I am sometimes astonished that even today people get confused over who exactly God is.
They mix good and evil and call that God.
They mix distance and delay with living within and now, and call that God.
They mix law and Grace and call that God.
... very much the same as in the time of Moses.
Moses had a dilemma
God sent him with a message of grace and freedom to His people. Yet, they had lived in bondage so long that they knew not who exactly their God was anymore.
The nation of Israel (Hebrew composite word from two root words: śârâh - prince or authority and êl - God. The word Israel talks about those in authority through God, literally "the princes of God") for many generations lived in bondage in a place called Egypt (from the root word mâtsûr - siege-enclosure or fenced place of bondage).
He just had to ask ...
So, Moses asked God: Who shall I say is this God that sent me with the message of grace?
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. Exo 3:13-14
God's reply is breathtaking
He says: tell them that "I AM THAT I AM" sent you.
Let's have a closer look:
In the Hebrew: "היה היה" or "hâyâh hâyâh".
Recap time!
Let's just recap on the Hebrew way of stating the intensive form.
The intensive form of, for instance red in the Hebrew, is attained by the doubling of the word. So, crimson red in Hebrew would be "red red" - the ultimate red.
By keeping this in mind we can already see the intensive form being pronounced here.
On to the word hâyâh ...
Directly translated, the word hâyâh is from a primitive root word meaning to exist, that is, to be or to come to pass. The better translation for the word would just be: "be".
Thus, the doubling of the word (hâyâh hâyâh) would mean: the ultimate existing One or the ultimate Be ... or the ultimate or greatest Being.
Can you see how the Hebrew works?
What about the word-picture?
The deeper, visual meaning comes from the word-picture itself.
Remember that each letter in the Hebrew has a specific ancient picture attached to it.
The letter ה pictures an open window and is the letter for Grace
The letter י pictures a hand and is strongly associated with the Hand of God - Jesus.
Put the pictures together ...
Let's paint the picture of the word reading the Hebrew letters of the word היה from right to left. It reads: Grace by/from the Hand of Grace.
Perfect! Jesus is the ultimate Grace in the New Testament. He is Grace!
But, the word occurs twice ...
Now double it to get the intensive form. What do you get?: Absolute Grace by the Highest Hand of Absolute Grace.
Isn't that just Jesus?
Wow!
Revealed in the New Testament?
Now we understand what John, the disciple that Jesus loved, says when he writes: And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. Joh 1:16
Grace alone!
Given by Grace!
Out of the Mighty Hand of Grace!
Grace upon Grace by Grace Himself!