Jehovah, I Am Who I Am

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14, NIV)

Some of the names of God are His more formal majestic names or titles, such as the title Elohim [el-o-HEEM], our Creator; Adonai [add-eh-NYE], our Lord and Master; or ElElyon [el-EL-yawn], our Most High God. But His most personal name is Jehovah, “I Am Who I Am,” our ever-revealing God Who reveals Himself to His people.

Jehovah is considered God’s covenant name, His relational name, the foundation for His covenant relationship with His people. It’s a name with many variations, each indicating a different relationship He is willing to have with us.

When Moses met God in the burning bush (Exodus 3:14), God said to tell the people that He was sending Moses to lead them, and He identified Himself as Jehovah, “I Am that I Am.” It’s a statement of His self-existence. He is beyond time, so at every moment of our lives, He is present—always “I Am,” never “I Was” or “I Will Be.” He was sufficient then to part the Red Sea, as He sufficient today to meet our every need.

In the Bible every time we see the word “LORD”—written in all capital letters—it is translated “Jehovah.” Jehovah appears many times alone, and often compounded with other Hebrew terms, each identifying a different part of God’s nature and character, each representing a side of God’s character that He is willing to reveal to us—Jehovah-Jireh [JIE-reh], our Provider; Jehovah-Rophe [RAH-fah], our Healer; Jehovah-Shalom [sha-LOAM], our Peace;
and more.

God’s names not only reveal part of His nature, but through them He is revealing who He is willing to be in our lives. When we are in need, it is comforting to worship God as Our Provider. When we’re under stress, we praise our Prince of Peace. As we pray for those who are lost, we first magnify our Redeemer, our Savior, the Lamb of God.

We may certainly always address God simply as God, or Father—Jesus taught us to come to our Father. But Jesus also said we should pause before asking for our needs to be met to “hallow His name,” to worship Him. Our daily prayers should include at least a few moments of reflection on who God is and an expression of our love, adoration, thanksgiving, and worship.