Exodus 3:10
While talking to Moses from the burning bush God said, “Come, I will send you unto Pharaoh that you may bring forth my people out of Egypt”. (3:10)
Think about it. Moses is leading a completely normal shepherd’s life when, out of nowhere, God Himself appears and asks him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. “And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”. (3:11)
Remember that phrase, ‘the meekness of Moses’ that was so frequently used as an example to us throughout the history of our country? Well, it was said because it was true, Moses was a truly meek man. He was strong in his beliefs and strong in justice but he endured injury with patience and without resentment. He had a quiet strength.
Actually, he was a meek man with a past. Moses knew he was wanted for murder in Egypt, and now he is asked to appear before a king who wants to kill him. But God always prevails and God said to Moses, “I will be with you”. (3:12) Basically God said, “Moses, you don’t have to worry, I will be your strength and protection.” God said, “That shall be your sign that it was I who sent you.” “And when you succeed because of me, you shall worship me at this very mountain.
It’s interesting to note that when God makes His request of Moses the first question Moses asks is, “Who am I?” The second question Moses asks is, “Who are you?” Said more politely, he has actually asked who shall I say sent me. Moses knew The Israelites had strayed so far from their faith they probably no longer even knew God or anything about Him.
It’s even quite probable that after having grown up in the Egyptian royal household knowing only the Egyptian gods and even now he was familiar with the Midianite gods that he needed to be reminded who God was. Or possibly Moses asked the question because he was anxious to know more about the Israelite God.
God said to Moses “Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh.” You will say Ehyeh sent me.
God just identified Himself to Moses with a name that has four different meanings, each one perfectly accurate. They were, “I am what I am”, “I am who I am” “I will be what I want to be” and “I will be who I will be”.
Actually Hebrew does not have a word for the present tense of the verb “to be.” There is no Hebrew word for “am” or “is” or “are”. In other words, to say I am Moses he could only say, “I Moses”.
What this leads to is the fact that terms “I am who I am” and “I will be” were never again mentioned in the Torah. God gave Moses the complete answer
for Moses only, but not for the Israelites.
The most commonly used name for God in the Torah and the rest of the Hebrew Bible is essentially the verb “to be”. It is comprised of the Hebrew letters, YHVH. We now pronounce that word Yahweh. Yahweh is where we get the name Jehovah, and it is always translated “Lord”, even though YHVH actually means “Being,” or “Will Be,” or even just the word “Is”.
God simply “IS”.
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