Exodus 6 – July 25th, 2009
“I AM”. Two of the most frequently used words in the English language. I am hungry. I am thirsty. I am late. I am Jeff. It is all about a state of being. When we hear the words “I am”, we are always looking for words to qualify them (hungry, thirsty, late, Jeff). The important words are the words that follow the “I am”. Not true in the case of God.
“LORD” in the Bible has a unique spelling. There is “lord”: an honorable title. There is “Lord”: used as a personal greeting or title of a specific person. And, there is LORD: all capitals, but the last three are smaller font. The final one, in all capitals, is a way of spelling YHWH – God’s own personal name for Himself. It is translated as “I AM” – eternally. It is “I AM” in the past, “I AM” presently, and “I AM” in the future. I AM – eternally.
Take for example the wording in verse 2. God says, “I am the I AM (LORD).” God has chosen to make Himself known as the I AM of Scripture. Jesus repeats this significant phrase over eight times in the Gospel of John. Each time Jesus does it, the Pharisees accuse Jesus of claiming to be God, and on several occasions they seek to kill Him. Clearly the “I AM” of Exodus is very significant.
Why is it so important? God uses this phrase fourteen times in chapter 6 alone. Clearly, God is making a point. God spends a lot of time revealing who He is in the first five verses. He is the I AM, He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He is the God of the Covenant. It is He that is going to deliver Israel from its oppressor.
God makes a promise to deliver the people. But, the focus is not on the promise itself. The focus is on the One who promises.
How does this impact us today? Imagine you are a Hebrew slave in Egypt. And, imagine that you are focused on the promise of deliverance from Egypt. What happens to you when the first try to deliver you fails? What happens if efforts fail numerous times? If you are focused on the promise, you will feel as if God has not been able to fulfill His word.
If we focus on the God who has promised, and we focus on His abilities, we tend to see things differently. The God who is I AM can do anything. If that is the case, and we know He can, then we know that all things must line up with His plan, and that something is going on that God is sovereign over.
In my life, a God who is able is the God who I need. When I know God has given me a promise or a vision for something, it is good to remember Him who promised. That way, when things are not going in my timing, I remember that God will do exactly as He said, because He is able.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Jeff Ludington.
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