DAY 9

I AM, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is My Name Forever.

Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD 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 to all generations.’” Exodus 3:13-15 NKJV

First, God defines Himself as “I AM WHO I AM.” He is the existing One, the absolute, never changing, eternal Being. He is the Creator of everything that exists. Then, God identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is the One that revealed Himself to them and made a covenant with them. God concludes His presentation by stating: “This is My name forever.” Because of its direct textual proximity, “this” refers to both “YHWH” and “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

God wants to be known as the One nobody can define perfectly except Himself - “I AM WHO I AM” or “YHWH.” However, He chooses to be identified by His relationship with His covenantal friends. The Creator of all things, the God of the Universe, wants to be recognized forever as the God who befriended Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and made a covenant with them. This passage shows how much God values relationships and honors His covenant with those He created in His image.

God is neither “the unknowable Creator” nor “the undefined Supreme Being.” His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob paves the way for those who seek a living relationship with their Creator. He has revealed Himself to His friends and wants to be known by those who walk in their steps. Much more so, God wants to be known through His Son, Jesus the Messiah.

Prayer

Our Father,

We bless Your Holy Name. We praise You, the Great I AM. We worship You for making Yourself known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Thank you for establishing a covenant with them. Thank you for making Your Name famous forever: YHWH, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Thank you for revealing Yourself ultimately in Your Son, Jesus.

We pray that You will wake Israel to the reality that they belong to You and that You are their God forever. We pray they will know that their identity and calling is to be Yours. We pray they will return to You and leave their attempts to self-define themselves.

We pray that the Church worldwide will understand that the roots of her faith go back to Your covenant with Israel. Let her see the new covenant as part of God’s redemptive story that He began with the patriarchs.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.