What Does it Mean “I AM WHO I AM”?
What is in a Name?
Exodus 3:14–15 is where God famously introduced Himself as I AM, but He had actually hinted at this earlier to Abraham in Genesis 15:1.
“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.’ ”
Moses, living in a pagan Egyptian culture with its own pantheon—where people were accustomed to gods and goddesses bearing names—asked God what name he should give to the Israelites.
God told Moses “I AM,” but it was not in the sense of a name like those of the pagan gods and goddesses, whether Egyptian, Greek, or Roman. I AM in Hebrew is connected to YHWH, the divine name later rendered as LORD in English translations. The form “Jehovah” arose much later in medieval Latin.
The God of The Bible is Greater
For you to understand the true and deep significance of God’s name, you must first understand a word you may or may not be familiar with: pantheon.
Classical literature gave us the word pantheon. Merriam Webster defines pantheon as “the gods of a people,” the most famous examples being the Greek and Roman pantheons. The Greek pantheon consists of hundreds of gods and goddesses, with Zeus regarded as the most famous and most powerful. The Roman pantheon includes many of the foremost Greek gods, though often under different names, with Jupiter occupying the highest position.
One defining characteristic of these pantheons—using the Greek pantheon as an example—is that the gods rule over different domains and possess different capabilities. Zeus rules over the sky, Poseidon over the seas, and Hades over the underworld. Other prominent Greek gods include Athena, the goddess of wisdom, war, and crafts; Apollo, the god of the sun, music, and prophecy; and Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.
Because of these differing roles and capabilities, worshippers would pray to specific gods or goddesses depending on their needs. Sailors prayed to Poseidon for safety on the high seas, soldiers and warriors prayed to Athena for victory in war, and women prayed to Aphrodite for beauty or to find love.
One Error of Catholicism
As an aside, the error of Catholicism in instructing believers to pray to so-called “saints” for different needs has its roots in this same pagan practice. Sainthood is not something that is granted through catholic canonization. The Bible teaches that all true Christian believers are saints. Paul wrote:
“To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints…”
— 1 Corinthians 1:2
If Catholic authorities wish to dispute this, their argument is not with me, but with the Bible.
None of these Greek gods or goddesses—including Zeus, the most powerful among them—possessed all these attributes or could meet every need of their worshippers.
With this brief history lesson complete, let me return to unpacking the meaning of God’s name.
The I AM WHO I AM
Notice that God began by saying “I AM WHO I AM” in verse 14. He was not really giving Moses a name per se. Rather, He was making the point that He is not limited by names because He is not like the pagan gods and goddesses, who are limited in their capabilities. He is limitless.
This is what Paul was writing about when he said:
“Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:28
God calling Himself “I AM WHO I AM” is a statement of distinction. He was declaring that He is not like the pagan gods and goddesses worshiped by the Egyptians and other peoples then, nor like the gods people worship today.
In the following paragraphs, I will highlight three key areas of human need where God has revealed Himself in the lives of His people.
God as Shield
One of the first aspects of His nature that God revealed in relation to human need was to Abraham (then Abram) when He said:
“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
— Genesis 15:1
At that time, Abraham was living among foreign people. He was allied in particular with the Amorite brothers Mamre (later Hebron), Aner, and Eshcol (as in the valley of Eshcol), whose lands Abraham’s descendants would later inherit. As a foreigner living among surrounding peoples, there were real dangers and threats.
A shield is used for defense and protection. God was telling Abraham, I AM your protector—your safety and your security. We see this protection demonstrated when Abraham went to war against Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him to rescue Lot (Genesis 14:15).
Abraham could not have defeated this alliance had God not been with him.
And if you are now facing dangers or threats—or whenever you face them in your workplace, your neighborhood, or wherever you may be—God is also saying to you, I am your shield.
God as Provider
Second, God revealed Himself to Abraham as a Provider when He asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac. After Abraham demonstrated obedience, God stopped him, making clear that it was a test, and provided a ram to be offered in Isaac’s place.
“And Abraham called the name of the place, The LORD Will Provide; as it is said to this day, ‘In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.’”
— Genesis 22:14
From the Hebrew expression used here comes the title Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider.
One important truth revealed in this story is that God would never require human sacrifice, unlike the demonic pagan gods such as Moloch (Molech). It is tragic that Jephthah, one of the judges of Israel, did not understand this and sacrificed his daughter (Judges 11:30–31, 38–39).
As one of His many attributes, God is our Provider, and we can pray to Him whenever we are in need.
God as Healer
Third, God revealed Himself as our Healer when He said:
“…If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”
— Exodus 15:26
God demonstrated this again in a lesser-known story in Numbers 21:4–9 when the Israelites disobeyed Him and were bitten by snakes, resulting in many deaths. When they repented, God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and place it on a pole. Anyone who looked at it was healed. Interestingly, many believe that this serpent on a pole is the inspiration for the modern medical insignia.
If you are sick now—or know someone who is—God can heal you or them if you pray and believe. While it is true that God does not always heal for reasons known only to Him, this is the exception rather than the rule. God is, by nature, a Healer.
God’s Titles Reflect His Actions
The dramatic way God revealed Himself in the stories we have reviewed is noteworthy because the titles we attribute to Him today are derived from what He has done, not from what anyone merely claimed or believed He could do. Do you grasp the difference?
For example, we call Him Jehovah Adonai, the Sovereign One, because He rules over all. We call Him Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of hosts, because He gives victory in war. We call Him Jehovah Rapha (or Ropheka) because He heals.
By contrast, people may claim or believe that their false gods and goddesses can act, even when they cannot. This is illustrated by the false prophets of Baal in their showdown with Elijah on Mount Carmel, when they called on Baal to send fire, but nothing happened—because he could not (1 Kings 18:29).
The God of Elijah—our God—sent fire because He can do all things.
If you are an Islamist, Hinduist, Buddhist, Scientologist, or a follower of any other false religion, ask yourself: what has your god ever done for you, or done for you lately?
The Limitless Nature of God
God saying, “I AM WHO I AM,” is His way of saying, in effect, you cannot put Me in a box. God was declaring that He cannot be confined or limited. He is sovereign over all and present in all—fully transcendent, preeminent, and supreme over everything.
By calling Himself I AM, God was saying, “I can be whatever you need and meet all your needs,” unlike the limited pagan gods and goddesses.