“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”
(Exodus 3:14)
The third chapter of Exodus describes an encounter Moses had with God that establishes one of the most powerful truths of Scripture—the eternal, self-existent nature of God. Having been exiled from Egypt, while tending his father-in-law’s sheep in the wilderness, Moses arrives at Mount Horeb, the mountain of God. There he sees a burning bush that is not consumed and the Angel of the Lord appearing in the flames (Exod. 3:1-2). Then God speaks directly to Moses, calling him to lead Israel out of Egyptian bondage.
Trembling, Moses hides his face (v. 6). Yet he dares to ask God for His name, seeking reassurance for the task God has called him to, especially when facing Pharaoh’s inevitable question: “Who sent you?” God’s response is profound: “I AM THAT I AM. Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (v. 14). This declaration affirms the eternal, self-existent nature of God.
As Herman Bavinck notes, “God is independent, all-sufficient in himself, and the only source of all existence and life. YHWH is the name that describes this essence and identity most clearly … His name is ‘being.’” God is the uncaused cause, the source of all that is. His attributes—holiness, power, love—are inseparable from His essence. Unlike created things, which rely on Him for existence, God simply is, perfect and unchanging. Jerome aptly said, “The very nature of God is Being itself, and therefore He ever was and cannot cease to be; He cannot borrow His Being from anything who gives Being and well-being to all things.” This self-existence sets God apart, making Him the foundation of all reality, the eternal One who sustains every moment.
The Hebrew “I AM” conveys active, dynamic presence. God expresses His being through action, most fully through His Son, Jesus Christ, who declared, “The word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) and “he who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).[1] Through Christ, God’s eternal nature is revealed to humanity. He is not only the God who spoke to Moses but the One who walks with His people, actively manifesting His grace, love, and power. Just as He guided Israel through the desert, He remains with His church today, promising, “I am with you always, even to the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20).
The Apostle John describes God as “the Almighty, which is, and which was, and which is to come” (Rev. 1:8), and again, “the Lord, which art, and was, and shalt be” (Rev. 16:5). God’s unchanging nature guarantees His faithfulness across time. His eternal being ensures that His promises endure, His judgments stand, and His love never fails. We can therefore live happily every day, resting in the certainty of His unending presence.
Contemplations:
- Marveling at Your providence. Lord, Your eternal nature shows Your wise and powerful providence in the preservation of all things. I see Your omnipotent hand of creation in the works around me. It is amazing to me that You not only created everything out of nothing, Your sustaining power upholds it all, reminding me that my life depends on You alone.
- Resting in Your self-existence. Lord, You are eternal, without beginning or end. From You are all things, but You are from nothing. You alone can say, I AM THAT I AM. This truth anchors my soul, knowing that Your unchanging nature is the foundation of my hope. Help me ever trust in Your eternal being and find peace in Your self-sufficient glory.
- Worshipping the eternal Son. Lord, I see from Your Word that what is said of God is repeated of Christ in particular. Your Son is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending (the First and the Last), which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. Not only do I see this for the Father, but also for the Son and the Spirit. Christ as the Son is eternally boundless and perfect through all ages. He is, and was, and shall be. He was the First (before whom nothing was) and the Last (after whom nothing shall be), and I rejoice in His unchanging love.
- Rejoicing in eternal promises. You are eternal, therefore the torments of the wicked are eternal and the happiness of the saints in heaven is also eternal. You live forever, and as long as You live, You will punish the damned and make happy the saints in heaven. And as You are eternal, in time You will reckon with all Your enemies. This assures me that my joy in You is secure forever, and I can live each day with confidence in Your everlasting faithfulness.
Prayer (Adoration)
O eternal God, You are the great I AM, the self-existent One whose being knows no beginning, no end, and no change. Your name declares Your infinite perfection, Your boundless glory, and Your sovereign power over all creation. I stand in awe of You, the One who is from everlasting to everlasting, whose essence is pure, the source of all life and existence. You alone are the Creator who spoke the universe into being and sustains it by Your mighty hand. Through Your Son, Jesus Christ, You revealed Your eternal nature, the Word made flesh, who declares, “I am with You always.” I worship You for Your unchanging love, Your constant presence, and Your unending faithfulness.
I confess that my finite mind often fails to grasp Your eternal greatness. I have doubted Your presence, seeking comfort in temporal things rather than resting in Your everlasting arms. My heart has wandered, chasing fleeting pleasures instead of adoring You, the One who never fades. Forgive me for these sins, for diminishing Your glory with my small thoughts. Cleanse me through the blood of Your Son, renewing my heart to see and savor Your infinite worth.
Lord, I plead for grace to live each day in the light of Your eternal being. Help me marvel at Your providence, seeing Your hand in every detail of creation. Anchor my soul in Your self-existence, that I may trust You through every trial. Deepen my worship of Your Son, the Alpha and Omega, whose eternal deity secures my salvation. Fill me with Your Spirit, that I may walk in the joy of Your everlasting promises, unswayed by the world’s distractions.
Grant me a heart that adores You above all, finding happiness in Your presence alone. Strengthen my faith to proclaim Your eternal name to others, that they too may know You as the great I AM. Sustain me with Your unchanging love, guide my steps in Your truth, and prepare me for the eternal joy of Your kingdom.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for Exodus 3:14:
John 8:58; Heb. 13:8; Rev. 4:8; Isa. 44:6.
[1] “‘I am Jehovah thy God, who have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.’ The words are merely a resumption of what had been shortly before, and somewhat more fully, declared in the first message delivered from Sinai; they give, in a compendious form, the Gospel of the covenant of promise. Jehovah, the unchangeable and eternal, the great I AM; this alone, had it been all, was a lofty idea for men who had been so long enveloped in the murky atmosphere of idolatry; and if deeply impressed upon their hearts, and made a pervading element in their religion and polity, would have nobly elevated the seed of Israel above all the nations then existing on the earth.” Patrick Fairbairn, The Revelation of Law in Scripture: Considered with Respect Both to Its Own Nature, and to Its Relative Place in Successive Dispensations, Cunningham Lectures, Third Series (Edinburgh; London; Dublin: T. & T. Clark; Hamilton & Co.; John Robertson & Co., 1869), 83.
