Thursday 16 July 2009
- Bible Book:
- Exodus
"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".'" (v.13-14)
Background
"God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.'" Believers, casual readersand scholars alike have puzzled over this statement since ... when?Well, probably since it was first written down, thousands of yearsago. "I AM WHO I AM," is comprised of three short words in Hebrew(and two of them are the same!): 'ehyeh asher ehyeh'.
Throughout the time of both Old and New Testaments, names and thegiving of names were very important. Abram became Abraham, Jacobbecame Israel, Saul of Tarsus became Paul the apostle. God changedall their names. To give someone a name suggests having somemeasure of power or authority over the individual - it is parentswho name their children.
Some scholars believe that God's answer to Moses was an evasion ofthe question "What is his name?", so that Moses couldn't coerceGod's help through the power of the divine name. "I AM WHO I AM"could be a way of saying 'none of your business'! There's merit tothat argument. However, the simple fact is that the Hebrews didn'thave a name for God, as did their pagan neighbours. Rather theyused many descriptors: all-powerful, Lord, highest God etc. Afterall, who were creatures to give a name to their creator?
The most enduring and persuasive meaning of "I AM WHO I AM" lies inits root meaning of 'being' - the god who was, is and will be; thegod who sustains all being; the god who is present with us in alltimes and circumstances. This idea is present in the Hebrew nameImmanuel, meaning 'God with us'. This is a name applied to Jesus(Matthew 1:23)and is a name of assurance that God cares about humanity enough tobecome one of us and to remain with us in both spirit andpower.
To Ponder
In times of distress, God can seem very distant.Yet we learn from the above passage that God is the very foundationof our existence. Could you benefit from examining how God mighthave been with you during difficult times?
John Henry Newman (a Roman Catholic priest andcardinal) once wrote to a friend that it is the very energy of ourthoughts that keeps us from God. Perhaps it's time to lose yourmind - and come to your senses! How might your five senses alertyou to God's presence?