Exodus 3:13-15

"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?" 14 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.'" 15 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.'"

When I got to this particular portion of the Scripture, while I was studying; and I encountered verse 15, I realized that God did not just introduce Himself just to Moses. He introduced Himself as 'I Am' to all generations. And when God was speaking to Moses here, remember that God intercepted Moses and caught his attention with a burning bush, and when Moses came here, hitherto before this time, Moses never knew who the Lord was. Moses had not met God before. Moses had never spoken with God before. This was the first time Moses will be having an encounter with the Lord.

When God said to Moses; see, I have heard the cry of my people, the children of Israel and I have come down to deliver them and I am sending you. Then, in verse 13, Moses now asked a question: I have never met you before, I have never seen you before, we are conversing for the first time in my life and you are sending me to a people. You are giving me an assignment that I know is difficult. I don’t know you but I know Pharaoh. I don’t know you so well but I know the children of Israel a little. When I get to them, what will be my backing? What will be the source of my authority and power? That’s what Moses was saying in that Scripture. “The God of your Fathers have sent me to you and they will say to me,” You will see that it is a conversation between God and Moses.

If I say to the people; "God of your fathers has sent me to you." What if they now say to me, what is His name? See the questions; we should note it. What is His name? What is His identity? Who is He? When they ask me the question about your identity? God, when they challenge your identity, when they challenge your authority, when they challenge the purpose in which I have been sent, the purpose that necessitated my calling them. What will I say to them? And God said to Moses, "I am who I am."  I have not changed. I am the same yesterday, today and forever more. I am who I am. I have not left my position. If God had stopped here, God would have put us in a position where we are confused but He did not stop there and He said thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I am has sent you and He went further in verse 15 “moreover God said to Moses, thus you shall say to the children of Israel, The God of your Fathers, The God of Abraham because they are familiar with the story of Abraham.

How I took Abraham, how I worked with Abraham. How I gave Abraham a promise. How I fulfilled my promise to Abraham. How they came out of the loins. Remember God is not a talkative. When God is talking and every word that God says, it carries a weight of meaning and depth of understanding and it takes us to sit down on understanding. Why is God saying this, God will not just respond haphazardly, God will respond because there is something that He wants us to get out of this. Something He wants us to understand, something He wants us to receive. He said “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Israel, you know how Isaac sold in the land and he reaped in spite of the famine, you know how I took Isaac. How the blessing was upon Isaac and he transferred the same blessing upon Jacob and he said I am the God of Jacob, the father of Israel, out of Jacob, I brought out the 12 tribes of Israel.

God was using this to connect with the memory of the children of Israel. God introduced Himself telling Moses to communicate with them the point where they understand their roots and understand the God that they are about to engage with and He said I am has sent me to you. This is my name forever.  God didn’t say this is my name as long as you are with them. He said this is my name forever meaning God has been telling Moses and giving Moses a description of His name. This is my name forever and this is my memorial to all generation so when God introduces Himself to a people. God does not introduce Himself because He feels like talking.

1. God introduces Himself to connect with us
2. God introduces Himself to tell us about the things that He has done and the things He will do
3. God introduces Himself so that we may know His identity.

How did I know this, Genesis chapter 17:1; We are going to look at examples of how God introduced Himself and to whom He introduced Himself and what happened after He introduced Himself. Genesis 17:1, the Bible says: "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him,"I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless."

Genesis 17:1, God was introducing Himself to Abraham, when Abraham was 99 years old. Remember we must understand the background of this Scripture, at this point, Abraham has already left his father’s house, walked with God until he was 99 years old. The Lord appeared to Abram and said to him I am Almighty God, I am El Shaddai. Before this time, Abraham has been communicating with God. You want to ask why did God introduce Himself again to Abraham? Because God was about to do with Abraham what has never happened before. What he has never seen before. What he had never encountered before.

At this point, Abraham was 99 years old and God appeared to him and said, “I am El Shaddai the Almighty God, walk before me and be blameless.” I am the Almighty God, I am the one that is able to make sure that you still have a child from your 90 years old wife whose womb is already ruptured and has gone past menopause. I am the Almighty God. So when God introduce Himself to you, it is a pointer to what God is about to do. The experience he is about to take you into. There is a new experience coming that’s why God is introducing Himself to you afresh because it is a new season, because it is a new time, because something new is about to happen and that will validate His name. He said I am the Almighty God.

In Genesis 26:24, God introduced Himself several times in the Scripture but I will read very few. I will read about three and we are going to go into the New Testament. Genesis 26:24, it says: "And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake." In other words, God was saying because I want to bless you I am telling you your roots. I am the God of your father Abraham so Abraham’s blessings will come upon you because I am the God of Abraham so Isaac entered a new season of favour, a new season of increase because God introduced Himself to him.

I am Yahweh. Everything is in my command. Nothing happens and I am not aware. Nothing happens and catches me by surprise. I am the Lord. What does it mean to be a Lord? I am the owner, I am the master, I am the controller. I am the one dictating things. I am the one in charge. I am the Lord. So for every time God speaks, it’s the product and an indication of what God is about to do. A new season God is announcing, a new realm that God is ushering us into. The power of I am. He said I am the Lord, I am Yahweh. You have been seeing me in different light but this time around, you will see that even Pharoah, I own him. I am the Lord.

The revelation of I am of God is a demonstration of the dynamism of God. The revelation of the I am of God is a demonstration. The revelation of I am of God, every time you see God and say I am, this is a demonstration of his dynamism. So He says I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I am El Shaddai. I am Yahweh is a demonstration of his dynamism because God is multi-faceted, God is dynamic. There are so many dimensions of God and whenever God also introduces Himself and says I am He cuts a covenant with His people. In Isaiah 42:8, God cuts a covenant with His people when He introduces Himself afresh and uses I am. Isaiah 42:8, it God says "I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images."

Whenever God uses the I am statement. God cuts a new covenant with His people. Also in Psalm 46:10; many times we get worried, all we need is for God to declare Himself to us. When God declares Himself to us, our peace will be instilled. Isaiah 46:10, it says: "Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,"

Be still and know I am who I am, my integrity is there, my authority is there, my power is there. My identity has not been altered. I am who I am. I am of God is such a powerful statement that God uses to secure His people. When God uses I am, He secures us in that statement. He secures us. Our security is in the identity of God but the I am of God is the identity and whenever God proclaims and declares His identity, He secures us in it. Our security is in it. In Isaiah 28:16, it says: "Therefore thus says the Lord God: "Behold I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily."

God has laid in Zion, a foundation that cannot be altered. We are secured in it. Our security is firmly rooted in it and we cannot be moved. He said whoever believes. Whoever trusts. Whoever relies on the identity of God in Christ Jesus will be secured. Isaiah 41:10 says: " Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will Strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Fear not I am God, fear not I am your God. You are secured in me that’s why the Bible says our life is hid in Christ. In God that’s where our identity is sourced. That is where our security is, firmly rooted in the I am of God. So whenever God says I am your peace, sit down and remain at peace; because it is a peace that passes all human understanding. He must validate that name. I am your peace. So you are secured because when God speaks and declares His name, declares His word in the midst of His people, He makes sure that He validates it. He will watch over his word to perform it.

Isaiah 43:13, Also talking about authority in his I am. It says: "Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?" That’s our God, I love that beginning statement, “I am He”. I have not changed. I have been the same and there is no one who can deliver out of my hand. I work. Who will reverse it? I am doing something in your life, who can reverse it? I have declared something concerning you. Who can reverse it. The security of our future. The security of our home and marriage is in God.

God also uses the I am statement to reinforce His authority and power. Ezekiel 12:25, so from today, when God says I am your God, go and sit down. Be rest assured. Be at rest. When He says I am your defense, shout Halleluyah, be excited because he will validate it. Ezekiel 12:25 says: "For I am the Lord. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and perform it," says the Lord God.'" I am the Lord. I am the master. I am the owner. I am the ruler of the affairs of men so when God uses I am. He reinforces His authority and His power.

Lastly, Malachi 3:6 also says: "For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob." I am the Lord, I do not change. I am the same yesterday, today and forever more. I am the Lord. Jeremiah 23:23  also says: "Am I a God near at hand," says the Lord, "And not a God afar off?"

I believe you have been blessed!

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Lara Gboyega Adedeji!

Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!