Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Tag: I AM that I AM

What is your Name? Who are you?

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On April 9, 2019

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

When Jacob wrestled with God (Genesis 32:30, 32, Hosea 12:4-5), he clung on to God and would not let go of him unless he was blessed. To this, God responds and asks for his name. God asked “What is thy name?” Jacob answered the question and said that his name was “Jacob” which means supplanter or deceiver. To this God replied and rechristens Jacob saying that “you will no longer be called Jacob, but instead you shall be called Israel, for as a prince you have power with (not over) God and with man and have prevailed”. To this Jacob asks God, what is your name. I pray that you tell me your name. Instead of answering that questions as God did, by saying that he is the “I AM”, when Moses asked the same question, God counter-questions him asking “Why do you ask for my name?” and then proceeds to bless Israel there.

From this account, we can learn a few things.
God wants us to acknowledge who we are. The omniscience of God would not have required him to ask for Jacob’s name, yet he did. Until then, Jacob, the deceiver had fooled his father by telling him that he was Esau, to rob Esau of his blessings. Now, he was in a predicament where he could not lie to God, the Father of all (Ephesians 4:6), and he acknowledges and accepts who he is (a deceiver), that he is Jacob. So the first thing God does is not remind Jacob of who he is, but instead rechristens him and gives him a new name, likening him to be a prince. Other scriptures substantiate the rechristening act of God. Abram was rechristened Abraham, Sarai became Sarah, Saul was rechristened as Paul and when Simon recognized that Jesus was indeed the son of God he was rechristened as Peter (“Rock”). Additionally, we learn that right after God rechristened Jacob to be Israel, he blesses him. In other words, blessings succeeds rebirth/rechristening.

Points to ponder:
When we accept our sinful state before God, the Father, and confess of our unworthiness of his mercy as Jacob did (Genesis 32:10), he gives us another name (Isaiah 65:15), a new name (Rev 2:17), one better than that of sons and daughters (of men) that is everlasting (Isaiah 56:5), as children of God (1 John 3:1), one that is designated by God himself (Isaiah 62:2), As children of God, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, we are prince and princesses. God’s  name (Rev 3:12). God’s name is I AM (Exodus 3:14) and Jesus said before Abraham was, I AM (John 8:58). Jesus is God and the Lord is his name (Hosea 12:4-5).

Before man had sinned, blessings preceded naming (Genesis 5:1-2). Now in the fallen state of man, because of man’s sin and disobedience, blessings follows rebirth, that happen when one acknowledges their sinful state and accepts the Lord Jesus (),

So the question that demands an answer now is Are you rechristened by God? What is your name? Who are you?

Genesis 32:27-29 (KJV)
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

Genesis 0:0 – In the Beginning

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On March 5, 2013

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

The first three verses in the Bible speak about the Trinity of God and Genesis 1:1 starts out as, “In the beginning God …” Now should there be a verse preceding that, what would that be? A youth in our Church once asked me, “Where did God come from?” This is actually a question that many scholars have sought to answer. And amidst my God given wisdom and finite human understanding, all I can do is to turn to the Bible to find the answer. Psalm 90:2 states that before the mountains were brought forth, or the earth and the world was formed i.e., before creation (as expressed in Genesis 1), from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” In other words, the God of the Bible IS (not was, not will be), He simply IS. He is The I AM.

Points to ponder:
To ask “Where did God come from?” is like asking “Who is the Bachelor’s wife?” Just as someone who is a Bachelor, implies that he does not have a wife, so also to be God, implies that he does not have a beginning (nor an end). Man-made idols who are worshipped as gods have a beginning at the hands of man, unlike the God of the Bible who simply IS.

Jesus, God’s in human form was born amidst men. It was his birth but not his beginning, when he was born into the world he created, for he always IS. In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1-2). Jesus is the Word of God, becoming flesh to dwell amongst men.
In the beginning, God …
In the beginning, was the Word …
In the beginning, God was the Word and the Word was God.
From everlasting to everlasting, Jesus is God.

Jesus wants to be born in your life. Believe in him to be born again. The God of the Bible IS. Are you HIS? If not, believe in Jesus and receive him to be accepted into, and to belong to God’s family.

Psalm 90:2 (KJV)
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Genesis 1:1 (KJV)
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

John 1:1-3 (KJV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

I AM the Bread of life

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On July 8, 2009

In Christian, I AM, The Name

‘I AM the bread of life’ is the first of the seven ‘I AM’ statements in the gospel according to John, that is claimed by Jesus.  Jesus does not mention this once but three times does He explicitly call out that He was the bread of life (John 6:35), that bread of life (John 6:48) and living bread (John 6:51).

Exodus 16 records the incident of the daily provision of the LORD wherein He rained down bread from heaven that the Israelites called ‘manna’ for they knew not what it was (Manna means ‘what is it?’). (Exodus 16:15). It was a  mystery, just as Jesus is a mystery to some. Jesus refers to this manna in John 6 and calls to our attention that while the manna sustained the Israelites in their jouney to the promised land, it did not save them, for those who ate of it eventually died. Drawing that parallel, Jesus makes his first ‘I AM’ claim in which He talks about himself not just as a sustaining bread for our lives, but as a saving bread for our lives.

Point(s) to ponder:

  • Without food (bread), we will die physically, but without Jesus (the bread of life), we will die physically and spiritually. Double whammy!
  • Note the Israelites did not know what it was (manna), nonetheless they took and ate it. Food is absolutely useless to the one who does not eat of it. You may have the fanciest of food choices presented to you, but unless you take the first step of taking (accepting) it and eating (partaking) it, it’s nutitritive and life giving abilities remain merely in itself. Similarly, the bread of life (Jesus) is always available for our taking, even if we dont really know who He is, but unless we take the first step of accepting Him and partaking of Him, we  will continue in our road to physical and spiritual death.
  • The manna in the wilderness was found on the ground (Exodus 16:14) and in order for one to take it, they must have had to bend to the ground to pick it. Asking Jesus to be your bread of life is also a similar experience – we must first humble (bend our mind and heart) ourselves and take him into our hearts, accepting his sovereignity and Lordship.

Jesus said, I AM the bread of life and he that eateth of me (takes me into their heart) will never die, but live, and not just live, but live abundantly and eternally. The choice is yours now – whether you want to humble yourself and accept Him to be your living bread or the only other option is double whammy! It is time now, for you to decide.

John 6: 35,48-51 (KJV)
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
48 I am that bread of life.
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: …

What’s in The Name?

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On July 6, 2009

In Christian, I AM, The Name

In the book, ‘The Name’ , Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham writes
“The Name stands before, beyond, and after all others. In the beginning was the Name. At the end will be the Name. In the present time, all things depend upon the Name. The Name is above all names. The Name will cause all knees to bow … yours, mine … for all time” and yet it is The Name that many so vehemently despise and demean while other revere it to the point of laying down their very lives, bearing it.
So what is it with The Name – The Name, Jesus? What’s in The Name?

A name is often given to reflect a quality or a character.  For God, who is supreme and indescribable, even the very expression of his character and quality by any name is in essence, limiting the infinite.  This I believe is the reason as to  why the response that Moses received when he asked the LORD for His Name was profoundly yet merely,  ‘I AM’ (Exodus 3:13). But the Bible also records various names and titles that are used to describe God, his Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In this series, ‘The names and titles of  The Name’, the ‘I AM’, we will attempt to get a glimpse of the infinite God, His character and qualities as expressed by names and titles, that we can understand.

The Apostle Paul writes that his commission on earth was to “Know the Name and to make The Name known” (Philippians 3:10, 1 Corinthians1:17,23).For now, let us journey together to search the hidden treasures in God’s word, apropos his names and conferred titles, so that we may be able to join with Paul and say that we may know Him, because only then, will we be able to make Him known.

Philippians 2:5-11 (KJV)
5 … Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Character and Names of God in Psalm 23

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On January 17, 2009

In Christian

The LORD (Jehovah)
Is my Shepherd (Jehovah-rohi)
I shall not want (Jehovah-jireh – my provider)
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me besides
still waters (Jehovah-shalom – my peace)
He restores my soul (Jehovah-rophe – my healer)
He leads me in paths of
Righteousness (Jehovah-tsidkenu – the LORD is righteous)
For his name sake.
Even though, I walk through the valley of shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
For thou are with me (Jehovah-shammah – The LORD is there)
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies (Jehovah-nissi – my banner)
Thou anointest (Jehovah-M’Kaddesh – The Lord sanctifies)
my head with oil, my cup runs over.

Because, Jehovah (THE LORD) is
jireh (provider)
shalom (peace)
rophe (healer)
tsidkenu (righteousness)
shammah (there)
nissi (banner)
M’kaddesh (sanctifier)

Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us ALL THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

We see the character of God when we know His Names, because no one name could contain the limitless infinite God and that is why His response to Moses, when asked “What shall I tell the children of Israel when they ask me what is the name of the God of their fathers that has sent me?” (Exodus 3:13),  simply was “I AM THAT I AM”.

Ref: Adapted from The Bible Exposition Commentary by Warren Wiersbe

Jehovah and that means …

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On January 16, 2009

In Christian

God in Genesis 1 is referred to as Elohim (meaning the Almighty One) and interesting this is in the plural form which substantiates the Trinity of the Godhead – One God in three personalities – the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit.

When Moses asked God “who shall I say to the Israelites, that sent me”, he was asking God a very difficult question because any name would limit the limitless omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent Almighty God (Elohim) and God responds by simply saying, I AM THAT I AM. (Exodus 3:14)

But then we see that in the majority of the Bible, God is referred to as LORD (all caps) which in the King James version is transliterated as Jehovah.

How did this term ‘Jehovah‘ come about?

The name Jehovah is derived from the Hebrew verb havah, “to be” or “being”. This word is almost exactly like the Hebrew verb, chavah,  “to live” or “life”. havah and chavah, being and life. Interestingly, this is the one name of God in the Holy Scripture, that is not a derivative from His works and unequivocally teaches us of the substance of God – which is being and living.1

So extrapolating God response to Moses, I AM THAT I AM really could be expressed as I will BE that I will BE or I am LIFE that I am LIFE.

Think about it, Our God (Jehovah) is being, is life unto all who seek him.
Want Life? you can call Him Jehovah, for HE IS.

1Ref: Names of God, by Nathan Stone.

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