the great I Am — Blog — KEN D. MILLER

13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people 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 thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22 but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.” – Exodus 3:13-22 ESV

While shepherding his father-in-law's flocks in the wilderness of Sinai, Moses had an unexpected visit from God. This divine manifestation took the form of a burning bush from which the voice of God declared His plan to deliver the people of Israel from their bondage in Egypt. But for Moses, the most shocking thing about this encounter was the part in which God revealed him to be the chosen deliverer.

“Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” – Exodus 3:10 ESV

His immediate reaction was to disqualify himself from service.

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” – Exodus 3:11 ESV

The thought of going home to Egypt, where he was a convicted murderer with his name on Pharaoh’s most-wanted list, must have scared Moses to death. Despite being Pharaoh’s adopted grandson, he would no longer have any negotiating capital with the Egyptian monarch. He was persona non grata back home. Even his fellow Israelites would refuse to listen to this former member of the royal family, who was more Egyptian than Hebrew.

But God was not buying what Moses was selling. The Almighty refused to listen to his excuses. Instead, God assured Moses that he had no reason to fear because he would not be alone. God would be with him every step of the way. And God provided Moses with an ironclad guarantee that he and the emancipated Israelites would one day return to Mount Horeb (Sinai) and worship Him. And the miraculous burning bush was to be “the sign” that confirmed the veracity of God’s words. Moses could trust God.

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? – Deuteronomy 23:19 NLT

But Moses was still reluctant to accept God’s commission. He was not yet convinced that he was the right man for the assignment, so he asked, “If I go to the Israelites and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’—what should I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13 NLT).

Moses knew that his people had long ago lost interest in Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. During their 400-year stint in Egypt, they had acclimated to the ways of their Egyptian hosts. In time, they had assimilated into the surrounding culture, adapting themselves to the local customs and even adopting the Egyptian gods as their own.

In the book of Ezekiel, God confirms that during their stay in Egypt, the Israelites had developed an unhealthy attachment to the false gods of Egypt.

“When I chose Israel—when I revealed myself to the descendants of Jacob in Egypt—I took a solemn oath that I, the Lord, would be their God. I took a solemn oath that day that I would bring them out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them—a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere. Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of the vile images you are so obsessed with. Do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt, for I am the Lord your God.’” – Ezekiel 20:5-7 NLT

Having lived in Egypt most of his adult life, Moses was well aware of this problem and knew the people of Israel would be reluctant to obey the commands of a God they didn’t know. It didn’t help that there had been a 400-year period when God had seemed to go silent. Their increasing apostasy had led Him to cut off all communication with His people. But with His appearance at the burning bush, God broke that silence. Now, Moses was wanting to know how he was supposed to reintroduce this long-forgotten God to the people of Israel.

At this point, even Moses is unsure of his visitor’s identity. While he seems to know that he is conversing with a deity, he has no way of knowing that it is Jehovah, the God of his forefathers. So, he seeks a name, an appellation by which to identify the God to whom he is speaking. And God responds:

“I AM that I AM.” And he said, “You must say this to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” – Exodus 3:14 NLT

The answer Moses receives is not so much a name as it is a declaration of authority. God is declaring that He is the “existing one,” the eternal, all-powerful creator of heaven and earth. He is uncreated and has always existed. Unlike the gods of the Egyptians, God is not the byproduct of man’s imagination.

“I AM is the ultimate statement of self-sufficiency, self-existence, and immediate presence. God’s existence is not contingent upon anyone else. His plans are not contingent upon any circumstances. He promises that He will be what He will be; that is, He will be the eternally constant God. He stands, ever-present and unchangeable, completely sufficient in Himself to do what He wills to do and to accomplish what He wills to accomplish.” – https://www.gotquestions.org/I-AM-WHO-I-AM-Exodus-3-14

Moses is being sent by the one true God. And to ensure that Moses fully comprehends who it is that is speaking to him, God adds:

“You must say this 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. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial from generation to generation.’” – Exodus 3:15 NLT

Moses is communicating with the very same God that his forefathers worshiped. The man who asked, “Who am I?” has been talking to the great “I am.” This self-doubting prince turned murderer turned shepherd had questioned his own identity and qualifications for service. But God provided Moses with the assurance that there was no reason to doubt His identity and qualifications. He was Jehovah God.

And with His identity fully disclosed, God instructs Moses to return to Egypt, gather the elders of Israel, and let them in on the news.

“Go and bring together the elders of Israel and tell them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, appeared to me—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—saying, “I have attended carefully to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt, and I have promised that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’” – Exodus 3:16-17 NLT

This was great news, but it would have been difficult for Moses to comprehend. After four centuries of life in Egypt, would the people of Israel want to pack up and leave? Yes, things were difficult and they had been crying out because of their suffering and pain. But was a relocation what they had in mind? And how was Moses supposed to carry off this impossible mission? All of these thoughts must have rifled through the mind of Moses as he listened to God’s instructions.

But as Moses wrestled with doubts, God assured him that the elders would eventually listen to what he had to say. Then, having convinced the Israelites, Moses would need to turn his attention to Pharaoh, who would prove to be a challenge. God discloses that the Egyptian king will not allow the people of Israel to leave.

“I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, not even under force.” – Exodus 3:19 NLT

Moses was going to face strong opposition from his former adoptive grandfather. But God reveals that Pharaoh’s resistance is part of the plan. His refusal to cooperate will bring about God’s judgment.

“I will extend my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do among them, and after that he will release you.” – Exodus 3:20 NLT

God was letting Moses know ahead of time that his assignment would not be easy, but it would eventually prove successful. So much so, that God assured Moses that not only will the Israelites leave Egypt, but they will do so with great wealth.

“I will grant this people favor with the Egyptians, so that when you depart you will not leave empty-handed. Every woman will ask her neighbor and the one who happens to be staying in her house for items of silver and gold and for clothing. You will put these articles on your sons and daughters—thus you will plunder Egypt!” – Exodus 3:21-22 NLT

Surrounded by bleating sheep and still staring at the burning bush, Moses’ head must have been spinning as he considered the words of Jehovah. It was all too good to be true. Not only that, it was all too impossible to even consider. He had grown up in Egypt. He had been raised in the royal court and knew what he was up against. The Egyptians were a powerful and proud people. They were not about to let millions of slaves walk away scot-free and loaded down with the riches of Egypt.

But God patiently endured Moses’ questions of concern and expressions of doubt. He wanted His deliverer to be fully on board with the plan and fully convinced of its ultimate success. So, that when the great “I Am” finally asked Moses if was ready, he would be able to say, “I am.”

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Exodus 5-6, Matthew 28

“I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.” – Exodus 6:6-8 ESV

There are two primary problems that all men share when it comes to God. First, is His very existence. Men struggle with knowing whether God actually exists or not. They doubt and debate it. Many simply deny it. But for those who come to the realization that God is real, the next problem becomes whether or not He is actually at work in our world. They believe in God, but doubt His promises and question His ability to intervene in the everyday affairs of their lives. This section of God's story, found in the book of Exodus, reveals God attempting to convince men of both His existence and His power to do what He says He will do. The Israelites had been living in Egypt for over 400 years. They had been "Egyptianized." They had grown comfortable with and close to all the gods of the land of Egypt. They had little or no relationship with the God of their ancestor, Abraham. Much of what happens in the book of Exodus is about God trying to convince His own people of His presence and power. They had to be convinced that He was the one true God and that He had the power to fulfill the promises He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

What does this passage reveal about God?

He is the great "I Am." He is Yahweh, the singular and solitary God of the universe. There are no other gods beside Him. He alone is God. He is all-powerful and all-knowing. He is not only the creator of the universe and all it contains, He maintains complete control over everything in it. But the Israelites didn't know all of this at the time. They viewed God as just another diety in a long line of gods. Pharaoah had no concept of Moses' God and stated, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go" (Exodus 5:2 ESV). He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, and instead, upped the pressure on the people of Israel, increasing their labor even more. Pharaoh had his gods and had no use for or fear of the god of the Jews. Even Moses had second thoughts about God. He knew He existed because he had had a personal encounter with Him at the burning bush. But after being confronted by his own people and blamed for their worsening circumstances, Moses began to question God's plan and doubt His power. "O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all" (Exodus 5:22-23 ESV).

But God had a purpose behind all of this. He knew what He was doing. He told Moses, "I Am and I will." He wanted Moses and the people to be certain of His presence and fully aware of His power. And He was going to choose to do it through His dealings with the Egyptians. And His objective? "…you shall know that I am the Lord your God!" All throughout the book of Exodus, you will see this phrase repeated. When all was said and done, the Israelites AND the Egyptians were going to know that God is God. He is the only true God. He not only IS, He DOES. He not only exists, He is the self-existent one. He has no beginning or end. He is not limited by space or time. He is everywhere at once, and is able to see all that is going on in all places at all times. Our greatest need is to recognize His presence and to trust in His power. He is still the great I Am and He will do what He has promised to do in our lives just as He did for Moses and the people of Israel.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Man is prone to doubt God's existence. Even when we believe He exists, we tend to doubt His presence in and around our lives. Our inability to see Him makes us question His reality. The presence of problems in our lives makes us doubt His power over our lives. Moses had had a personal encounter with God. He had spoken directly with Him. And yet, when things God tough, he began to doubt and question God. The people of Israel found themselves facing mounting pressure and personal discomfort at the hands of the Egyptians, so they reacted in anger and distrust. They blamed Moses and doubted God. "…they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery" (Exodus 6:9 ESV). Their view of God was limited by their circumstances. They allowed the size of their God to be limited by the size of their problem. But God said, "I Am and I will." Their doubt did not diminish God's capacity to perform. Their doubt did not make God any less powerful or capable. He was God and He would act. He had promised and He would fulfill that promise. He had seen and heard and He would respond. And while to Moses it may have appeared that God had been inactive, he would find that nothing could have been further from the truth.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

I rarely doubt God's existence. I simply doubt His presence. I know He's there. I just sometimes wonder if He is here. That God is in heaven, sitting on His throne is a comfortable concept for me. But to recognize that He is present in the everyday affairs of my life is a bit harder for me to comprehend and believe. I tend to judge the presence of God based on my circumstances. When all is going well, He is obviously there. But let anything go wrong in my life, and I can begin to question His existence or at least His willingness to intervene. I need to see God as the great I Am, who will. He is real and He is intimately aware of my circumstance and fully capable of doing all that He has promised to do in my life – regardless of what I may see going on around me. His apparent inaction is nothing more than my inability to see Him at work behind the scenes. Moses did not know the intimate details of God's plan, neither do I. I can't see what He is doing behind the scenes. So I must take God at His word and trust His character more than I trust what my eyes can see.

In the closing chapter of the book of Matthew, we see the disciples grieving over the loss of their Messiah. He is dead. Their hopes are shattered. Their dreams have been dashed. The women went to the tomb to anoint His body, but encountered an angel who told them, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where helay" (Matthew 28:5-6 ESV). Once again, God had done what He had said He would do. Jesus had told His disciples that He would have to suffer and die, but that He would rise again on the third day. And He had.

"I AM and I will."

God had done the improbably and the impossible. He had provided salvation for man through the death of His own Son. He had satisfied His own just requirement for the payment of mankind's sins with the life of His own Son. Jesus Himself had claimed to be the great I Am. He had said He was going to die, but also promised to rise again. And He did. He was the Son of God and He did what He said He would do. Our greatest need is to recognize God's existence in our lives and His power to do all that He has promised to do. He is STILL the great I AM and He WILL do what He has said He will do.

Father, forgive me for doubting You. Forgive me for not seeing Your handiwork all around my life all throughout the years of my life. You have been there. You have been acting behind the scenes in so many ways. You have been there time and time again, but I still tend to doubt. I still tend to question Your presence and Your power. Give me the ability to trust You more. Help me to focus on the reality of You rather than the circumstances that surround me. Amen.

I Am, Are You?

I Am and I Will.