I Am Who I Am
Moses felt the sand under his feet as he scrunched his toes. The bush in front of him continued to crackle with the sound of fire, but as the flames flickered and danced, the wood and leaves were never consumed.
“Indeed, 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?” asked Moses.
“I AM WHO I AM,” God replied.
You can almost hear Moses thinking in his head: I am who I am? That’s not really helpful, nor a name.
At first glance, it might appear as if God is ignoring Moses’ question, or giving an answer worthy of a politician.
But diving in, God’s response is quite deep and profound. It is a declaration of God’s self-existence and ever-present being.
In the article I Am Who I Am’? The Real Meaning of God’s Name in Exodus by Dr. Michael LeFebvre, he states:
“In biblical Hebrew, the being verb ‘hayah’ (I am) conveys not just existence but manifest existence...in the name Yahweh, God made himself known as a present being—present with and for his people. And wherever God’s presence is invoked, that announcement is pregnant with the certainty of his attention, his care, his power, and his grace...Yahweh is more than a title...it shows us not simply that God exists but also that he is near to his people in love.”
For the Hebrew people who were bound in slavery, the name would have reinforced that God saw their suffering, He heard their prayers, He was with them, and would deliver them. As He says later in Deuteronomy 31:8.
“And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
And because God is always with us and for us, I AM WHO I AM also seems to imply that He is everything we need, because He literally embodies all we could want.
You need love? He is Love (1 John 4:16). You need comfort? He is the Comforter (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). You have a need? He is the Supplier (Philippians 4:19). You have a sickness? He is the Healer (Exodus 15:26).
So whatever you need today, sit back and rest in the One—the only One—who IS.