Exodus 4:19-28, Thoughts from Exodus (3)

0314 I AM THAT I AM.  God is self-existent, a requirement for One who is the Creator of heaven and earth.  Jesus is I AM, John 8:58,24,28.

·       Matthew Henry (vol. 1, -205): 1. He is self-existent.  I must say: by the grace of God I am what I am.  2. He is eternal, unchangeable. 3. He is beyond finding out.  4. He is faithful and true to all His word.

·       ISBE (Int’l. Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. 2, p1254): God’s personal name to Israel as “Chemosh” to Moab, “Dagon” to Philistia.  The Hebrew in 3:14 is “hayah” (to be).  The translation might better be “I will be what I will be.”  I.e. I will be what is necessary in all settings.

·       Gesenius explains it thus: I (even) shall be (the same) that I am (today) and relates it to Revelation 1:4,8, who was and who is and who is to come.  He also refers to Hosea 12:5, YAHWEH (the eternal, immutable) is His name.  Scripture is clear that this was not a name passed on as a relic from Egyptian idolatry but comes from the idea of “being, existence.”  It is more accurate to say that idolatry borrowed from the true religion or that there were always counterfeits of true religion in the idolatry.  (In Hosea 12:5 note that YAHWEH is the One with whom Jacob wrestled, 12:4.  This happened before the time in Egypt.)

0315   The Name of God is His “memorial” to all generations.  Memorial is literally “his scent;” scent is what we might remember of someone.  The first use is here.  In Ex. 17:14 and Deut. 25:19 “blotting out Amalek” is a memorial.  In Deut. 32:26 (the Song of Moses) God would have made Israel’s destruction such a memorial had He not feared what the nations would think and say.  In Esther 9:28, Purim is such a memorial.  There are other uses in the OT.

0319   Here is the first mention of the “hardness of Pharaoh’s heart” issue. I am sure the king of Egypt will not let you go.  Pharaoh’s heart was to not let them go.  Then in 4:21: I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go!

0401   4:1-9, 17, 30-31; John 6:14; Deut. 18:15-19; John 1:45; 7:31.  I have heard at least one Jewish brother (i.e. a believer in Christ) that “signs” were never something the Jews were looking for or expecting in the Messiah.  But why not, if the “type” of the Messiah (the Prophet Moses) did them according to God’s plan?  The response of the Jews in Jesus’ day indicates they certainly had a strong interest in His “signs.”  And He definitely told them to consider the signs!

0422   4:22-23: God “defines” the situation.  “Israel is My firstborn son.”  The concept of the firstborn is here.  Israel was not the first nation in time.  Egypt and many others preceded them.  But Israel had the “priority.” 

0424   4:24-26: Circumcision was established with Abraham.  Moses had not done this.  It wasn’t Egyptian or Midianite.  But Moses had to have the connection with Abraham.