The Great I Am

Introduction - what’s in a name?

David - beloved, dearly loved

Nash - Middle English, “atten ash”, “at the ash tree”

Wayne Bray

How about the names for God?

1. Yahweh

The most frequently used name for God in the OT (6,800 times)

Look for LORD

The name Yahweh (יְהוָה) is derived from the Hebrew verb "hayah" (הָיָה), meaning "to be" or "to exist." It is often understood to mean "He is," "He who causes to be," or "the self-existent One."

“The covenant name of God” - why?

Genesis 12:1–3 “1 The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

This shows that Yahweh was the God who initiated covenant relationships even before Sinai

Combined with other names:

Lord God (Genesis 2)

Lord of Hosts (Lord of Armies - angelic)

What about Jehovah?

In ancient Judaism, the divine name Yahweh was considered so sacred that it was not spoken aloud. Instead, when reading the Scriptures, Jews would substitute the word Adonai (אֲדֹנָי, meaning "Lord") or Elohim (אֱלֹהִים, meaning "God").

To remind readers to say Adonai instead of Yahweh, the Masoretes (Jewish scribes who preserved the Hebrew text between the 6th and 10th centuries AD) added the vowel points of Adonai to the consonants of the Tetragrammaton (יהוה). This created a hybrid: Y(e)H(o)W(a)H.

When Christian scholars in the Middle Ages and Renaissance encountered this hybrid, they mistakenly read it as Jehovah, combining the consonants of Yahweh with the vowels of Adonai.

2. Elohim

a. Appears over 2,500 times, meaning "God" and emphasizing His power and majesty

Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning, God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth.”

Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God (Elohim), the LORD is one.”

Note: Despite its plural form, when used for Yahweh, Elohim is grammatically singular, taking singular verbs.

b. "gods" (Plural, Referring to False Gods or Deities)

Exodus 20:3 - You shall have no other gods (elohim) before me.”

c. "divine beings" or "heavenly beings"

Psalm 82:1 - God (Elohim) stands in the divine assembly; He gives judgment among the gods (elohim).”

3. El

Appears 200 times in the OT

While "El" serves as a generic term for deity in Semitic languages, in the context of the Hebrew Bible, it specifically refers to the God of Israel, emphasizing His might and supremacy.

Numbers 23:22 “22 God brought them out of Egypt; he is like the horns of a wild ox for them.”

4. Adonai

Used about 400 times, meaning "Lord" or "Master."

Typically translated Lord (not all upper-case)

1. The Burning Bush

Exodus 3:1–3 CSB

1 Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. 3 So Moses thought, “I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?”

When do these events take place?

The Exodus is dated at 1446 (480 years before Solomon began building the temple in 966).

Abraham was told of Israel’s 400 year sojourn into Egypt after a significant event in his life after he had rescued Lot - Genesis 15:13–16 “13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know this for certain: Your offspring will be resident aliens for four hundred years in a land that does not belong to them and will be enslaved and oppressed. 14 However, I will judge the nation they serve, and afterward they will go out with many possessions. 15 But you will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.””

This prophecy is from around 2075, 629 years before the Exodus

v. 1 “Moses was shepherding” - We think of David as a shepherd, but Moses was as well. We think of God as our shepherd (Ps 23). What an ideal occupation for someone who was called to lead a people like the Israelites.

v. 2 “the angel of the Lord” - the angel of Yahweh, the angel that is Yahweh, or angel Yahweh

This is most likely a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus, the second person of the trinity

v. 3 “a flame of fire” - this becomes a symbol of God’s presence in Exodus

the pillar of fire by night that led the Israelites (Ex 13)

mount Sinai - the mountain enveloped in fire and smoke

the altar of burnt offering (the sacrifice was placed on a fire and consumed by it)

2. God’s Call to Moses

Exodus 3:4–10 CSB

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered. 5 “Do not come closer,” he said. “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he continued, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors. I know about their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the territory of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 9 So because the Israelites’ cry for help has come to me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them, 10 therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

v.4 “the Lord” - Yaweh

“God” - Elohim

“Moses, Moses” - God called specifically to Moses (as he did to Samuel)

“Here I am” - Moses’ reply

v.5 “Don’t come closer; remove the sandals”

We start to get a sense of God’s holiness; we can’t approach him as we would a normal person.

Sandals - unclean (what do you think a shepherd walks around in?)

v.6 “hid his face...afraid to look at God”

Moses, like all humans, was a sinner in the presence of a perfect and holy God. The Bible teaches that sin separates humanity from God (Isaiah 59:2), and Moses' fear likely arose from a sense of his own unworthiness to stand before the Almighty.

Later, as Moses’ relationship with God developed, God spoke to Moses "face to face, as one speaks to a friend." (Ex 33:11)

“the God (Elohim) of your father”

v.7 “I have observed the misery of my people; have heard them crying; I know about their sufferings”

God knows about our sufferings, trials

v.8 “I have come down to rescue”

v.10 “go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

A clear commission from God. Earlier, Moses had tried to advocate for his people on his own. But now is God’s timing.

3. Moses’ Hesitation and God’s Assurance

Exodus 3:11–15 CSB

11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.” 13 Then Moses asked God, “If I go 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 should I tell them?” 14 God replied 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 this 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; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.

Moses starts by asking “who am I?” and ends by asking “who are you?”

v.12 “I will certainly be with you”

When God says anything - it is true Numbers 23:19 “19 God is not a man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might change his mind. Does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?”

What about when God says this with certainty?

A sign - you will all worship God at this mountain

A confirming sign, rather than a predictive one; it will prove, after the fact, that God’s calling was true!

A guarantee of fulfillment - God is essentially saying, "This mission will succeed."

v.14 What is the name of God?

“I AM WHO I AM” - I cause to be because I cause to be

The self-existent one

Any more descriptive of a name would be misleading, overemphasizing one aspect of God’s character over another

Significance in the NT:

These statements in John’s Gospel use ego eimi without a predicate, directly echoing God's self-revelation in Exodus 3:14.

Jesus explicitly claims divine existence before Abraham. The Jewish leaders understand this as a claim to deity and attempt to stone Him (John 8:59).

John 8:58 – "Before Abraham was, I AM."

John 18:5-6 – In the Garden of Gethsemane, when the soldiers come to arrest Jesus, He says "I AM" (ego eimi), and they fall to the ground, suggesting a display of divine power.

The "I AM" Statements with Predicates (Revealing His Role in Salvation)

In John’s Gospel, Jesus also uses "I AM" followed by metaphors that reveal His mission:

"I AM the bread of life" (John 6:35, 48) – Jesus provides spiritual nourishment.

"I AM the light of the world" (John 8:12) – Jesus brings spiritual illumination.

"I AM the door" (John 10:7, 9) – Jesus is the way to salvation.

"I AM the good shepherd" (John 10:11, 14) – Jesus lays down His life for His sheep.

"I AM the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25) – Jesus has power over death.

"I AM the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6) – Jesus is the exclusive path to the Father.

"I AM the true vine" (John 15:1, 5) – Jesus is the source of spiritual life and fruitfulness.

Applications:

God is eternal and unchanging. We can rest in the stability of His promises.

Hebrews 13:8 “8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

2. God Is Self-Existent and Self-Sufficient. He does not need anything, but we depend entirely on Him. This should humble us and drive us to trust Him rather than ourselves.

3. God’s Name Reveals His Sufficiency for Every Need

Application: The name "I AM" is open-ended. It means God is whatever we need Him to be in any circumstance—our provider, healer, comforter, and strength.

Verse Connection: "My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

4. Jesus Christ Is the Great "I AM"

Application: Jesus directly applies "I AM" to Himself (John 8:58), showing that He is fully divine. Recognizing Jesus as the "I AM" should lead us to worship Him, trust Him completely, and proclaim Him to others.

Verse Connection: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)