Introduction: Have everybody in your group describe themselves by completing the following sentence.
“My name is _________. I am ________________, ________________ and ________________.”
Why is this sentence a helpful way to introduce ourselves?
Study
1. Read Exodus 3:1-4. Who are the two main characters in this story? What was Moses doing in verse 1? Look carefully at verse 2. Hmm…interesting. What Moses sees isn’t necessarily all that is going on. Explain. (Moses sees flames of fire, but isn’t aware that it’s really the angel of the LORD appearing to him.) In verse 3, Moses goes over for a closer look. What happens in verse 4? Who starts the conversation?
2. Read Exodus 3:5-6. What are God’s instructions to Moses? Why does He tell him this? What does Moses do when he finds out what is really happening?
3. Read Exodus 3:7-10. Explain in your own words what’s happening now and what’s going to happen. (The Israelites, the people referred to by God as “Mine,” are miserable in Egypt. They’ve been slaves there and are suffering. God is coming down to rescue them and bring them into a prosperous land that is currently occupied. God is planning to send Moses to Pharaoh to tell him this.)
4. Read Exodus 3:11-12. What is Moses’ response? What is God’s promise to Moses?
5. Read Exodus 3:13. What is Moses worried about? What is his question to God?
6. Read Exodus 3:14-15. What does God say His name is? (I AM)
7. Earlier in our lesson, we finished the sentence, “I am…when we described ourselves. God doesn’t need to finish that sentence! He IS. He is the self-existent One! He always was. He is currently. He always will be! God revealed Himself to Moses in this way…Moses, through Aaron, reveals God to the Israelites in this way also (see Exodus 4:29-30). It’s safe to assume that when Moses said everything the LORD told him to say, He revealed to them His name. In the original language, this name, YHWH /YAH-weh/ was so holy the Israelites wouldn’t even mention it aloud!
8. In the next few lessons, we’ll look at the ways Jesus reveals who He is to the people around Him by referencing this passage. It’s going to be exciting! In the meantime, why is it significant that God always has been?
Challenge
God always was, He always is, He always will be!
There was never a day without Him; there wouldn’t be day without Him.
There is nothing He doesn’t know, and there is nothing to know beyond Him.
There is nobody He cannot reach and nothing beyond His reach.
He is in all things able.
He is immutable, immeasurable, indestructible, inescapable, approachable, reliable, unfathomable and so valuable.
He is more than able to accomplish all that concerns us, all that concerns you.
Bask in Him, the mighty God, the great I AM!
Lesson 3: John 6:35: “I Am the Bread of Life“
