Friday, October 10, 2003 (10)
BEFORE ABRAHAM. The foundation and roots of Israel were in Abraham. Now there is one standing in their midst who proclaimed Himself to be greater than and to have precede Abraham. One who was before Abraham and can declare Himself to be I AM. John 8:58 In revealing Himself to be the I AM, He is showing forth His Deity. The self existing, the very essence of life. Outside of Him life does not exist. This name is derived from the announcement of the Lord to Moses when Moses sought authority to show who it was that had called him. Ex. 3:14 When the Lord introduced Himself as I AM he was presenting Himself as the always existing, the ever present. He was the I AM of eternity past, forever being. As eternity has no beginning, so he had no beginning, He was, and continuously has been. Today, throughout the ages of time and His dealings with mankind, He is I AM. In the endless eternity to come, He will still be I AM. Without Him, existence, does not exist. Without Him there is nothing, neither time nor eternity. Everything in the universe is dependent on His existence. He existed prior to all of creation. The order of the whole of life on this planet and the order of the universe are maintained by Him. Col. 1:17
I AM THAT I AM. Moses was to present himself to the children of Israel as being commissioned by who is the I AM. He could not have been sent by one who was greater. The ever existent had called him and given him authority to present himself in the name of I AM. A comprehensive understanding of that name can only come by revelation. The eternal power and majesty of that name is far beyond the ability of the human mind to perceive. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary gives an interesting list of different translations and the meaning of I AM. I AM WHO I AM. (RSV.) I will be what I will be (Moffatt, Luther), I am the existing one (Catholic Commentary); I cause to be what comes to pass (Meek). None of which fully express the completeness of the meaning of I AM. He is infinite, without origin, without a conclusion. Has always been and always will be. It is difficult for our finite minds to understand such an eternal one, when everything around us, but Him, has a beginning and an ending, a life and a death, a start and a finish. He is the Alpha and the Omega. The first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet. He is the alphabet, it letters forming words and its words developing into the everlasting WORD of God. He is the beginning [of creation, and time] and the end of the same. More importantly to our subject. He is the one which is, which was, and is to come. The Almighty. Rev. 1:8 Once again demonstrating His ever, always existing, being. From any place in eternity [time did not exist in eternity] it may be said that HE IS. From any hour of time it may be said, HE IS In the endless ages of eternity to come, it must be said, HE IS. There is not a moment when He has not been. He is the very essential quality of all that is called life. HE IS.