If there is an attribute of God that stirs up awe within us, this is it. God is Jehovah, the Great I Am, the self-existent one. Jehovah is the name for God most frequently used in the Old Testament. It is derived from havah which means “to be, to become.” Therefore, Jehovah speaks to God’s very being. Nathan Stone, a Biblical scholar writes this in his commentary, “Jehovah is the One who in Himself possesses essential life, permanent existence.”
The Great I Am
We first see ‘I Am’ at the burning bush. Remember Moses is speaking with God, trying to get out of leading the people. He says:
‘Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel and I shall say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you.” Now they may say to me, “What is His name?” What shall I say to them?”
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM’; and He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, “The LORD, the 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-name to all generations.” (Exodus 3:13-15)
Sometimes it’s hard to wrap our brains around the idea of the great I AM. For the people of Israel, it was a defining moment in them understanding who their God was. Although He had established His covenant with Abrahm, Jacob, and Isaac, this was the first time he made His name known to them. (Exodus 6:2-4) Here are some thoughts on what it means to serve the Great I AM:
God is eternally existent. . .He laid the foundations of the earth and created all things.
God is the Alpha and Omega. . .just as he created all things, He will exist forever.
God is unchanging. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
When you have a hard time calling on the Lord by name, meditate on the truths of the Great I AM.