Read Exodus Chapters 1-3
Focus Scripture
Exodus 3:13-15 (NKJV)
13 Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" 14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' "15 Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The Lord 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, and this is My memorial to all generations.'
History
What does the name "I AM" really mean?
The original words were "ehyeh asher ehyeh"- which means - I Will Be There Howsoever I Will Be There!
In biblical times, a name was given to someone as a description. A person's name would describe why that person was born, or it would be given to describe a person's character. A person’s name in those days was known to have a very special meaning. For example, the name Abraham means "father of many"--Abraham was born for a special purpose. He would be the father of all the Israelites.
Connection To Us
In these scriptures, Moses is very worried that the Israelites will not know God. Moses is asking God what he should tell the Israelites. This is so fitting for today, because many of us today ask that SAME question......WHO ARE YOU, GOD?
Sadly, many people feel like they don't really know God. They wonder if He really loves them. The answer is: Yes, God SINCERELY wants to be known! He truly loves each and every one of us! As we study the book of Exodus, we discover that the Lord longed to have a relationship with the Israelites, and with YOU still today.
My prayer is that we will also come to realize just how deeply Our Heavenly Father truly longs to have a relationship with YOU!
Knowing the meaning behind the names of this time makes the name, "I Am" even MORE incredible! God could have chosen ANY extraordinary name that He wanted for His introduction. He could have said, tell them I am THE GREAT ONE...tell them I am THE MOST AMAZING......or tell them I am MR. MAGNIFICENT..................... BUT HE DIDN'T.
Instead He chose to USE this opportunity to reveal just how much He LOVED and CARED for them. He wanted them to know from the very beginning that: HE WOULD BE WITH THEM. HE WOULD ALWAYS BE WITH THEM!
God LOVES YOU just as He loved the Israelites! And He wants YOU to know: He is with YOU! He will always be with you!
