The Great "I AM"

Dear Friends in Christ:

Today, in my daily Bible readings, I was in in the Book of Exodus and came to this familiar passage where Moses asks God to tell him God’s name:

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.” (Exodus 3:13-15)

The new Lutheran Study Bible gives this commentary: “In Hebrew thought, names embody the essential character of a person or god. The Hebrew root of God’s personal name is YHWH (Yahweh), which means ‘to be’ or, more accurately, ‘to be present’. The promise ‘I will be with you’ provides one interpretation of God’s name.”

An anonymous poet, reflecting on this name that God used when speaking to Moses, has written:
“My name is I AM. If you live in the past, it will be very hard, for I am not there. My name is not I WAS.
And if you live in the future, it will be very hard, for my name is not I WILL BE.
But if you live in the present, it is not hard, for my name is I AM.”

The great “I AM” is with us right now, every moment, of every day! God is always there. God is always available in whatever present situation you are facing.

I am thankful that God’s word reminded me of this promise and truth today, so I wanted to share it with you. It is Good News!

Is this why Jesus said: “And remember, I AM with you always to the very end of the age”?! (Matthew 28:20)

—Pastor David Fetter

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