written by Dr. Jack Hughes

You are probably familiar with several of the attributes of God, such as His infinite power (omnipotence) or His infinite wisdom and knowledge (omniscience) — but have you considered the attribute of God’s existence?

If you have read the Bible for any length of time, you have learned that one of God’s names is “I AM.” What kind of name is “I AM”? It is referred to as the memorial name of God. It is the name that God gave to Moses in Exodus 3:13-14 when Moses was being commissioned by God to lead the people of Israel from Egypt, and Moses asked, “Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” The Egyptian gods all had names and the Israelites knew about the “God of Abraham,” but Moses wanted God’s formal name, His real name, a specific name. The Lord replied to Moses saying, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

“God is a well with no bottom, a sea with no banks, deeper than the endless reaches of space, exalted above the heavens. His attributes are all infinite, greater than the universe.”

Now, what kind of name is that and what does it mean? First, let’s consider a little bit of English grammar. In English, there are words that describe action which we call verbs. These are things we do, like run, jump, speak, laugh, eat, etc. There is a certain class of verbs that describe being or existence. In other words, they tell us that something exists. They are sometimes called “being verbs.” Let’s say you are reading Hebrews 4:12, which says, “The Word of God is living. . .” The subject or thing being talked about is “The Word of God.” We are told that it is — which means, it exists. The rest of the verse goes on to describe some of the characteristics of the Word of God i.e., it is living, active, sharper, piercing, and able to judge. The verb in Hebrews 4:12 is the being verb, is. Consider how all the words that follow describe a state of being or existence — is, am, are, was, were, be, being, etc. All these words describe existence. Now that you know a little bit about “being verbs”, let’s proceed.

God commissions Moses to lead the Israelites from captivity. Moses asks God for His formal name. God says my name is “I AM,” a name that means “I exist,” or “I am the existing one,” or “I am the one who exists.” Think about it. Why would God choose as His memorial name, “I AM?” I cannot give you a comprehensive answer, but consider that the Egyptians worshiped many so-called gods who were really not gods at all. There is no real god of the Nile, or sun, or fish, or frogs, etc. Demons promote false religions, and men seeking to make God in their own image or in the image of created things often worship creation, whether it is the sun, a statue, or an animal. But these are created things. They are not the Creator.

The God Who Is

Thus, we can see that the name “I AM” is actually a subtle rebuke to those who believed in many so-called gods who do not really exist. On the contrary, the true God does exist — He is the great “I AM!” All other so-called gods do not exist. They are merely fictions of man’s twisted imagination or lies spawned by demons to lead men astray. Notice how Psalm 115:2-8 describes the true God in comparison with the so-called gods of the nations:

“Why should the nations say, “Where, now, is their God?” But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see; They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell; They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat. Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.”

Isn’t it amazing that men actually worship created things that can’t speak or think, and they bow down to them and worship them as if they are God?! How ridiculous it is that men worship false gods that can’t even speak, that must be carried around and crafted by their worshipers! Yet the world is full of people who worship the creature and the created rather than the Creator (Romans 1:18-25).

The Memorial Name of God

This is one of the reasons God gave Himself the name I AM. He wanted all to know that He truly exists. He is not a god that is fashioned by man, that cannot speak or do any good. God — the true God ­— is a real God who actually exists. When you read through the Old Testament in any good translation, you will often see the word “Lord” in all caps (LORD), which is letting you know the memorial name of God in Hebrew — the name God gave to Moses, “I AM” — is the name being translated. Why doesn’t the Old Testament translate the name I AM as I AM or Existing One or something like that? The reason is that the Jews so revered the name of God that they didn’t want to even pronounce it for fear of mispronouncing it and thereby showing irreverence to God. They actually put letters of Hebrew together that are difficult, if not impossible, to pronounce. The closest we might come to a transliteration is Yahweh.

We have learned that one of God’s attributes is that He exists, which is what His memorial name means — the “I AM” is the One who exists. This is in contrast to all other false gods, who do not exist. It is at this point we could begin to ask questions like, “So how long has God existed?” or “How long will God exist?” or “Where does God exist?” or “In what form does God exist?” These are all great questions. To answer any of them would plunge us into a different attribute of the Great I AM — and thus, a different blog article! Yet, as you think about God’s infinite being, consider His words in Isaiah 45:21-22:

“Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.”