I Am Who I Am: The Lord Yahweh

Scripture names the Bible first as revelation before it becomes instruction. The text announces that God does not hand down a bare manual for living, even though commands are real and good; the Bible tells the story of who God is, what his character is like, and how he redeems through his promised Messiah. The difficulty that comes from treating Scripture as a rule book alone becomes obvious when parapets, dietary laws about camels, Ezra’s divorces, or greetings with a holy kiss land on modern ears. So the passage keeps insisting that obedience grows from God’s name. The law says, do this, for I am the Lord. The Ten Commandments begin with, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt. The Lord himself is the ground and motive of the life he commands.

Exodus 3 introduces the name that keeps showing up in those lines. The Lord speaks from the fire and says, I am who I am, and sends Moses to Israel and Pharaoh in that name. The Lord is and was and always will be. He is not like Egypt’s gods that rise and fall with the sun, rely on priests to wake and feed them, and shift with the seasons of the Nile. He does not come and go. He is. His self-existence, his constancy, and his freedom to act become the theater for Israel’s deliverance and Egypt’s plagues, which unmask the feebleness of the idols.

Yahweh’s name reaches back into Genesis where, in creating humanity, the Lord breathes into dust the breath of life. In Jewish tradition, Yahweh sounds like breathing. The image-bearing life that humans carry is a gift breathed in by the Lord who is and was and always will be. The same Lord who was faithful to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sees the affliction of his people now and promises what he will surely do.

The triune fullness of the name stands out. The Spirit hovers over the waters, speaks in Scripture, and brings God’s Word to his people. Jesus names himself with the divine I am, before Abraham was, I am, and in his trial answers, I am, echoing Exodus 3. Father, Son, and Spirit share the one name of the Lord.

So the way forward is clear. In study, the first question is not, what should be done, but, who is God here. The application grows from adoration. And when life changes again and again, the name Yahweh steadies the soul with every breath as the Lord reminds that he is, he was, and he will always be.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Scripture reveals God before rules [38:18] Obedience that lasts does not begin with a checklist. It begins with seeing the Lord who speaks, saves, and commands. When the text grounds commands in the name, it teaches that practice grows out of praise. Hard passages start to make sense when God’s character sets the frame. [38:18]
• 2. The Lord is, was, and will be [01:02:58] God’s name refuses all dependence and drift. Unlike seasonal gods that need tending, the Lord simply is, and therefore his promises hold when everything else shakes. Faith learns to anchor hope not in changing circumstances but in the self-existing One who remains. [62:58]
• 3. Yahweh breathes life and image [56:25] Humanity is not animated by accident but by God’s own breath. Bearing his image means life itself is gift and calling, received from the One whose name sounds like breathing. Remembering that origin dignifies bodies, work, and worship as responses to the Giver. [56:25]
• 4. Jesus and the Spirit share the Name [01:09:50] The Spirit speaks in Scripture and moves from creation onward, the Lord present to his people. Jesus claims the I am without apology, placing himself inside Israel’s holiest confession. The triune Lord is one in name and purpose, and Christian faith rests on that unity. [69:50]
• 5. Know God before asking what to do [01:12:17] Application without adoration turns brittle. Let the text first answer, who is God here, and then let life conform to that vision. Formation deepens when duty flows from delight in the Lord’s character. [72:17]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [30:00] - Honoring interns and transitions
• [35:12] - A correction and humility in study
• [37:32] - The rulebook mistake
• [38:18] - Scripture reveals who God is
• [41:45] - Commands anchored in God’s name
• [44:01] - Series: I Am Who I Am
• [45:35] - Burning bush and God’s call
• [50:40] - Yahweh, the Lord
• [52:17] - Moses, Genesis, and the name
• [54:55] - Image, breath, and life
• [58:37] - Egypt’s gods vs I AM
• [62:58] - The Lord who is, was, will be
• [67:35] - Father, Spirit, Son share the Name
• [71:47] - So what: know him, then live
• [73:20] - Steadfast when life overwhelms

Bible Reading
Exodus 3:13-15 (ESV)
Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”

Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV)
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

John 8:58 (ESV)
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

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Observation Questions

1. In Exodus 3:14, how does God identify Himself to Moses, and what phrase does He repeat to emphasize His nature?
2. What connection does Genesis 1:26-27 make between God’s identity and humanity’s purpose?
3. How does Jesus’ statement in John 8:58 directly echo God’s self-revelation in Exodus 3?

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Interpretation Questions

1. Why does God anchor His commands (like those in Leviticus 11 or Exodus 20) in His name and character rather than just giving rules? [41:45]
2. How does the idea that “Yahweh sounds like breathing” (Genesis 2:7) deepen the significance of human life and worship? [56:25]
3. What does Jesus’ use of “I am” in John 8:58 reveal about His relationship to the God of the Old Testament? [01:09:50]

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Application Questions

1. When reading the Bible, how might you shift your focus from “What should I do?” to “Who is God here?” this week? [01:12:17]
2. In what areas of life do you feel unstable or anxious? How could remembering “The Lord is, was, and will be” change your perspective? [01:02:58]
3. The sermon says bearing God’s image means life itself is a gift. What practical step could you take to honor this truth in your work, relationships, or self-care? [56:25]
4. Are there habits or decisions where you’ve prioritized rule-following over knowing God’s character? How could adoration reshape those areas? [38:18]
5. When life feels overwhelming, what tangible reminder (e.g., a breath prayer, a verse) could you use to recall God’s unchanging nature? [01:13:20]