I AM

I like to give the things in my life names. I name my car, my plants—and I even brainstorm future pet names. Names can carry a lot of weight and significance, so what does it mean that God calls Himself “I AM”? In Exodus 3, God speaks to Moses through a burning bush that—miraculously— does not burn up. When Moses asks God what His name is, God replies, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you 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 you shall call me from generation to generation” (verse 14-15). When God uses the name “I AM,” He sets Himself apart from any other god the Israelites may have been worshipping. This is not a god of fertility or the sun, this is the God who rules over everything. This is the God who existed before the Israelites were even a people, and He will continue to exist after they rebel against Him and are sent into exile generations later. God presents His unchanging nature in His name. The Hebrew name for God, Yahweh, sounds like “I am” in Hebrew. This name was so sacred to the ancient Israelites that they would often substitute God’s name for “Lord,” or “Adonai,” in Scripture texts. This is why you see the name “LORD” in all caps in the Bible. God has lived up to His name. He showed His unchanging love and grace in the sacrifice of sending Jesus to die on the cross and rise again for us. And God continues to show us His unchanging love by sanctifying and transforming us each day. So, whenever the future is uncertain, we can know that our God remains unchanging in His love and grace. • Naomi Zylstra • Why is it important that God is unchanging? • Besides His name, how else does God set Himself apart from other gods? • One of the ways Jesus revealed His identity was by saying, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58). Why do you think Jesus said this? Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7 (NIV)