“God, furthermore, said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘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, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.’” Exodus 3:15 (NASB)
In Exodus 3:14, Moses saw a burning bush blaze with flames that
did not consume it. It did not burn to ash. His curiosity wanted to see this
amazing thing. As Moses approached the flaming bush, God called to him telling
him he stood on holy ground. Moses, taught by his mother who wet-nursed him at
the request of Pharaoh’s daughter, learned about the God of the Hebrew people,
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
he learned about the gods of the Egyptians when the hired tutor taught him.
Moses was a very educated man. God had a purpose for his life.
In this story, after the burning bush, God told Moses he was
the one He chose to send to bring His people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. He
told Moses to speak with the Hebrew elders and Moses asked whom should he say
sent him to them. Verse fourteen is God’s answer to Moses. God told him to tell
the Hebrew elders, “I AM WHO I AM.” This “I am” statement is greater than the anoki studies learned from the book of
Genesis. In those passages, God told Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Abimelech about
Himself in relation to them. He explained a part of His nature to them. In
those passages, God was immanent; He was personal. He gave Abraham a promise of
an heir when Abraham grieved the lack of an heir. God added that he would be
the father of many descendants and nations. He explained He would be Abraham’s
shield-his King, Protector, and faith. For Isaac and Jacob, God reiterated this
promise, His covenant, He made with Abraham and added other facets of His
nature. He said He would provide for them, be their Victor, and is all-knowing
and all-powerful. To Abimelech, not from the line of Abraham, God revealed His
knowledge and power. He revealed different facets of His nature to people to
help them know Him and/or to deepen their relationship with Him.
The I AM whom Moses encountered in the burning bush was the
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as He said in Exodus 3:13, & 15-17. God
identified Himself to Moses in verse fourteen as I AM WHO I AM. This name comes
from the Hebrew clause ‘ehyeh ‘aser ‘ehyeh.
“I am the One who is and who will be what you will need” is what this clause means.
God’s revealing of His nature, His characteristics, to people with anoki statements in the Old Testament
helps define for people who He is and will be for His children whenever they
need Him. It’s not that He is becoming more “God,” but He, as part of who He is,
will utilize whatever part of His nature and character is needed to rescue,
redeem, provide for, heal, and protect, etc. His children. I AM is immanent; He
is personal to each human. He cares and so intervenes in the lives of people.
With Exodus 3:15, God answered Moses’ question. Moses asked Him
by whom and for what purpose should he tell the Hebrew elders he went to them. God called Himself I AM. Moses asked for a
name. God named himself in verse fifteen. He said, “Thus you shall say to the
sons of Israel, ‘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,
and this is My memorial-name to all generations.” Did you catch what God said?
He said, “The LORD…This is My name forever.” The Hebrew word translated as LORD
in this verse and wherever in the Bible you see LORD written all in capital
letters is Yhvh. No one knows exactly
how to pronounce this word. The Israelites felt the name of God was so sacred no
one should speak or write it, so they noted it with a tetragrammaton. The
Hebrew language of the Old Testament did not have vowels in its alphabet, hence
the spelling of God’s name with no vowels. English translators of the Old
Testament added the vowels, so English-speakers could read the LORD’s name.
They wrote it in the Old Testament as Yahweh. In the New Testament, the English
translation of the Greek word for LORD is Jehovah. The important thing to
remember is God gave Moses His name. He named Himself Yhvh (Yahweh). Most often whenever an Old Testament character spoke
about God helping him or her, they spoke about Yhvh, the immanent (personal) God. The One Who is as near to you as
your next breath.
Yhvh is the One who
interacts with humanity in the Old Testament. He is the one who makes the anoki statements and says, I am your
shield to Abraham (Genesis 15:1), I am the God of your forefathers, Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 26:24 and 28:15), and I know your heart and have kept
you from sinning against me (to Abimelech, in Genesis 20:6). Yahweh (Yhvh) used anoki statements when He spoke to Moses in Exodus 3:12,14, &
16-17. In verse twelve, He said He would be with Moses and the Israelites. In
verse fourteen, Yahweh told Moses to tell the Israelites He sent Moses to them
and would be with them. With verse sixteen, Yahweh told the Israelites and
Moses He is the One most concerned about them. Yahweh revealed His nature to
Moses in verse seventeen as the Deliverer/Savior/Redeemer and Provider.
In each of these verses, Yahweh made the anoki (I am) statements that revealed to
humanity another part of His nature/character. These individual parts of his character
did not singly define Him. Yahweh is the whole of His being. He is
self-existing, or as translated by the Jews, He is the “existing One.” Yahweh was
before time was created, is now, and will be after time ends. He
defines time, which is His creation, just as He defines what is human, cow,
serpent, earth, star, moon or any other created thing. Yahweh has always been
and will always be. He made “I am” statements to Old Testament people to reveal
Himself to them to begin, restore, or grow a relationship. Yahweh, our Elohim (God), draws people to Himself
because He desires to have a relationship with us. His character of love shows
the different parts of His nature (to provide, keep, protect, save, redeem,
forgive, lead, etc.) to people.
God is holy. His love is pure. Humanity is tainted by
self-interest and self-serving to the extent we do things against other people
and God to get what we want. This selfishness is sin and creates a wall between
Yahweh and us because He is holy, and we are not. Holiness and sin cannot be in
the same place. Because of that, God provided from the beginning of time a way
for humanity to receive cleansing from sin and unholiness. The way He provided
was through the sacrificial death of His Son, Jesus, as the judgment for and
cleansing of our sins. Yahweh loves us enough to provide this self-sacrificing gift,
so we can be in a relationship with Him.
The apostle John said, “Greater love has no one than this,
that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) God did that for
humanity, for all people. Yahweh, the always “existing One”, desires to be in a
relationship with you. He has revealed Himself to you through the Bible,
teaching, preaching, and in personal (immanent) ways. These personal ways are like
when He provides you a job and food, or keeps you safe in hazardous situations,
or protects your reputation, or gives you a family. God shows Himself to each
of us personally for each of our individual needs through the different
attributes of His nature. He has been in your life providing, protecting,
leading, gifting, etc, hoping you would see Him and desire to be in a
relationship with Him. These were His anoki
statements to you. Yahweh made it possible. Will you accept His love,
forgiveness, and salvation? God is waiting for you to open the door to your
heart and life to Him.
God, so often I have
worked hard to give myself something or provide for my family. I have not
recognized you as Yahweh, the existing One who loves me and wants a
relationship with me. I have not recognized You as the One who has given me
everything I have, protected me, and guided me. I have taken all the glory and
praise. You have made Your anoki
statements in my life and I have not listened to You. Please forgive me for my
self-centeredness. Forgive me for my sins and keeping my back turned to You.
Lead my heart so I desire a relationship with You. Teach me how to grow more like
You. Lord, I surrender myself and all I have to You.
