I am who I am

Today, we continue with the reading of the second part of the story of the call of Moses. For the first time in human history, God reveals His identity.

By then, Moses was about 80 years old (Exodus 7:7). He knew enough of human affairs and was very cautious. Look at the way he killed an Egyptian at 40.
One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.
He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand (Exodus 2:11-12).
The next day, when the Hebrew he saved hinted that he had killed the Egyptian, Moses fled immediately. He knew that Pharaoh would not spare his life, though he was brought up in the palace and having Pharaoh's daughter adopted him as her son.
We do not know whether it was the same Pharaoh who ordered the killing of Hebrew male babies. Judging from Moses' reaction, it is safe to put this Pharaoh in the same category.
Forty years later, when God called Moses on Mount Horeb to send him back to Pharaoh to demand the release of Israelites, Moses was reluctant. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring forth my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt."
But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:10-11)
Most likely, this Pharaoh could not be the same Pharaoh that had ordered the killing of Hebrew male babies 80 years ago. But it was possible that this Pharaoh was the one from whom Moses fled 40 years ago. For anybody brought up in the Egyptian court, Pharaoh was their god. Probably Moses was not aware that he had left this god behind for nearly half of the life span he had lived. Therefore Moses did not have enough faith to confront this god. Now, Yahweh was going to take over his life and to shake off this pagan god. God assured Moses that He would stay with him.
He said, "But I will be with you." (Exodus 3:12a)

Moses knew that the whole mission was perilous. Not only was his life at stake, if the situation was not handled properly, a massacre would result. Many lives were at stake. Seeing that Pharaoh was not a good enough excuse, Moses conjured up the people to decline God's call.
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?" (Exodus 3:13)
It was a safe bet that God would not reveal His name. Probably it was ancient magic or folklore that if you knew the name of a deity, you were able to conjure it up, to manipulate it to do your wish. Therefore, the best bet for Moses was to trick God to reveal His name. If God refused, it would be fair for Moses to do the same, to decline the call. If God accepted, Moses would make good use of God's name to do whatever was to his best interest. Moses was truly streetwise.
God answered Moses not quite an answer.
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.'" (Exodus 3:14)

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה; וַיֹּאמֶר, כֹּה תֹאמַר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶהְיֶה, שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם

Thus God reveals His name which is not a name at all. What kind of a name can "I AM" be?
Ever since, a lot of theologians have spent a lot of energy trying to figure out the meaning of this enigma, this word-play. To add mystery to an enigma, God dropped us a further hint.
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 for ever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations." (Exodus 3:15)

וַיֹּאמֶר עוֹד אֱלֹהִים אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, כֹּה-תֹאמַר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵיכֶם אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב, שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם; זֶה-שְּׁמִי לְעֹלָם, וְזֶה זִכְרִי לְדֹר דֹּר

That is how the name of God is enshrined in a four-letter word, the tetragrammaton YHWH "The Lord" which is not the same as ’HYH "I AM". YHWH gains more currency than ’HYH to become the official name of God in the Hebrew Scripture.

Dear Lord, holy be Your name. In this name, we are redeemed. Amen.