Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“But Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you”, and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, June 4, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Here, at last, God gives a name. God was cagey with Jacob—it wasn’t necessary for Jacob to know God’s name. But Moses has a point. If he, who fled from his people years earlier, shows up and claims to be an emissary of God, they’re not going to buy it. He wants credibility. And a name will give him that. Names have power.
What makes me scratch my head is the mysterious name God gives Moses. “I am who I am.” Or, “I will be who I will be.” It certainly doesn’t roll off the tongue like “Daunte” or “Joaquin” or “Amanda”. It’s a statement of being that defies attempts to oversimplify or have power over. Do the Israelites know God by this name? Will they recognize it when Moses shares it with them? Or will they be just as mystified as I am? Will they believe because it’s not a simple name? In the story, they do believe Moses, so it must have worked.
God’s name is too holy to pin down. Too awesome to speak plainly. Too beautiful to express in human terms. “I am who I am” comes close—it inspires wonder, hope, and mystery. It invites a deeper walk. Wander with I am today.
What does ‘I am who I am’ mean to me as a name for God? What feelings or ideas does it bring up? Do I find it inviting or off-putting?
