"I Am Who I Am"

September 2, 2007

Series: Attributes of God; Exodus 3:13-15

Introduction: One of the questions in life from so many people is: Who is God? They want to know, because they want to understand about this God in whom they trust. They want to know because along with faith, there needs to be some understanding. But even more, they want to know that God is truly the One in whom they can put their trust. So this morning we start a new series on the “Attributes of God.” Over the next few weeks we will be talking about how God is unchanging and provides for our needs, how God is almighty and all-powerful, how God is all-knowing and over all things, how God is holy and good. I believe that when we get to the end of this series, we will have a better understanding of who God is, and why it makes sense to put our trust in Him. By doing this, it will also enable us to see that God is far beyond us, and yet makes Himself as close as can be. This is good news that we have this all-powerful creator, who wants us to know Him and be known by Him!

I. The Greatness of God- (Exodus 2:11-12, 3:1-15)

a. Moses- Moses is a lot like you and me. At first glance it might not

seem to be this way, but I believe this to be true. Even though Moses grew up in the palace of the Pharaoh, and even though Moses had most everything that he could want, and even though Moses had the best training and teaching, in the end he knew that he didn’t belong in the palace. In the end, Moses knew that he was a Hebrew, and it pained him to see his people struggle.

In the book of Exodus, we read about how Moses would look out and see his people doing their hard labor. He saw how the Egyptians treated his people so poorly. And in time, this began to wear on him. Moses had nowhere to take this burden, and he let it build up inside of him. So much so, that it finally just exploded. Just like you and me, if we let our frustration build up, it will come out in unhealthy ways. It didn’t seem to Moses that God was doing anything to help his people, and so one day he took it upon himself.

We read about this in Exodus 2:11-12, “One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” Because of this, Moses had to flee to the desert, where he spent many years. Moses didn’t realize that this time in the desert was actually preparing him for what God had for him to do. But before Moses could agree to do it, Moses had to learn who God was.

b. Moses meets God- So as we come to Exodus, chapter 3, Moses gets

the opportunity to meet God. This is probably an experience many of us would want to have. I know many people who struggle to believe because they can’t see God or experience God in a visible way. Moses gets the opportunity to do this.

Now think about this for a moment, God was going to ask Moses to go back to Egypt, to confront the Pharaoh, and to free the Hebrews from their slavery. But Moses was a murderer, and a deserter. To go back could mean possible death. To go back and challenge the Pharaoh would be suicide. Why would Moses ever agree to do this? God had to help Moses understand who was on his side. God wanted Moses to understand about God’s greatness and authority. God wanted Moses to understand that he wasn’t going alone, he was going on behalf of God, and with God’s authority and power fully behind him.

So God and Moses get into a discussion. God assures Moses that He has seen the suffering of His people. God assures Moses that He plans to do something about it. Then comes the kicker in verse 10: “God says, ‘So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt’.” I could imagine Moses saying: “Come again? I don’t think I heard you right God. (laughing) I thought I heard you say that you were going to send me to free the Israelites.” Actually, the way Moses really said it was like this: (verse 11)- “But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh…?’” I’m sure this is the way you and I would respond too. Who am I to go and do this?

Now we move into God helping Moses understand who God is: (verse 12)- “God said, ‘I will be with you;…’” That’s it. God says, ‘I will be with you.’ God thinks that this should be enough for Moses, because God knows who He is, and what it means for God to be with Moses in this. But it isn’t enough for Moses. Moses presses on, implying that the people will want to know God’s name. In other words, they will want to know God’s credentials. SO, God responds in verse 14, “I AM WHO I AM.” That is God’s name; I AM WHO I AM.

Now on the surface, this name might not mean that much. But we need to understand that this name means that God is self-existent; He has no dependence on any one or any thing else. As self-existent, He is also self-sufficient, and therefore all-sufficient. I AM WHO I AM also refers to His eternal being. He is the One who was in the beginning, who is now, and who will be for all eternity. He is the One who is truly great. From Him all things have come forth, and in Him all things find their meaning. To understand that God is “I AM,” is to understand that the creator Himself is with you!

We know the rest of the story, God is there with Moses. God does show His power, and authority, and greatness. And God, through Moses, frees the people.

II. The God Who Provides- (Genesis 2:15-22; Exodus 17:1-7;

Matthew 6:25-32)

But another important attribute is how God provides for His people.

This is seen from the beginning of time. A popular belief about God is that He created the world, started it in motion, and now sits back just letting things happen as they happen. But this isn’t even close to the truth. The Bible shows us time and time again that God is a God who cares about us, and provides for us.

a. Adam- We see in the beginning of the Bible, that God creates

Adam. But God sees that this isn’t enough. Let’s hear the scriptures tell it for us:

Genesis 2:15-22, “15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." 18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”

God provided the earth and all that was in it; but that wasn’t enough. So God provided the animals; but that wasn’t enough. So God provided Eve, so that Adam and Eve would be partners, and have each other.

b. Water in the desert- As we go back to the story of Moses, we see

that the Israelites are saved from slavery, and they go out into the desert. God knows that the people need some time to prepare themselves so that they can be independent, and govern themselves, and protect themselves from others. But the people grumble against God, not thinking that God is really caring for them.

And yet, time and time again, when the people grumble, God responds and provides for them. One such instance is in Exodus 17:1-7, “The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. ² So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?" ³ But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?" ⁴ Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me." ⁵ The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. ⁶ I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷ And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?” Again, we see God providing for His people.

c. Don’t worry- But there is another important passage that helps us

to understand that God is a God who provides. This passage is in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 6:25-32, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these…³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?’… your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

God knows our needs. God cares about our needs. God provides for our needs. The God who created us, and said we are “good” is not going to leave us wanting. This God is One we can trust to care for us and provide for us; guaranteed!

III. The God Who is Almighty- (2 Samuel 7:18-20)

The last attribute of God I want to talk about this morning is the attribute of

God being almighty. The Hebrew word for this is “El-Shaddai.” This word was made popular by Amy Grant with her song of the same name. I want to play for you a portion of this song for you now…. El shaddai, el shaddai, El-elyon na adonia, Age to age you’re still the same, By the power of the name. El shaddai, el shaddai, Erkamka na adonai, We will praise and lift you high, El shaddai…Through your love and through the ram, You saved the son of Abraham; Through the power of your hand, Turned the sea into dry land. To the outcast on her knees, You were the God who really sees, And by your might, You set your children free….El shaddai, el shaddai, El-elyon na adonia, Age to age you’re still the same, By the power of the name. El shaddai, el shaddai, Erkamka na adonai, We will praise and lift you high, El shaddai. /God as almighty is never ending (As Amy Grant said: “age to age”), God as almighty saved Isaac by providing the ram to be sacriciced, God as almighty exhibited His power by turning the sea into dry land and by setting His children free.

In 2 Samuel 7:18-20 we read, “Then Kind David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in Your sight, O Sovereign Lord, You have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord. What more can David say to you? For you know Your servant, O Sovereign Lord.” / Here we see the great King David humbling himself before God, acknowledging how God is the Almighty, above all. Here we see David recognizing that God has given him all that he has, and led him to place where he is now.

Conclusion: Who is God? Well, God is great. We see His greatness exhibited in how He freed His people from slavery, how He frees His people from their sins, and how He continues to free You and me when we seek Him. God is also the One who provides for His people. I gave you only a few examples of this, but the Bible is full of examples of God continually being there for His people, hearing their cry, and caring for their needs. God is also the almighty God; the el-shaddai. There is none other that is greater, there is none other who has more authority, there is none other who can be counted on more.

Today we barely touched the surface of who God is. And yet, with the little we did cover, I believe it gives us a wonderful glimpse of the wonderful God we believe in and worship. As you leave here today, I encourage you to take one aspect of today’s sermon, and find someone to share it with. By doing this, you will remember it more, and you will bless someone else, and hopefully draw them closer to God. Let us give praise to our God this day. Amen.