Exodus 3:11-14 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you…” Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM who  I AM.” This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.”

The focus of this passage is on what God is about to do for Israel, and what He is about to do is redeem them. To set them free from slavery to Pharaoh so that He can make them slaves to Himself. And it’s this specific action of God that gives His Name meaning. Dwight Pryor describes the Name of God, YHWH, this way “This is what I AM and you know what I AM bc I AM doing it.”

The emphasis in Exodus 3 is not simply that God exists, but that God acts and those actions will always be in agreement with who He is.

Remember my quote from last week? “If God’s actions are not always consistent with His character than the universe would crumble… God would no longer be God.” So when God acts He is revealing something about Himself. And at this moment when He’s declaring to Moses that He is Yhwh, I Am, His actions are going to reveal that He is the I AM who keeps His Covenant and therefore, who will rend the heavens to act on behalf of His people.

Basically God says to Moses “I AM the God of what’s happening and I AM about to happen for you! Abraham knew me as El Shaddai, but you will know Me as Yhwh. I will be there for you, My Covenant people. I will do what I’m about to do for you.”(DAP)

Be encouraged this morning. God has not changed. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Yhwh, who acted on behalf of His people is now your God as well. His actions are now happening to you and for you. He is the “I AM” who is here for you!