Daily Devotional

A Ministry of the Kerwin Baptist Church

December 18, 2020

by Kerwin Baptist

Bible Reading: Exodus 3
Names of God – Jehovah: The Self-Existent One
“And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.” Exodus 3:13-15

In this passage, Moses is introduced to God, who reveals His most powerful name… Jehovah: The Self-Existent One. This name is the most used throughout scripture, 6,823 times! In Jewish culture, this name was the most holy, glorious name of names. It would cause them to grip their hearts in fear and awe. So much, that they would not even pronounce it. Even those translating the Old Testament would stop, take a bath, put new clothes on, and write His name with a new pen. If there was that much action over His name, we too should stop and reflect what this means.

Jehovah comes from the root “to be, to become.” In Scripture, it is translated LORD in all caps for emphasis. This is to remind the reader that Jehovah is the Self-Existent One. When God is telling Moses to say that God is “I AM WHO I AM.” He is saying that He is the beginning and end, the Alpha and Omega, and yesterday, today, and forever! Even Christ proclaiming this name in the garden caused men to fall at their feet. What else do we learn from His name? That the self-existent God also is a covenant keeping God. By God using Moses to lead His people back to the promise land, God was fulfilling his covenant with His people. Even more today, as a born-again believer, we too can find security and trust in Jehovah: The Self-Existent One. You may be wondering about burdens or even “what ifs” in your life. Whether it be with a burden involving your job, health, family, or something else, we can rest assure that God will never leave us. He even promises us! Hebrews 13:5-6 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” So instead of relying on something that will fail, let us today to trust in Jehovah: The Self-Existent One, who will never fail us and always keeps His promises!

David Fulp II