Sharing With Sharon is a short devotional written by one of ALCC's members, Sharon Swidor.  Updated weekly, we pray that you will be blessed and drawn to God by her words.  (Last updated 7/26/10.)

Exodus 3:1-6, 13-14...Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight...why the bush does not burn up." When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses! And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God...Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, "What is his name?" Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

God comes face to face with Moses, speaking to him from a burning bush that is not consumed. Moses was frightened and no doubt we would be also. Moses asks him what his name is so that he can tell the children of Israel so that they would know he was truly sent from the LORD. God answers, "I AM WHO I AM," (or I AM THAT I AM.") We are told the words "I AM" spoken here by God are "YHWH" in the original Hebrew language, and by the way, most of the Old Testament (first covenant) is written in Hebrew. (And if you look up a word from the Bible in the Hebrew or the Greek, you will often times find a very real difference in the meaning of the same word.) It makes a big difference! We pronounce YHWH as "Yahweh." The Jewish people might also consider it to be, "Adonai," because since the 3rd century B.C. they have been forbidden to voice the original pronunciation.

Let's take a look at what "I AM" means, and how it might be linked to Yeshua. Here is what we are told, God is saying that He is the preexistent Creator of the universe, with no beginning and no end. In John 8, Yeshua tells us, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I AM! The "I AM" Yeshua uses here is literally, "Yahweh." Yeshua is making a direct claim of His eternal preexistence, He is claiming to be God! In John 8, they considered His claim to be blasphemy and wanted to kill Him. He was claiming to be the Great "I AM" of the burning bush! He also claims to be the "I AM" the light of the world, "I AM" the bread of life. "I AM" the gate for the sheep, and "I AM" the good shepherd, and the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." In John 11:25, Yeshua says, "I AM" the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies...John 14:6...Yeshua answered, "I AM" the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 15:1..."I AM" the true vine, and My Father is the gardener."

Some have falsely stated that Yeshua never really claimed to be God! Nothing could be further from the truth! The Pharisees and teachers of the law knew precisely what He was claiming. Do you believe He is the One the Bible tells us is the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Well, the Bible also tells us He is God (Yahweh) whom we serve, and He is not a man, that He should lie.

Tehillim (Psalm) 122:6...Sha'alu shalom Yerushalayim yishlayu ohavayikh!
***Ask for the peace of Jerusalem; "May they prosper who love her."

with the love of Yeshua our Messiah,
Sharon