I AM
13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘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.’
Exodus 3:13-15
What’s in a name? What does your name mean? Mine (Timothy) means ‘honoring God’. Which is funny when you think that my parents weren’t (sadly aren’t) Christians when they named me.
But what’s in a name? In our culture. We like the sound of names more than we are interested in their meanings. But when Moses asks what shall I tell Israel your name is, he is also asking tell me about you.
Remember, Moses has grown up in Egypt. Egypt had gods with names like Isis, Horus, Osiris & Set. These are the Greek or Latinized versions of their Egyptian names. But the original names of the gods of Egypt often correlated to their sphere of influence. Aton or Aten meant ‘Solar Disk’ - what do you reckon that correlated to? Yes, the Aten was the sun god.
So what does it mean what the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob calls Himself, I AM? Well, I think it’s a correlation to who God is. He is the God who is. Who always was. Who always will be.
The God who will rescue Israel isn’t some local deity with their limited sphere of influence (e.g. god of the Nile). This God is the God who created all things. And as we will see, all the powers of Egypt cannot compete with this God.
And this is what we must remember. This is the God who we trust in and serve. He is not a God of antiquity. He is the God who is. Who remains the same, yesterday, today & forever. Who has the power to raise the dead and redeem a whole creation. And it’s I AM who has sent you today into the world to make disciples and live for Him.
For Today:
Pray:
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘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.’
Exodus 3:13-15
What’s in a name? What does your name mean? Mine (Timothy) means ‘honoring God’. Which is funny when you think that my parents weren’t (sadly aren’t) Christians when they named me.
But what’s in a name? In our culture. We like the sound of names more than we are interested in their meanings. But when Moses asks what shall I tell Israel your name is, he is also asking tell me about you.
Remember, Moses has grown up in Egypt. Egypt had gods with names like Isis, Horus, Osiris & Set. These are the Greek or Latinized versions of their Egyptian names. But the original names of the gods of Egypt often correlated to their sphere of influence. Aton or Aten meant ‘Solar Disk’ - what do you reckon that correlated to? Yes, the Aten was the sun god.
So what does it mean what the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob calls Himself, I AM? Well, I think it’s a correlation to who God is. He is the God who is. Who always was. Who always will be.
The God who will rescue Israel isn’t some local deity with their limited sphere of influence (e.g. god of the Nile). This God is the God who created all things. And as we will see, all the powers of Egypt cannot compete with this God.
And this is what we must remember. This is the God who we trust in and serve. He is not a God of antiquity. He is the God who is. Who remains the same, yesterday, today & forever. Who has the power to raise the dead and redeem a whole creation. And it’s I AM who has sent you today into the world to make disciples and live for Him.
For Today:
- What do you think it means that God calls Himself, I AM?
- Do you trust that God is the one and only God?
- Why do you need to remember He is all-powerful today?
Pray:
- Praise the Father that He is the one and eternal God.
- Give thanks for Jesus Christ whose name means God saves.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others remember the only Almighty God.
Posted in Exodus
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