I AM WHO I AM Exodus 3:13-14 I.

The Calling of Moses That morning, Moses went out to pasture the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro. The day started out like any other, but in fact, this would be a morning like no other. The heat of the morning was already unbearable. The sun began to beat upon his head like a hammer. The wind, though strong, brought no relief, only a suffocating burst of dryness and dust. As he searched the desert for a green spot to pasture the sheep, he thought about the recent events of his life, the heights from which he had fallen. He had been raised by the highest authority in Egypt with all his riches and power at his disposal. He never was comfortable, however, in the place of extravagance and privilege, always aware that his own countrymen we suffering in the slave camps of Pharaoh. He recalled the incident resulting in his expulsion from Egypt. He thought, "If I had only controlled my temper, I would not be in this desert right now herding sheep." He could not bear this arrogant Egyptian beating one of his own people. He grabbed a club from the ground and -- before he knew it -- had beaten the Egyptian's face to a bloody pulp. When he heard the King found out what he had done, he fled to the desert. When Moses drew near to the Horeb mountain range, he thought to himself, "What beauty!" "How insignificant one seems next to such a range of mountains." He suddenly saw a fire. "Someone is up there," he must have thought. "What are they doing? Is someone trying to get my attention. Maybe they have a message from Egypt for me." He quickly corralled the sheep and headed up the mountain. Moses was a strong man, used to walking a lot, so the climb did not bother him. There was no path; he only had the light from the fire to guide him. Sometimes he would lose sight of the fire behind a rock or a cluster of trees, but he would always find it again.

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Though the fire itself was strange, something even stranger was happening. No matter how long the fire burned, the thing being burned was never consumed. After all, he had been hiking for hours. He came to a place where he clearly observed the phenomenon, still hiding in case this was some thieve's trick. As he peered out from behind a rock, he thought. "Am I dreaming." A bush was engulfed in fire, but the bush was never consumed by the fire. He stood staring at it for the longest time. He finally felt safe enough to draw closer, but as he walked forward, a voice came from the bush, "Moses! Moses!" This terrified him. Not only did the bush burn, but it spoke to him and by name. What kind of magic is this! "Here I am." Moses answered (what would you have said in this situation?). "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Moses quickly covered his face with his hands in terror. Then God explained to Moses his plan to liberate the people of Israel from slavery and to lead them to possess the land of Canaan. He also told Moses and he would have a key role in their liberation. "I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." II. Moses' Excuses We need to understand, Moses was not the type of person you would normally want to send on a dangerous mission. We would search for the hero type, a champion, a brave warrior, someone totally sure of himself and his capabilities. Moses was a normal fellow, just like the rest of us. He was afraid and suffered from insecurity, the same insecurities we experience when faced with life's challenges. -- 2 --

Moses did not receive this mission from God with enthusiasm. Just like us, he immediately thought of the obstacles. He thought of his own deficiencies and weaknesses. How could Moses confront the powerful king of Egypt? He started making excuses, excuses that came from his own self-awareness. He seemed small compared to such a huge mission. Let's look at his excuses. 1. "Who am I?" (v. 11). This question is at the heart of our own inaction when doing something for God? We know ourselves and we are aware of our incompetence. But God had an answer -- as he always does -- "I will be with you." 2. "They won't believe me" (4:1). Not only did Moses understand himself; he also understood his people. They weren't about to believe his story. God also had an answer for this: "I will do miracles that will cause them to believe." 3. "I don't have the skills" (4:10). I can't speak in public. I get tongue-tied and freeze up in front of people. ... God's answer: "Who made your mouth?" Moses lost the argument -- as all do who argue with God. So he prepared himself to go to Egypt. But notice he did not tell Jethro the truth about why. "Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to find out whether they are still alive." (Exodus 4:18, ESV) 4. "Send someone else" (4:13). Though this angered God, he actually compromises and allows Moses to take Aaron along as his spokesperson. III. The Name of God God had given Moses the key to overcome all his fears and weaknesses, but Moses didn't quite understand. Moses had been raised in a polytheistic culture where people thought one could manipulate the gods to get them to do what you want merely by using their proper name. An incantation or verbal formula was used to get the gods to do something for you. "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 shal I tell them?"

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Moses wanted to define God.. To name something is in a sense to take possession of that thing.. To control it.. To determine its parameters. But God cannot be defined by man. He is BEING itself. He defies classification. He is utterly transcendent. He is tied neither to space nor time. He is not a part of the universe. He created the universe and is therefore Other than anything we know in this universe. He is the only being who possesses absolute freedom. He is not bound by any external criteria other than himself. This is why we cannot name him. He simply IS. "I am who I am. Say this to the people of Israel, "I AM has sent you." IV. Jesus is the Eternal "I AM." On one opportunity, Jesus said to the Pharisees, "If anyone keeps my word, he wil never taste death" (Jn 8:52). "Ha!" Thought the Pharisees, "this proves he has a demon, he's crazy, because even our father Abraham died. Do you actually believe you are greater than Abraham?" Jesus' answer to that question caused them to pick up stones with which to murder him. "Your father, Abraham, rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad." Was Jesus here referring to the day when the Angel of the Lord came to his tent, reaffirmed the promise that Abraham would bear a child? Or was he referring to the fact that Abraham observed the birth of the Lord Jesus and the coming of HIS day? Whatever the interpretation, the Pharisees perceived what he said as justification for putting him to death. "We cannot allow such blasphemy to stand." Then Jesus says something even more astounding... "Before Abraham was, I AM." Jesus identifies himself with the very same "I AM," who spoke to Moses on Mt Sinai. "He is the Alpha and the Omega, ... the one who was, and who is, and who is to come. The Almighty." (Rev 1:8).

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CONCLUSION Moses had a life-changing encounter with God, a moment when the transcendent, the eternal, the utterly OTHER, called him to Himself. God is still doing this through His son Jesus Christ. Each of us has had a similar experience, a time when you realized God was calling you personally to himself. My question for you this morning: "Are you still living in that reality?"

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