The Eternal I AM

But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, 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 eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.” -Exodus 3:13-15.


Until I read Martin’s chapter on Yahweh, I never really grasped the power behind His name. Yes, I "feared" God and I knew that He was the Almighty, Most High, Creator of heaven and earth but the power never really hit me until I learned more about it.

A little background on the name Yahweh: The Hebrews revered His name as so incredibly Holy that they would not even write or speak the name Yahweh in its entirety. The name held such importance and power that they felt unworthy to let it roll off their lips. They usually replaced it with Adonai or my lord.

If you think about it “god” is a general term. Many cultures worshipped different gods. A god was, and still is, considered a greater power and an unknown deity. Around the world different cultures claim to worship the same god but through a different name … but He isn’t just a god … He is THE GOD. He has ONE name. I think it’s fascinating that God showed the world who He was through His name. He isn’t known as just “God” the unknown deity. He personified himself by using a name. He is set apart.

I always think of Moses asking God who he should call Him when addressing the people of Israel, “I AM, WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). Or when Jesus said, "'I tell you the truth … before Abraham was born, I am!'" (John 8:58).  "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13). It literally gives me chills to think about those words. My lowly words cannot even express the significance of what that means.  HE WAS, HE IS, HE IS TO COME.

Think of Him … His power, His image, His ultimate majesty ... If you truly grasp and understand the depth of His being, how could you not fear Him? I know that for me personally, after I recognized the significance of His infinite power I dropped to the floor on my knees, head buried in the floor. I felt so unworthy and small. It’s unreal to imagine that He in all His glory could love me, little ol’ Sarah, but He does … The "I AM" is my God and though unworthy, I am so grateful of His love and adoration of me. 

There is a song out there by Phillips Craig and Dean that I think truly puts into words Yahweh in all His greatness. I highly encourage you to read the lyrics or listen to the song here . Draw near to Him and give Him the praise and adoration that He deserves. Thank Him for simply being Him.