#13— Parshat Shemot
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Who Appears in the Burning Bush?
Who is the One who appears to Moses in the burning bush in Exodus 3? Is it the L-RD Himself? Who else can be saying His holy name means “I am who I am”?
Or is it the Angel of the L-RD who appeared to Moses? As we read at the beginning of Exodus Chapter 3, “The Angel of the L-RD appeared in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush” (vs. 2).
Let’s have a closer look at this truly amazing passage.
Asking for G-d’s Name
As the Exodus story opens, G-d has been faithful to His promises. Israel has multiplied greatly in Egypt. But then an evil Pharaoh uses fear to justify great oppression. The Egyptians make the Israelites slaves, who groan under heavy burdens.
This oppressive bondage goes on for many years. In despair the Israelites send up an S.O.S. [Exodus 2:23] Will somebody hear it?
Then G-d acts, calling Moses. “Come, I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” [Exodus 3:10]
Moses objects: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?”
G-d’s answer to that objection is simply “I will be with you.” [Exodus 3:11-12]
Then Moses brings up a second difficulty. “ If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The G-d of your fathers has sent me to you’ and they ask me ‘What is his name?’ What shall I say to them?”[Exodus 3:13]
Asking for G-d’s name is asking for a description of who G-d is. In this context, that’s not just theological curiosity. No, the Israelites are in a dire situation, oppressed by the superpower of the day. In such a case the credentials of the speaker matter. Moses is anticipating answering the people’s question “Who is this G-d that He should be able to rescue us from our impossible situation?”
Pharaoh later asks a similar question. He does so defiantly, questioning the significance of the L-RD. “Who is the L-RD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go?” [Exodus 5:2]
Both the arrogant oppressor and Israel will get to know who G-d is: Pharaoh at the cost of his own demise and destruction; Israel in its amazing rescue from Egypt.
I AM who I AM
Hear again Moses’ heartfelt question at the burning bush. “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them,’The G-d of your fathers has sent me to you’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”
Let’s listen to the divine answer to this question; it is holy ground. HASHEM Himself starts to explain His own holy name. G-d says to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” [Exodus 3:14]
G-d also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The L-RD [HASHEM, G-d’s holy name, is used here] the G-d of your father, the G-d of Abraham, the G-d of Isaac and the G-d of Jacob has sent me to you. This is my name forever and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” [Exodus 3:15]
It is clear that G-d’s name (the four letters of HASHEM) are a form of the verb “to be” in Hebrew. G-d Himself now explains the meaning of His holy name as “I AM WHO I AM” and “I AM.” So the name by which He wants to be remembered has the meaning “He is who He is” and “He is.”
His Greatness is Unsearchable
What G-d answers Moses is similar to what the Angel of the L-RD says later to Samson’s father Manoah: “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful.”
It is as though G-d is saying, “Who I am is greater and more wonderful than you can ever comprehend. All I can say that would be accurate is ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ Moses, I can only be defined by Myself. You can never get a complete grasp of me”.
David later confessed the same truth about the L-RD: “His greatness is unsearchable.” (Psalm 145:3). His glory is infinite. His perfection is too absolute to be ever fully comprehended. No limited human category is ever fitting enough for Him. “I AM WHO I AM.” Deep awe is the only right response to this reality.
But we find here in this parsha still more. G-d’s name is also an invitation to faith. It is as though G-d is saying, “You ask for My name, you ask for My credentials; they are too enormous to ever fully state. I AM WHO I AM – the totally unique one. That means you can trust Me.”
“Moses, say ‘I AM’ has sent me.”
Think about this. Who can declare this in such an absolute way? Only G-d. Because He alone is the One who always was, is, and will be.
“I AM WHO I AM.“
The L-RD Revealing Himself
There is something concealing in this name of G-d. He tells us He is too great for us to define Him.
But at the same time there is a lot of revelation of G-d’s name, unveiling who He is to Moses. And because HASHEM is who He is, we can rely on this. He identifies Himself as the G-d who committed Himself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is the One who would be their G-d. He shows Himself to be a faithful G-d.
And G-d reveals exactly this to Moses: He is a G-d who cares about the suffering of His people. “I have surely seen the affliction of My people…I know their sufferings.”
“I know their sufferings” is not just a cold intellectual acknowledgement of facts. Rather, it indicates intimate concern and sympathy. Here is how Isaiah later puts it: “In all their affliction He was afflicted and the angel of His presence saved them.” [Isaiah 63:9]
G-d coming down
The angel of His presence…that brings us back to the question with which we started. Who is it who appears in the burning bush? Is it the Angel of the L-RD or is it the L-RD Himself?
It is clear the L-RD Himself is speaking. But it is equally clear in the text that it is the Angel of the L-RD who appears to Moses.
So what is happening here? What is happening is exactly what G-d says. He has come down!
“I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land flowing with milk and honey.” [Exodus 3:8]
The great “I AM” is who He is and therefore in His incomparable mercy He can choose to come down to deliver. He does that in the person of the Angel of the L-RD. That special delegate of G-d is not a normal angel. He is G-d Himself coming down!
That’s how G-d Himself reveals Himself. That’s how He redeems. This coming down to redeem is typical of G-d. This is how He establishes His Name. He did so when Israel was in Egypt.
But there is still more!
Greater Redemption
The scriptures make it clear the redemption from Egypt was only the beginning. The prophets expect an even greater redemption from this Redeemer G-d.
This expectation is not put to shame – because He came down again in the person of Jesus the Messiah. Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah is the Angel of the L-RD. He saves us from sin and brings us to a totally renewed Jerusalem full of His presence.
“I AM WHO I AM” the L-RD says. And He shows Himself to be the great Redeemer who comes down. His declaration of His name is an invitation to believe, to trust in Him!
We’d love to talk further about this with you. We want you to share in the great redemption of the great “I AM.” You are welcome to use the chat below to talk more about this.