Exodus 3:13-15 - Our LORD, the Great I Am

It was quite obvious that fear had led Moses to ask his first question. And God knew it well, that’s why He was not angry with his first question but promised to be with Him. Moses’ greatest plus to accomplish the mission God wanted him to do would not be in his status or his training. If it were, God would have used him while he was strutting as a prince of Egypt. Or God would have reminded him of how he was trained in Pharaoh’s court and even helped him to identify his gifting and talents. But God did not. Instead, He totally ignored that part of Moses’ life and went on to promise His own presence in the task. The reason is simple. The mission he was about to do has nothing to do with Moses’ ability but everything to do with God and His ability. The question was not about Moses as it was about God.

The established goal for the mission entrusted to Moses was twofold. Firstly, he was to deliver the people out of Egypt, the land of bondage. Secondly, he was to lead them to the mountain of God’s presence and there to worship Him. But who is this God? This was precisely Moses’ second question. He could go and tell the children of Israel that God had sent him to lead them out of Egypt, and to lead them to Sinai to worship Him. But what should he do if they wanted to know who this God really was? Moses anticipated that the people would ask that question, so, he asked God what should he tell them should that question pop up. Let’s rephrase what Moses said in verse 13. He asked God, “Supposed I go to the people and tell them exactly what you have just asked me to say to them. And they ask me in return, ‘Who is this God who sends you?’ What am I supposed to say to them?” God then revealed His covenant name to Moses.

God said His name shall be “I AM WHO I AM” or just simply “I AM”. Notice God’s name is not “I was” or “I will be” but the “I AM”. He is the ever present-one and self-existing one. He is also the timeless one, the eternal God with no beginning or end. God further established in verse 14 that He is the covenant-keeping God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This name “I AM” has since been translated as Yahweh or Jehovah or the “LORD” with all capital letters in the Bible. It is by this name, the LORD, Yahweh or Jehovah that the Israelites would identify Him for all generations henceforth. The “I AM” is the unfinished name of God. Notice this name has a noun, a verb but no object. Perhaps God had left it that way for the sake of His people. He will be the God to His people whatever their needs may be. He will be Jehovah-Jireh, our provider; or Jehovah-Shalom, our peace; Jehovah-Rapha, our healer; or Jehovah-Tsidkenu, our righteousness and etc, according to what our needs may be. Glory to His name!