“I AM WHO I AM”

But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your ancestors, 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 title for all generations.

Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: I have given heed to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. I declare that I will bring you up out of the misery 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.’ 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; let us now go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’…”

Exodus 3:13-18

When the Lord God called Moses from the burning bush, He told him that he had been chosen to bring His people out of bondage in Egypt. Moses, who was anxious about this responsibility, wondered what to say if the Israelites doubted him and asked who he was representing.

The Lord replied, “I AM WHO I AM.” By using His unique name, He offered Moses a glimpse of the nature of His eternal existence in one sentence. It is a statement of perfection. God is the one only true God. He really is The eternal, self-existent, and immutable Being. He is the only being who cay say that He always will be what He always has been.

He and His name are perfect. In reverence we are to bow before Him.

Looking for perfection? Look to Jesus.

Our Daily Bread – January 21, 2009