Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
With no need for a hammer or nail, God spoke the world and all of creation into existence. With just his words, stars were flung into the sky, the newly formed earth sprouted life through trees and other plants. Creatures of the sky, water, and land were formed and began roaming the earth. The world was bursting with the beauty of creation—and creation was declaring the glory of God.
Unlike the creation that was formed by God, God himself has always been. No one formed the maker of the universe. He was before time ever existed, before there ever was a beginning. He was and is the Great I AM.
In Exodus 3, Moses is caring for his father-in-law’s sheep near the mountain of Horeb, when he sees the angel of the Lord appearing in the midst of a burning bush. After taking a closer look, he realizes that the bush is burning, but not consumed by the raging fire. And then the Lord calls out to Moses and tells him, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (Exodus 3:6) God tells Moses that He has heard the cries of His people. He has seen the affliction that His chosen people have endured at the hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. God declares that He will send Moses to Pharaoh to free the Israelites from Egypt and to bring them to the land flowing with milk and honey — the Promised Land.
This frightens Moses, understandably. Moses is a humble man; he’s not eloquent in speech or appearance, and the thought of approaching Pharaoh is terrifying. Exodus 3: 11 says,
“ 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”[a] And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
I AM.
The name I AM displays the self-existent, eternal character of God. He was, is, and always will be. He has no beginning and no end. He is self-sufficient, relying on no one for anything.
The Lord’s declaration of being the I AM is important for Moses to tell not only Pharaoh, but also His people. This name reminds the Israelites that the living, personal God that revealed himself to Abraham and made a covenant with him and his descendants is the God who will deliver his people from the hands of the Egyptians. God’s covenantal promises did not fail Moses or the Israelites, and neither will his promises fail us.
In John 8:56-58, the Pharisees are cornering Jesus, yet again about his teachings. He tells them,
“Our father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
When Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am,” He is declaring to the Pharisees that He is God. He is the infinite, self-existent, self-sufficient God who came to earth as a babe, wrapped in human flesh. He became the suffering servant to offer himself as a living sacrifice to atone for the sins of His people. He never changes or falters; His promises always remain true. They were true then for Moses and the people of Israel and they are true now for the bride and body of Christ.
Need more proof that God can create something from nothing? Look at the life and heart of a Christian. Where there was once a heart of stone, dead in sin (Eph. 2:1), now beats a heart made of flesh. Now what exists is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
Seeing God as the Self-Existent One changes the way we view ourselves and how we live. We often can take the gifts and talents He has given us — whether gifts of hospitality, leadership, or the service of mercy and use it to build up our own kingdoms, instead of the kingdom of God. We have, as Jen Wilkin puts it, a “Creator Complex” and strive to create our own fortress out of nothing to bring ourselves honor and fame. But seeing God as I AM forces us to reorient ourselves. God is the Creator; we are the creation. Nothing good that we build or accomplish comes from our own strivings, but as a gift from God Himself.
All of this can seem like a bummer, but there is freedom in realizing our place as creation! We no longer have to fear the opinion of man or strive to gain more self-importance. Our worth isn’t found in our ability to keep a 4.0, how many followers we have on Instagram, or our job performance. Our righteousness and worth is found in Jesus Christ! This frees us to explore the good gifts God has given us and to not fret about impressing the world.
What a gift to be the clay in the Potter’s hand. He is the one that molds us into the likeness of His Son — making us something out of nothing.
Jessica is a wife, mom, teacher, and sometimes writer. Most days you can find her chasing her toddler, Eleanor around the house or teaching music at Cornerstone Classical Christian Academy. God has given Jessica a great love for writing how the Gospel transforms all areas of our lives — especially marriage and motherhood. She prays your heart will be encouraged here with the truth of God’s word. You can find more of Jessica’s writing on her blog here.