Exodus 3:14, 15 - THE NAME OF GOD.
Exodus 3:14, 15 (NIV) 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.' This is my name forever, the name
by which I am to be remembered from generation
to generation.
COMMENTARY PEARL
I sit on my deck listening to the flow of
traffic along what was once a quiet country road,
traffic that was practically nonexistent thirty
years ago when this deck was constructed. To my
surprise, the intoxicating hum of morning traffic is a
pleasant complement to the potted plants bursting
into a haphazard rainbow along the deck's edges.
A blend of the old and the new, I reflect. A
striking snapshot of life itself. I smile through a
sigh as I think of the one constant among all the
vicissitudes of my life, the Great I Am.
I love that while God the Father answers
Moses's uncertainty with a direct "I Am That I Am,"
leaving it at that, God the Son - ever-mediating
Lord that He is - offers a list of "I Am"
metaphors to strengthen us throughout the ages. In the
Gospel of John, Jesus lays out a smorgasbord of
comforts to those willing to put their trust in Him,
declaring, "I Am the Bread," "the Light," "the Door,"
"the Good Shepherd," "the Resurrection," "the
Way, the Truth, and the Life," and "the Vine." As
often stated in the African-American community to
describe the excellence of something, He's "all that
and a bag of chips."
No matter the increase in the traffic of
our earthly ups and downs, Jesus is that
everlasting, never-too-busy friend - always there,
sustaining us when life's changes overwhelm us. What
more can we ask? While we can't control time's
inexorability, we are blessed with the stability of
eternity through the Great I Am.
Lord, no matter the climate, weather, or
traffic, I'm so grateful for the beauty of this day
and Your indelible stamp of hope upon it.
Jacqueline F. Wheelock [Walking in Grace 2021
Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]
INTRODUCTION
I Am means an eternal presence; the past,
present, and future are alike to God. He sees the
most remote events of past history, and the far
distant future with as clear a vision as we do those
things that are transpiring daily. We know not what
is before us, and if we did, it would not
contribute to our eternal welfare. God gives us an
opportunity to exercise faith and trust in the great I
Am (MS 5a, 1895). 1BC1099
Twenty-three times in all we find our
Lord's meaningful "I AM" in the Greek text of the
Gospel of John 4:26; 6:20, 35, 41, 48, 51; 8:12,
18, 24, 28, 58; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 13:19;
14:6; 15:1, 5; 18:5, 6, 8). In several of these,
He joins His "I AM" with seven tremendous
metaphors which are expressive of His saving
relationship toward the world.
"I AM the Bread of life" (6:35, 41, 48,
51).
"I AM the Light of the world" (8:12).
"I AM the Door of the sheep" (10:7, 9).
"I AM the Good Shepherd" (10:11, 14).
"I AM the Resurrection and the Life"
(11:25).
"I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life"
(14:6).
"I AM the true Vine" (15:1, 5).
[MacArthur Daily Bible 2003 re John 6:35]
COMMENTARY
God always has been. He is the great I AM.
The psalmist declares, "Before the mountains
were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the
earth and the world, even from everlasting to
everlasting, Thou art God." He is the high and lofty One
that inhabiteth eternity. "I am the Lord, I
change not," He declares. With Him there is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning. He is "the same
yesterday, and today, and forever." He is infinite and
omnipresent. No words of ours can describe His greatness
and majesty. MM92
The Hebrew word for Lord, God's name, is
YHWH. Translated "I AM" and used about seven
thousand times in the Old Testament, this most
sublime name of God was whispered by the high priest
in the Most Holy Place once a year. Outside of
that important occasion, the name was never
written or uttered.
YHWH, or Yahweh, speaks of God as "He
that always was, always is, and ever is to come."
God revealed this name to Moses, and it became
the name associated with the covenant between
God and His people.
That Old Testament covenant has been
fulfilled in the New Testament, enabling you to find
forgiveness for your sins and to enjoy an intimate
relationship with your heavenly Father. As you live out
your faith, you will come to know God as Healer,
Protector, Provider, Comforter, and Savior.
Your unique life experiences will reveal
God's nature to you in countless personal ways.
Ask Him to help you see this very day some of
the ways He is revealing His character to you.
[Being Still With God Every Day by Henry Blackaby]
Samuel Shoemaker, the American
Episcopalian preacher who was instrumental in forming
Alcoholics Anonymous, pointed out that the whole
principle of prayer depends on what kind of Being the
Creator is. Listen to this statement made to a group
of recovering alcoholics: "If He created the
universe and gave everything a primeval push, and
then retired beyond where we cannot get in
contact with Him, prayer is a vain effort. But if He
be a personal God as Christians believe He is,
then He will have a concern for the people He
made and will want to involve Himself with them
in all their affairs." We are not alone in this
universe; a personal God stands behind all things,
waiting, longing that we might enter into a
relationship with Him.
We said that one of the reasons why
people desire an impersonal God is because this
kind of God is easier to live with than one who
is personal like themselves. It's rather nice
to carry inside our hearts a subjective idea of
a God of beauty, truth, and goodness. That
kind of God demands nothing of us. Better still a
formless life-force surging through all of us, a vast
power we can tap and use to our advantage. This
kind of God is extremely easy to live with.
But a living God who approaches us at
infinite speed - the Hunter, the King, the lover, the
Husband - this is quite another matter. Yet whether
we believe it or not, this is the kind of God
He is.
How thankful I am that You are not just a
supernatural energy or a life-force, but a personal Being
whom I can address as Father. Your personality
engages with my personality, and we are one. In this
my joy knows no bounds. Amen. [Every Day With
Jesus Bible with Selwyn Hughes devotionals]
ILLUSTRATION
While Praying One Day A Woman Asked,
"Who Are You , God?" He Answered, "I AM."
"But Who Is, 'I AM?'" She Asked.
He Replied. "I AM Love, I AM Peace, I AM
Grace, I AM Joy,
I AM Strength, I AM Safety, I AM Shelter, I
AM Power,
I AM The Creator, I AM The Comforter,
I AM The Beginning And The End.
I AM The Way, Truth, And The Light."
With Tears In Her Eyes She Looked Toward
Heaven
And Said, "Now I Understand. But, Who Am I?"
God Tenderly Wiped The Tears From Her Eyes
And
Whispered, "You Are Mine." GodVine.com
CLOSING THOUGHT
The Names of God
In the three years as I came to know my
wife, Denalyn, our relationship evolved. And with
each change came a new name. She went from
acquaintance to friend to eye-popping beauty to date to
fiance and wife. Now she is confidante, mother of
my children, life-long partner. The more I
know her the more names I give her.
And the more Gods people came to know
him, the more names they gave him. Elohim,
strong one or creator. Jehovah-raah, a caring
shepherd. Jehovah-jireh, the Lord who provides. These
are just a few of the names of God which
describe his character. Study them, for in a given
day, you may need each one of them.
God, the shepherd who leads, the Lord who
provides, the voice who brings peace in the storm, the
physician who heals the sick, the banner that guides.
And most of all He Is! by Max Lucado
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
I am the Eternal I AM; I always have
been, and I always will be. In My Presence you
experience Love and Light, Peace and Joy. I am
intimately involved in all your moments, and I am
training you to be aware of Me at all times. Your
assignment is to collaborate with Me in this training
process.
I have taken up residence within you; I
am central in your innermost being. Your mind
goes off in tangents from its holy Center, time
after time. Do not be alarmed by your inability to
remain focused on Me. Simply bring your thoughts
gently back to Me each time they wander. The
quickest way to redirect your mind to me is to
whisper My Name. (Exodus 3:14; 1 Corinthians 3:16;
Psalm 25:14-15) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
John 6:35 - The First I AM - Jesus the Bread
of Life!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200825-1003.html
John 8:12 - The Second I AM; Jesus the Light
of the World!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200826-1018.html
John 10:7-9 - The Third I AM; Jesus is The
Door or Gate of Salvation!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2013/20130523-1526.html
John 10:11 - The Fourth I AM; Jesus is The
Good Shepherd!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2013/20130602-2225.html
John 11:25 - The Fifth I AM; Jesus is The
Resurrection and The Life!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200712-1029.html
John 14:6 - The Sixth I AM; Jesus is the
Way, the Truth, and the Life!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210718-1038.html
John 15:4, 5 - The Seventh I AM; Jesus is
the Vine!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211031-1051.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
