I AM WHO I AM

 

In Ancient Egypt, around the time of Ramses II, the Hebrew people worked as hired servants. They had lived in Egypt for several hundred years before being enslaved. As the new generations grew up, they would become familiar with the Egyptian gods. The Egyptians worshipped many gods including Ra, Thoth, Horus, and many others. The Egyptians did not worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. No temple for the Hebrew God lay in Egypt. The Hebrew people would be very knowledgeable about the Egyptian gods, each god having authority over something different. They would know that Ra was the god of the sun, and Thoth was the god of science. Even Pharaoh himself was looked upon as a god.

When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush, calling him to go to Egypt and set His people free, Moses knew that the people would ask to know what god would deliver them. [Exo 3:13-14 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?"

There were so many gods, and each had a name, they would want to know which would come to their aid. [Exo 3:14 ESV] 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.'"

God called himself I AM WHO I AM. To some that may be a strange thing to call yourself. It seems that it does not give much description if you are unsure who He was. However, it reveals more about who he is than would first appear.

The name in the original Hebrew language is where we get the name YHWH or Yahweh. It is a name that reminds the people that while they had become familiar with all the Egyptian gods, He was still there. He never left them.

By saying he was I am Who I am, he is declaring that He is always there. He is self-sufficient, all-knowing, and all-powerful. He is not just a god with authority over one realm. He is the God of all creation.

Understanding who the great I AM is makes a world of difference in your perspective. The Hebrew people needed many things soon. The great I AM would be those things.

The name declares what he will do for them not because He had to do it, but because it is in His very nature to do it due to His great love for them.

His name declares to them: I AM your deliverer, I AM your protector, I AM your shield,  I AM your shelter, I AM your peace, I AM your guide, I AM your restorer, I AM your healer, I AM your provider, I AM whatever you need, and I AM your God.

God was all those things as they escaped from Egypt.

The good news is that God never stopped being I AM WHO I AM. He was not just for the Hebrew people. He is the great I AM to anyone who receives him as their God. He is all you need. He wants you to have peace, deliverance, provision, shelter, and everything else that he has to offer. He wants you to have this because he loves you. His name also dictates that I AM love.  [1Jo 4:8 ESV] 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love.

We all need help. We try to do things on our own, but something always seems missing. Nothing and no one else can fill the void that only God can fill. Don’t waste your time looking for others to meet whatever need you have. Search for the great I AM, who has already made himself available to be found.

[Deu 4:29 ESV] 29 But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.