Read it: Exodus 3: 1-15
Live it:
In today’s reading Moses has been living in Midian for about 40 years. The story of Egypt is a distant memory. I imagine that having left the tensions and intrigues of Pharaoh’s court a distant memory, he was quite comfortable in his new role as husband, son-in-law, and father. Herding sheep is less demanding than herding cats–or people.
We find Moses leading his sheep far into the wilderness. One commentator referred to it as “the backside of the desert.” Let your imagination flow a wee bit. You are leading a flock of sheep looking for anything green for them to eat. Suddenly, you see a “tumbleweed” in full flame, but it’s not being consumed. You walk over to check it out and hear a voice calling you by name and saying, “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.”
Moses gets his “Marching orders.” He’s both confused and hesitant and responds by saying, “I need to tell them by whose authority am I speaking? They won’t listen to me, a smelly shepherd.” The words “I am” have been translated from the Hebrew word hayah, a verb meaning “to happen, to be, to become.” God uses it here as His personal name: “I Am, Who I Am.” It was used in a similar context when God spoke to Abraham about the covenant promise (Genesis 15:1 & 17:1). The implication is a perfect present, no past or future–NOW.
Moses needed something more than “he-who-shall-not-be-named” if he was going to be credible with both the Israelites and Pharaoh in the audacious demand to “Let [his] people go!” It was parallel to saying, “Yahweh, the God of your fathers… has sent me to you.”
In later centuries, about 300 B.C., the Rabbis became so afraid of breaking the Third Commandment that they decided not to pronounce the name YHWH (Yahweh) at all, so the actual pronunciation has been lost.
In the Gospels, when Jesus said ‘I am the ______’ (such as ‘I am the bread of life,’ ‘I am the light of the world,’ etc.), He was not only addressing specific needs but also confirming His divine nature. By using ‘I Am,’ He was directly connecting Himself to God’s name revealed in Exodus 3:14, showing that He is the eternal God who provides everything we need.
Ps. Gary