When God revealed His name to Moses at the burning bush, He declared:
“I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14)
This name, rendered from the Hebrew phrase Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, expresses God’s eternal self-existence and unchanging nature. Unlike created beings, God depends on nothing outside Himself for life or sustenance. He simply is. His being is absolute, independent, and eternal.
This name assures Moses and Israel that the God who calls them is not like the gods of Egypt (limited and powerless), but He is the living, eternal One who has always been and will always be. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, faithful to His covenant and unbound by time or circumstance.
By saying “I AM,” God declares His constancy. What He has promised, He will fulfill. His nature does not change, and His purposes cannot fail. The name also implies His sufficiency: everything His people need is found in Him. He is present, personal, and powerful to save.
Jesus later identified Himself with this divine name when He said:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58)
This was a direct claim to deity, showing that Christ shares the same eternal nature as the Father.
“I AM WHO I AM” reveals a God who is infinite, faithful, and near. Unchanging in character and fully able to accomplish His will for His people.
