Moses was apprehensive about accepting God’s invitation to liberate the people. During the dialogue, God chooses to reveal His personal name to Moses. God says His name is, “I am.”
In Hebrew, the meaning comes across with much more meaning. Let’s unpack this for a moment. When God speaks His name, the Hebrew word is “Ehweh,” which means “I am and will be.” When Moses or others use God’s name, the Hebrew word is “Yahweh,” “He is and will be.”
In the context here, it’s essential to recognize that God also says something He is right before He shares His name with Moses, and He says He is with Moses. God says, “I am with you, and I will always be with you, now and forever!”
Unlike human beings who can inadvertently act differently from who they say they want to be, God is always precisely who He says He is. He calls Himself what He calls Himself because it’s who He is.
God swears by His name [character] to fulfill His covenant promises [He is a covenant-keeper.] Moses became the first person to know God on a first-name basis. Here began a beautiful friendship between the two, one lasting the next forty years as Moses courageously and humbly served the people of God.
And that’s the memo.
By The Bible Project
