God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14 WEB
Moses lived an extraordinary life. Born to Hewbrew parents in bondage, he escaped the death ordered by Pharoah as his mother placed him in a reed basket and set him upon the river Nile. Found by the daughter of Pharaoh, Moses lived as a prince of Egypt.
God intended that Moses deliver his people from bondage in Egypt and prepared him for this with unique life experiences. After forty years of safety in Egypt, Moses encountered an Egyptian man abusing one of his Hebrew brothers. Angered, Moses sinned and killed the Egyptian. Fearing the retribution of Pharaoh, Moses fled for his own life.
Israel Cries Out to God
After fleeing Egypt, Moses settled in the land of Midian. He married the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian, and served his father in law as a shepherd. During this time, the ruler of the Egyptians died and a new Pharoah assumed power. His treatment of the children of Israel caused distress among their people. Their cries for deliverance did not go unheard by God.
As Moses tended Jethro’s sheep, an angel appeared on mount Horeb in the form of a flame of fire in the midst of a bush. Intrigued by the sight, the bible records Moses’ response. Exodus 3:3 reads, “Moses said, “I will go now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned. WEB”
The Great I Am Answers
On the mountain, Moses hears the voice of God commanding him to deliver the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob from their bondage. Not knowing how to explain himself to the children of Israel, and not knowing the name of God, Moses asks what he is to tell them. The Lord responds, “I AM WHO I AM,” adding that Moses tell them, ”I AM has sent me to you.”
Significantly, Jesus describes himself seven times in the gospel of John using this same language. With these words, Jesus asserts his divinity. As God said “I AM WHO I AM,” Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. WEB” As Moses led the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt, Jesus leads those who follow him out of the bondage of sin and condemnation into the kingdom of heaven.
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for revealing yourself to mankind. Thank you for delivering me from the bondage of sin. Guide my steps to serve your kingdom. Help me to live my life serving you and your purpose. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: A City on a Hill
