“I AM WHO I AM”

Passage: Exodus 3:13-22

Key verse: 14

NIV

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?’(A) Then what shall I tell them?”

14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.[a] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am(B) has sent me to you.’”

15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord,[b] the God of your fathers(C)—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob(D)—has sent me to you.’

“This is my name(E) forever,
    the name you shall call me
    from generation to generation.(F)

16 “Go, assemble the elders(G) of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob(H)—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen(I) what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt(J) into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’(K)

18 “The elders of Israel will listen(L) to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews,(M) has met(N) with us. Let us take a three-day journey(O) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices(P) to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand(Q) compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand(R) and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders(S) that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.(T)

21 “And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed(U) toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed.(V) 22 Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver(W) and gold(X) and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder(Y) the Egyptians.”(Z)

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Footnotes
  1. Exodus 3:14 Or I will be what I will be
  2. Exodus 3:15 The Hebrew for Lord sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for I am in verse 14.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

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.”[a] And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: (A)‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord,[b] the (B)God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is (C)my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16 Go and (D)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, (E)“I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that (F)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 (G)flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 And (H)they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel (I)shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has (J)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 (K)will not let you go unless compelled (L)by a mighty hand.[c] 20 So (M)I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with (N)all the wonders that I will do in it; (O)after that he will let you go. 21 And (P)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 (Q)silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So (R)you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

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Footnotes
  1. Exodus 3:14 Or I am what I am, or I will be what I will be
  2. Exodus 3:15 The word Lord, when spelled with capital letters, stands for the divine name, YHWH, which is here connected with the verb hayah, “to be” in verse 14
  3. Exodus 3:19 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew go, not by a mighty hand
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

When God revealed to Moses how he would deliver His people from slavery in Egypt, Moses was not ready. He could not obey Him readily because he remembered his past failures. He thought he was not the right person for such a lofty task. But with Moses’ first attempt, he did not act by faith in God. It was his own zeal. Now, Moses’ unbelief took a different form: He was not the right person for the task. He would not believe in God’s promise that He would be with him in carrying out His purpose.

Moses did not have faith, and yet he was not obstinate. His spiritual struggle was in the right direction. At least, he wanted to know who this God was that was calling him for such a great mission. God said He had seen the misery of His people and was concerned.

Moses asked God for His name. God said, “I AM WHO I AM.” The One who created the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them out of nothing. He could deliver the Israelites and all mankind from slavery of sin.

Prayer: Father, thank you for revealing who you are to Moses and to your people, including myself. Nothing is impossible with you because you are “I AM”, the self-existing, uncaused cause that causes everything else to exist. Deliver this nation from its sins. Amen.

One Word: Worship and adore the God of “I AM WHO I AM”