THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS

Exodus 3:14 “I am the one who always is.”

To the Hebrew people the statement “I AM” became a very holy phrase. They would refuse to say this word as they believed the name of God was too holy to repeat. What does it mean? It is the expression of what God is, the sum of his being and the greatest of all his names. A commentator paraphrased the verse: "If Israel shall ask: What are the nature and attributes of Him who hath sent thee to bring us out of Egypt? Tell them it is the eternal, self-existent, immutable being who only can say that He always will be what He always has been.” The Lord was saying, “Let Israel know this, I AM hath sent me unto you. I am, and there is none else besides me. All else have their being from Me and are wholly dependent upon Me”

This is his name: Jehovah (YHVH).

His name shows us a number of things:

(1) He is self-existent: he has his being of himself. In one sense God is continually and eternally recreating himself. And yet in another he is always the same. He is ever youthful and yet he is the “Ancient of Days.”

(2) That he is eternal and unchangeable, (immutable) and his character is always the same, yesterday, today, and forever.

(3) That he is incomprehensible. We cannot by searching find him out.

(4) That he is faithful and true to all his promises, unchangeable in his word as well as in his nature.

Whenever Jesus used this name some of his hearers would be scandalized and others would be confused. It was a name which was simply not used by them, because it was so holy. Only God would use it. But Jesus did so many other things which confused or offended his hearers.

We, however, must not be in any way limited in the use of this name. After all, the name of Jesus means “Jehovah saves”. Every time we say the name of Jesus we are using the name Jehovah and all that it means. And then the name is supported by all that the Kingdom of Heaven is: it is irresistible.

In the Old Testament we see that God calls himself by seven covenant names. Jehovah Jireh meaning the Lord my provider, Jehovah Rohi meaning the Lord is my shepherd, Jehovah Shalom meaning the Lord is my peace, Jehovah Nissi meaning the Lord is my banner or my conqueror, Jehovah Tsidkenu is the Lord our righteousness, Jehovah Shammah meaning the Lord is there (or the Lord is here), and Jehovah Rapha meaning the Lord who heals.

When you add up these redemptive names of Jehovah all you get is the name of Jesus. And the name of Jesus is powerful. It never matters what the name of the problem is. It is always inferior to the name of Jesus. When we have difficulties we should find out what to call it, and then remind both it, and ourselves that it has to bow its knee to his authority.

Moses was to remind the Israelites that God was sufficient to accomplish everything they needed. He is still that same God today, the one who always is.