The name: I Am THAT "I Am" (John 1:3-4; Colossians 1:16-17; Acts 17:24-25,28; Exodus 3:14)

As stated in the Bible word studies, "The Name of God Muted" and "The Name: the Breath you Breathe", much misunderstanding has prevailed concerning the translation and pronunciation of the "tetra grammaton". None of this misunderstanding will be totally resolved by these word studies, but hopefully, these word studies will aid in benefiting a further revelation of the person and character of our father God that we serve.

DEFINITION

What should be stated, is that many Hebrew words did not contain vowels, and so pronunciation was only known by tradition. Though that may not be the case with (YHWH), the point is that some of the essence of meaning can still be gleaned from what we do know, from the letters available, rather than focusing on "missing vowels", that we don't know. One fact that we do know, is that the root of the word, identified as (HWH), is very emphatic in meaning. In other words, there is no questioning or debate, or room for theological maneuvering, in the statement that (YHWH) speaks of 'existence; origin; the breath we breathe; the very source of all that exists; all creation is established in Him'.

NEW TESTAMENT

This discovery echoes NT passages, with their emphatic statements:

 "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men" (John 1:3-4).

 "For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether (they be) thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers....all things were created by Him, and for Him; and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist". (Colossians 1: 16-17).

[These scriptures very specifically speak of the Lord Jesus Christ].

"God, who made the world and all things in it,...is Lord of heaven and earth,..He gives to all life, and breath, and all things...in Him we live, and move, and have our being... " (Acts 17:24-25,28).

TO BE

Interestingly enough, God chose to identify Himself by this word (YHWH), that contains the essence of the verb "to be". This verb, in its various forms, has the conveyance of "what was; what is; and what will be". For this very reason, Rabbinic interpretation has designated the meaning as portraying the eternity of God, and they translate this word as "the Eternal One". God always was; He always is; and He always will be.

I AM

God's declaration of His "name", in Exodus 3:14, "I am that I am", which He reiterates, telling Moses to say that, "I am" has sent him, to the people of Israel, contains the form of the verb (HWH), found in (YHWH). The mystery of this annunciation can be explained by examining the historic record of ancient peoples. All nations recognized that there was a supreme "God", who created all things, and yet every people group or nation, degenerated, or "lost track" of who the supreme "God" was, and adopted different "gods" as their "Elohim", or covenant God, to rule over them; bring deliverance to them; send them prosperity; and to whom they pledged allegiance in worship and sacrifice.

DON RICHARDSON

Don Richardson, in his documentary book, "Eternity in their Hearts", upon examining hundreds of civilizations, discovered that all cultures contain a historic record of worshiping one God, but throughout generations, this faith devolved into a pantheon of "Elohim", any of which could lay claim to the fame, of being the author of all creation.

THE ETERNAL ONE

In His declaration to Moses, God was setting the record straight, in letting him, and all Israel know, that the "Elohim", covenant God, that they worshiped was the Eternal One, the God of all creation; the One who was; the One who is; and the One who will be.

FALSE ELOHIM

Though there is no direct translation from the Hebrew, the essence of His statement, to paraphrase, is "the Eternal One, of all creation, that gives life and breath to all, THAT Eternal One, of all creation, is who I am....go tell the nation of Israel, that the Eternal One, of all creation, that every nation KNOWS ABOUT, but none of them KNOW, is the very "Elohim", covenant God, that you have worshiped up to this point, and now I am revealing to you that I am THAT "I am" [ which He then proved by executing judgment on all the false "Elohim" of the Egyptians; forever asserting His position as the Eternal One, the God of all creation, and the only true "Elohim", the creator of all things].

GOD OF ALL CREATION

Therefore, even though there are at least 19 references, in various historic inscriptions, dating from the 9th to the 5th century B.C., that use the name (YHWH), identifying Him as Israel's God, (YHWH) is not just a declaration of the God of Israel, but (YHWH) is a declaration of the God of ALL creation! He is the Eternal One, the author of all creation, and by Him, all persons and every aspect of that creation, continues to exist, and yet, historically, He CHOSE to become, the God of Israel, through whom He has brought salvation and deliverance, in Jesus Christ, for ALL His creation.

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours