Originally posted: 02/21/2019

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”  ¹⁵ God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name [emphasis added] to all generations,” (3:14-15).

Consider His Memorial-Name

Moses was asking for more than a simple name, more than a means of introduction.

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?” (3:13).

Moses was asking God to describe Himself. Moses needed to know how to characterize the God of his fathers to a people greatly afflicted and in bondage. What would convince them Moses had truly encountered God, and more importantly, what would convince them this God was trustworthy? After all, circumstances were not giving much credence to God’s dependability, or so it seemed.

“In ancient Israel the name of a person was supposed to indicate some characteristic of that person, or be linked to circumstances, however trivial or monotonous, connected with his birth. Names and nature, as well as names and facts, were made to correspond, as can be found in the name Moses gave his son (Exodus 2:22).” https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-men-bible/Romantic-History-Bible-Names

We’ve read of examples during our time in Genesis when people ascribed a name to God to reflect their encounter with Him. (YAHWEH-JIREH: “The Lord Will Provide” in Genesis 22:14, and EL ROI: “God of Seeing” in Genesis 16:13.)

But here, in this miraculous encounter, Moses is reluctant to name Him; Moses desperately needs God to define Himself, to ascribe His own identity and character. And God answers Moses.

“What shall I say to them?” ¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ 

And God then emphasizes this is not a one-time name, but His forever name, His Memorial-Name.

God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.

This is His Memorial-Name, I AM. In our language it sounds incomplete. I AM … what? But this is exactly the point, we cannot complete Him, contain Him in the box of man-made language; He spills out to all of eternity. He is I AM, with no beginning, no end; I AM … everything ever needed in the past, in this present day, and the future. And this is His Memorial-Name; what He has decreed we should remember, recall, recollect, evoke, consider, learn and retain about Him!

How do we respond to His Memorial-Name?

We begin by remembering! Memorials are established to provide recaps of great events or persons; reminders of our history, reminders so we don’t forget.

Think about the memorials in our nation’s Capitol. If you’ve ever been privileged to visit and stand before these great structures, to read quotes of the person memorialized, or names on memorial walls, there is a sacred sense, a holy hush.

And now, consider God’s own Memorial! He has graciously provided a Memorial to assist and encourage us to experience Him, His Sacredness, Holiness, Power and Might; His Holy Name revealed in His Holy Word.

Let us approach Him with awe and reverence, and also in faith and confidence; for He has told us exactly Who He is. He is I AM.

• Lord, I am a sinner. I Am your Salvation.
  • “Behold, God is my salvation,
    I will trust and not be afraid;
    For the Lord God is my strength and song,
    And He has become my salvation,” (Isaiah 12:2).
  •  looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, (Titus 2:13).
• Lord, I am so needy. I AM your Provision.
  • “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 4:19).
• Lord, I have questions. I AM your Answer.
  • “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear,” (Isaiah 65:24).
• Lord, I am sick. I AM your Healer.
  • “…for I, the Lord, am your healer,” (Exodus 15:26).
• Lord, I am in turmoil. I AM your Peace.
  • “For He Himself is our peace…” (Ephesians 2:14).
• Lord, I am hurting. I AM your Comfort.
  • “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction…” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
• Lord, I am in trouble. I AM your Refuge.
  • “God is our refuge and strength,
    A very present help in trouble,” (Psalm 46:1).
• Lord, I am weak. I AM your Strength.
  • “The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; (Psalm 28:7).
• Lord, I am frightened. I AM with you.
  • “Do not fear, for I am with you;
    Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
    I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
    Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10).
• Lord, I am lonely. I AM with you always.
  • “… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:20).
• Lord, I don’t even know what I need. I AM your Everything.
  • “…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence,” (2 Peter 1:3).

Let us approach Him in holy awe and reverence; He reveals Himself, and it is sacred ground. He has revealed Himself through His Memorial-Name, I AM. In this Memorial-Name we are transformed as we remember, and live in bold assurance, whatever our situation, our need… He is I AM!

Let’s Remember and Grow Together!