cause and effect, i.e. if something exists, then something had to make it. This is the logical reason that many scientists deny the existence of the Lord. Of course, the real reason they deny his existence is that if they acknowledge that the Lord has no beginning, then all their theories of creation fall apart. They would have to acknowledge that the Lord is the creator and that means he has authority over them. He has the right to tell them what is right and wrong and hold them responsible for their actions. Instead, they claim the universe is actually self-existent and created itself. It is inanimate and doesn’t impose any moral restrictions on them so they can do what they want.
There’s the choice for us. Do we admit that the Lordis who he has described himself to be or do we deny Him? If we believe him then we should do as Moses did, take off our sandals and bow before him in subjection and obedience. Since Jesus is his image and the exact representation of him (Col 1:15; Heb 1:3), then we should listen to Jesus (Matt 17:5) and we will know more about the Lord than even Moses knew. We can actually know God and have him living in us through faith in Jesus.
[1] OT:1961, The Online Bible Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, 1993, Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada.
[2]Ibid. OT:3068
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