Tell them I AM sent you!

You remember the holy ground "burning bush" experience of Moses' back in Exodus Chapter 3? This is where Moses met God and was told what his mission was to be. Moses stood in awe at the very presence of the Lord God as He explains His concern for the "affliction" of His people.

And Moses begins to ask questions of God saying, "who am I that you should send me" and then Moses asked one of the most thought provoking questions in God's Holy Word. He said in verse 13 "...Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall 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?" Not an unreasonable question. If I go to someone and give instruction from another, most likely they will want to know who this instruction comes from so Moses is saying, "Who do I tell them you are?"

"And 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" (v. 14). I AM sent me! Hummm. What a profound response for a finite being to have to discern. God had already told Moses back in verse 6 that "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." So God says, "tell them, I AM sent you..."

But what does that mean exactly? Well I'll tell you from years of listening and studying what I think it means! I think it means, "you need strength, I AM strength, you need courage, I AM courage, you need wisdom, I AM wisdom, you need peace, I AM peace! Whatever it is that you need Moses, I AM! And then in verse 15, God tells Moses "This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations." And all throughout the Bible we see "I AM", one of the most powerful names given to our Lord God.

We see in the New Testament places where Jesus used the name "I AM". In the Gospel of John, chapter 8, verses 24, 28, 58, and then again when it is proclaimed in Hebrews 13:8 that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and yes forever." The most famous usage of the name was in the garden when the Roman guards came to Jesus as He prayed and Jesus asked them "Whom do you seek?" (Jn 18:4) and Jesus told them, "I am He," and upon Him just speaking His name, the soldiers drew back and fell to the ground. Two more times in the garden Jesus referred to Himself as "I AM"!

What does all of this mean and where is God going with such a profound use of the phrase "I AM" as His name? Well, here's what I think. You are standing beside someone who had just lost their spouse to cancer, or perhaps a little child to an accident and the grief is so "entrenched" that there are no words to offer to bring peace. Maybe they just lost their job or one spouse has decided "enough is enough" and has packed up and walked away from the family. They don't care to hear a busy dissertation on who God is or why this happened. They just need to know that "I AM" the most powerful source in the universe is "standing in the gap" and when they want to share their grief, He (I AM) will not fail them. He will be there to be for them, whatever it is they need, so they can get through their trial. What do you need? I AM peace, I AM love, I AM grace, I AM your Father and I loved you enough to send My Son to Calvary so you would not have to go.

Are you being "eaten up" from the inside today because of a trial that is SO MUCH bigger than you and you think you just can't take it anymore? I AM, the God of Creation waits patiently, as He did way back with Moses, to assure you that HE has you in His hands.

Dave