Exodus Chapter 3 Verses 10-12

10 “Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.”

“Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.”  In this verse, God gave Moses his marching orders.  Moses was to bring forth the Lord’s people, the children of Israel out of Egypt.  Certainly this task was much greater than just leading a small flock of sheep belonging to Jethro.  The greatness of this task is exemplified in that there were approximately 2.5 million Israelites in Egypt who were to be delivered out of Egypt.  God often proves his servants before he gives them greater tasks to accomplish.  Moses had proven himself faithful for forty years in leading and keeping Jethro’s flock of sheep.  Oftentimes, men want to do great things in the service of the Lord before they have proven themselves first capable of doing small tasks in the service of the Lord.  The parable of the talents illustrates this lesson in that the man with the five talents and the man with the two talents first proved themselves capable of handling the five talents and the two talents before the master gave them greater responsibilities. 

“And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”  Moses response is quite different than his thoughts were just before he fled from Pharaoh in Egypt.  At that time Moses thought the children of Israel would have understood how that it was he that God would use to deliver them out of Egyptian bondage.  Moses was very ready to begin the task at that time as he was schooled in all the wisdom of Egypt and had been mighty in words and in deeds as he son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  Moses had a ton of self-confidence at that time.  Now, however, Moses has lost his self-confidence and questions God’s wisdom in sending him to go to Pharaoh and bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt.  As Moses will soon learn, he was in a far better condition now than he was forty years earlier for this task.  We must first learn not to trust in ourselves and our abilities when it comes to serving the Lord.  Moses had lost his own self trust.  What he will soon learn that it is not based on his abilities but upon God’s abilities to deliver the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage.  In other words, it is not about us, but about what the Lord can do.

God answered Moses question by making a promise to Moses: “And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.”  God promised Moses that he would not be alone in this task but that God would be with him.  Moreover, God told Moses the final outcome of the task and that is both Moses and the children of Israel would serve God upon the mountain of God in Horeb.  This was designed to give Moses much assurance based on the promise outcome.  Even with the promises of God, Moses still had many doubts and at first would fall back in fear based upon his own shortcomings or inabilities.  Moses is no different than we are in this regard.  We often doubt the outcome of our service to God and question our own abilities to accomplish the task before us in our service to Him.  It is by growth in faith that we learn to trust the Lord and listen to his covenant promises. 

Verses 13-15

:13 “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 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. 15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”   

Moses doubts were being manifest in the above passage.  He is expressing an excuse for not being the one that God would send.  He admitted that he did not even know the name of God in order to convince the children of Israel that God had sent him.  There are many names in the scriptures that apply to God.  This is at least the fourth name presented in the books of Genesis and Exodus.  The name God, with the Hebrew spelling “Elohim” is used to describe God as the Almighty or Creator.  The name Spirit was found in Genesis chapter 1 and refers to the Holy Spirit.  The name LORD has been used already a great number of times to refer to the covenant-making; covenant-keeping God.  Now God is presenting a fourth name for our consideration that describes certain aspects and attributes of God.  Now God has introduced to us and to Moses the fourth name which is “I AM.”  The phrase “I am” refers to the present tense and indicates that God is an unchanging God, who is the same to all generations.  In contrast, the phrases “I was” or “I will be” indicate change.  “I was” indicates what one was in the past, but leaves open the possibility that one is not like that in the present.  “I will be” indicates what one will be in the future, but leaves open the possibility that one is not like that in the present.  Thus, the name “I AM” tells us that God is an ever present unchanging God.   

God went on to tell Moses that His name “I AM” is a memorial unto all generations.  Thus, by this explanation we know that God is not only ever present and unchanging but also that he is eternal and his attribute are the same in whatever generation we live.   

“Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you:” In this sentence God uses the names “LORD;” “God;” and implies the name “I AM.”  All of this together gives us an assurance that God has made and will keep his covenant; that being the Almighty he has the ability to keep that covenant; and that being ever present, unchanging and eternal that he will keep his covenant until all generations without fail.  This is an important principle to us in gaining a better understanding of God’s covenant of redemption in Rom. 8:29, 30:29 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”  This covenant began in eternal past with God foreknowing a people to be his.  It is fully accomplished in eternity future with all those he foreknew being glorified in the eternal paradise of God.  All these things are brought about by the fact that God is “Almighty;” that he is the ever present, unchanging I AM; and as LORD that he keeps his covenant that he made with himself before the world began. 

The name I AM when connected with what Christ said in the New Testament tells us that Christ is God: John 8:58 “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”  There are at least seven different phrases in which Christ referred to himself as the I AM in the book of John: 

                   1.  I am the light of the world.

                   2.  I am the way, the truth, and the life.

                   3.  I am the resurrection and the life.

                   4.  I am the true vine.

                   5.  I am the door.

                   6.  I am the Good Shepherd.

                   7.  I am the bread of life.