From the beginning of time, God has revealed Himself and has desired to have a personal relationship with humanity. To Adam, He was the triune creator Elohim, and He would walk in the garden with him (Genesis 3:8). To Hagar, in her pain, He was El Roi, the God who sees me (Genesis 16:13). Abraham discovered Him as El Olam, the Everlasting God (Genesis 21:33). Moses knew all about the God of his forefathers, but in Exodus 3, he had a personal encounter with Him.
Exodus 3:14 is one of the key verses in the entire Bible. Here, God speaks to Moses out of a miraculous occurrence: a bush on fire, yet not consumed. God gives Moses instructions to return to Egypt, confront the Pharaoh, and lead the children of Israel from bondage to freedom. Moses responded with doubt and many questions. One of those questions was simply, “When I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13). The answer given here is crucial for understanding the identity and nature of God. God identifies Himself using a phrase which is actually a description, or a statement: “I AM WHO I AM” or simply “I AM.” God identifies Himself as YHWH. At this point in history, this name for God is new to mankind. In verse 16 of Exodus 3, God declares, “This is My name forever.”
This name carries many meanings. In the simplest of phrases, God has disclosed to Moses that He was all His people would ever need as the self-existent God. God continued for centuries to unveil His name, His character, and his attributes to His people, who were to discover the Lord to be their Banner, their Healer, their Peace, their Shepherd, their Rock, their Redeemer, and King, but eventually God gave the greatest revelation of Himself through the Person and work of His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ our Lord. In Jesus’ boldest declaration of who He was, He stated to the Jews, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58). It was at this point they took up stones to throw at Him.
From the beginning of time, God has shown Himself to be a personal God with a desire to have a personal relationship with mankind. More specifically, He desires to have a personal relationship with you.
- How does it make you feel knowing the Creator of the universe desires to have a personal relationship with you?
- Who is God to you? Fill in the blank at least three different times.
- I AM _________________
- I AM _________________
- I AM _________________
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