by Teena Myers

Follow Me: Deliverance[1]

Observations as I follow God through the Chronological Bible

Exodus 3:13-15 [2]

Moses’ first objection, “Who am I?”, to the second chance at fulfill his calling left him sitting on the sidelines as irrelevant. God’s plan will be fulfilled based on who he “is” not who Moses “is”. The second objection Moses made to God’s assignment is a logical progression. “Then Moses said to God, Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” Who are you, God? Anyone could say the God of your fathers spoke to me. If Moses really knew the God of their fathers, he would know his name.

God responded to the inquiry for his name by saying “I AM WHO I AM”. Tel them I AM sent me. The Hebrew word translated “I AM” means “to exist.”[1]  God followed this assertion of his existence by repeating the name he already gave to Moses when he told Moses he was standing on holy ground. “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. God instructed Moses to tell the Hebrews the God of your ancestors “exists”. After 200 years, to question God’s existence would be reasonable.

The repetition of God’s name reminded Moses and later the Hebrews of the oath God swore to fulfill when Abraham obeyed him. This is a key to understanding God’s actions during the deliverance of his people. God appeared to Moses because God remembered his promised to a man who possessed the one and only faith that pleases God.

In summary, God told Moses to say to the Hebrews that the God who swore an oath to Abraham that both the Hebrews and the Gentiles who have the same kind of faith in God that Abraham did will become a great nation more numerous than the dust of the earth and the stars of heaven. This diverse multitude of people from every nation will possess the Promised Land and be a blessing to all nations. God will bless those who bless them and curse those who curse them. He will establish his covenant to be their God. They will possess the gate of their enemies, which is another way of saying those who hate them will not govern them. They will govern their enemies. This God exists and has appeared in remembrance of that oath.[2]  

God put to rest any questions about the part Moses would play in the oath being fulfilled or that the oath would be fulfilled within his lifetime. Regarding his name, God also said, “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.” Not only did God exist when Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived, he will exist forever. He does not have the limitation of time that humanity suffers with. Therefore, it will take generations for his plan to be fulfilled.

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[1] H1961 היה hâyâh haw-yaw’ A primitive root, to exist (Strongs Concordance)

[2] Exodus 2:24