“I AM THAT I AM”
Most Christians are familiar with the story of Israel and the Egyptian bondage. They came into Egypt as a result of a great famine in the land of Canaan. But, because Joseph had been sold into Egyptian slavery because of his brother’s jealousy and had been promoted to the second highest position in the Egyptian government because of the Divine Favor of God on his life, they lived a prosperous life in Egypt for almost 400 years. But eventually Pharaoh became fearful of them because God had multiplied their numbers. Therefore Pharaoh began to afflict Israel through hard bondage and rigorous labor.
Exodus 1:13, 14 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
After years of hard labor and rigorous affliction Israel began to cry out to God because of the bondage they were under. This scenario has played out many times in the Bible. God’s people are delivered from famine (problems) and given Divine Favor and Protection. But, after many years of fruitful increase they forget God and come under affliction and hard bondage. Then, because of the bondage they began to cry out for deliverance and salvation from Egypt.
Exodus 2:23-25 And… in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.
When Israel cried out to God because of the bondage and affliction, God heard them because their prayers were inspired by desperation, repentance and sincerity. Sadly God often must allow His people to come to a place of bondage and affliction before they are inspired to cry out to Him for deliverance. Many similar applications could be made for Christians over the past 2000 years and when God hears the sincere cry of His people he raises up someone to bring deliverance & salvation.
Exodus 3:1, 2 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Many times the person God chooses to bring deliverance has been hidden away from society. When God called Moses he had been living in the desert for 40 years as a shepherd of his Father-in-law’s sheep. Moses had been forced to leave Egypt because he attempted to deliver Israel by his own strength and murdered an Egyptian. Moses probably long ago had forgotten God’s call on his life and It took a miraculous event to get his attention.
Exodus 3:3-6 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
It was not a miracle for a bush to catch fire in the dry desert heat, but it was a miracle that the fire did not consume the bush. It continued to burn and burn until Moses turned aside from his daily responsibilities to check it out. “WHEN MOSES TURNED ASIDE TO SEE” God called unto him out of the midst of the burning bush. It was then that God identified Himself to Moses.
Before God could call Moses to deliver Israel He first had to get Moses’ attention. Many times God wants to use a Christian to bring deliverance to His people, but because they are so caught up in their own daily affairs they don’t hear or see God’s calling. This may be a result of earlier attempts, which failed because of zeal without wisdom or they did not know God’s timetable for deliverance.
Exodus 3:7-10 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land untoa good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey,… and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send theeunto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
What a shock it must have been after 40 years in the desert to have God appear and call Moses to deliver Israel. God testified He had seen their Affliction and had heard their Cry. God said, “I AM” going to “BRING THEM OUT OF EGYPT” and “BRING THEM UNTO A GOOD LAND.”
When God delivers someone He always brings them “OUT OF” and “UNTO.” He does not deliver us “UNTO NOTHING.” When God delivers someone he brings them into “SOMETHING ELSE.”
Colossians 1:13, 14 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood.
2 Corinthians 5:17, 18 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
In both of these verses the Bible says God “HATH” delivered, “HATH” translated and “HATH” reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. This proves that the same moment we are “SAVED” we are “FORGIVEN” and “BROUGHT INTO” the “RIGHTEOUSNESS” of God.
Exodus 3:13, 14 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM:and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
This verse reveals that God’s NAME is “I AM.” This name is very important to understand, because God did not say His Name is “I WAS” or “I WILL BE,” He said “I AM.” Therefore, God is the God of every moment of eternity. Everything God does is available “INSTANTLY” because he is the God of “RIGHT NOW.”
This is why as Christians we can say, “I AM SAVED.” This is why the sick can say “I AM HEALED.” This is why those who have been bound can say, “I AM DELIVERED.” Whenever we ask God for something and exercise our faith in believing God’s Word, we can say it “HATH” been done even though outward, material or physical evidence may not agree with our confession of faith.
Exodus 3:15-22 And God said…. Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: ”this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”
Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying… I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt… unto a land flowing with milk and honey.… And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go,… And I will…. smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go… and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
God tells Moses that “I AM THAT I AM” is His name forever and unto all generations. Therefore, if God’s name was “I AM” then God’s name still is “I AM” and God’s name always will be “I AM.”
Matthew 16:13-19 …Jesus… asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, “But whom say ye that “I am?” And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
John 8:57-59 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, “Before Abraham was, I am.” Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself,… going through the midst of them,…