Moses once asked God, “If I go to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The god of your fathers has sent me to you and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say to them?”
God Almighty said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM, sent me to you!”
What does that mean? A Bible scholar defines it as, “Whatever you need, that is what I am”.
While God’s names reveal different dimensions of his character, they also point to their fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Our Father sees our needs beforehand and makes provisions through our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. In that sense, He is Jehovah-JIREH, which means, ‘The Lord Who Sees’ or Jehovah’s provision shall be seen.
Prophet Samuel presents Him as the Eben-ezer of the Israelites. It reads, “Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, ‘Thus far has the Lord helped us'” (1 Sam 7:12).
Its best fulfilment can be seen in Abraham’s life. He was worried and tired of the challenge he was facing. No one could save him but God. He saw God’s provision there at the dire hour of need. God does many things in our lives without our knowledge.
The Walt Disney production of an animated movie was a gargantuan task in 1937. Disney artists drew over one million pictures using fascinating techniques. Each picture flashed onto the screen for a mere one-twenty-fourth of a second. As we watch the movie run at regular speed, it seems so simple. We have no idea what techniques and skills are at work behind its production.
Our lives are like that movie. God puts infinite thought, skill, and careful attention into every detail. Yet as our lives run at regular speed, we have no idea how much God’s providence fills every single second.
He is Jehovah-jireh, I AM THAT I AM, or whatever you need, that’s what I AM.
