Gary Sullivan
Member
Before looking at the 7 distinctive statements of the gospel of John I want to go back over 1600 years earlier which occurred in the 215th year of Israel's time in Egypt. Moses, at the age of 80, had been trained by GOD to deliver the covenant nation from the bondage of the Hamitic Egyptians. A wonderful study is to see that when Israel ie Jacob and his family first went into the land of Egypt Lower Egypt in the North was ruled by the Hyskos, Semitic Egyptians.
Although the LORD had prepared Moses, the promised deliverer was convinced he was incapable of such a task. GOD revealed HIMSELF in the burning Bush and what followed was an amazing conversation between GOD and Moses.In Exodus chapters 3 and 4 Moses makes five objections to the divine command owing to his own inadequacy. It is when we know how helpless we are that the LORD can use us the most because it is HIM people need not us.
I have done a brief overview on Moses in the Young Believers Discipleship course some of you have.What we see in the Bible has little resemblance to the excellent epic, The 10 Commandments, with Charlton Heston.
We will only look at the command of GOD that led to the second objection found in Exodus 3:13-22. In his first objection in verse 10, we see Moses has an identity crisis. His second objection is that when he goes to the people of Israel they will want to know God's name. So then we see the divine response, and by the way, we can prove within Exodus 3 and 4 that Moses's encounter is with GOD THE SON. In verse 13 we are told. " I'M that I AM , thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you". The first point is that the ONE WHO sends Moses is THE ONE WHO CAUSES TO BE ie the author of all things. Secondly, this is the personal name of GOD, which is YHWH. There are no vowels in Hebrew and neither the Hebrew or Greek have a J sound. In verse 15 GOD says this is HIS memorial name ie HIS eternal name. Thirdly, the name inherently means The Covenant Keeper and HE are beginning to keep HIS covenant with the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is an eternal, unconditional covenant with children of Israel ie Jacob, who was renamed Israel. Jesus uses the formula in the New Testament for the Abrahamic Covenant in Matthew 22:23-32. Fourthly, the words I AM are a continuous present tense which means no beginning and no ending of existence. In Exodus 3:16-22 GOD spells out the programme of redemption and that in spite of tremendous opposition from Pharoah Amenhotep II and his minions the deliverance will occur right on time.
This a brief, simple look at the use of the I AM in the Old Testament. The first I AM in John is in John chapter 6 It could a good idea to look at this chapter to see what you can glean from the words of Jesus in this chapter.
Although the LORD had prepared Moses, the promised deliverer was convinced he was incapable of such a task. GOD revealed HIMSELF in the burning Bush and what followed was an amazing conversation between GOD and Moses.In Exodus chapters 3 and 4 Moses makes five objections to the divine command owing to his own inadequacy. It is when we know how helpless we are that the LORD can use us the most because it is HIM people need not us.
I have done a brief overview on Moses in the Young Believers Discipleship course some of you have.What we see in the Bible has little resemblance to the excellent epic, The 10 Commandments, with Charlton Heston.
We will only look at the command of GOD that led to the second objection found in Exodus 3:13-22. In his first objection in verse 10, we see Moses has an identity crisis. His second objection is that when he goes to the people of Israel they will want to know God's name. So then we see the divine response, and by the way, we can prove within Exodus 3 and 4 that Moses's encounter is with GOD THE SON. In verse 13 we are told. " I'M that I AM , thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you". The first point is that the ONE WHO sends Moses is THE ONE WHO CAUSES TO BE ie the author of all things. Secondly, this is the personal name of GOD, which is YHWH. There are no vowels in Hebrew and neither the Hebrew or Greek have a J sound. In verse 15 GOD says this is HIS memorial name ie HIS eternal name. Thirdly, the name inherently means The Covenant Keeper and HE are beginning to keep HIS covenant with the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is an eternal, unconditional covenant with children of Israel ie Jacob, who was renamed Israel. Jesus uses the formula in the New Testament for the Abrahamic Covenant in Matthew 22:23-32. Fourthly, the words I AM are a continuous present tense which means no beginning and no ending of existence. In Exodus 3:16-22 GOD spells out the programme of redemption and that in spite of tremendous opposition from Pharoah Amenhotep II and his minions the deliverance will occur right on time.
This a brief, simple look at the use of the I AM in the Old Testament. The first I AM in John is in John chapter 6 It could a good idea to look at this chapter to see what you can glean from the words of Jesus in this chapter.