I AM WHO I AM

The Names and Character of God

7 minute read

The Statement of Faith

We believe that God has revealed His character through His names. Each name in Scripture discloses an aspect of who He is—His self-existence, faithfulness, provision, holiness, and love. These names are not arbitrary labels but windows into divine nature. In Jesus Christ, all the names of God find their fullest expression and personal fulfillment.

How Did We Get Here?

In the ancient world, names meant something. A name wasn't just a label—it revealed identity, character, destiny. When you knew someone's name, you knew something essential about who they were.

God operates in this framework. He doesn't just exist—He introduces Himself. He gives His name. And in giving His name, He reveals His heart.

The progression of names through Scripture tells a story. Each new name comes at a moment of revelation, when God shows His people something new about Himself. Abraham learns He's the Provider. Moses learns He's the eternally self-existent One. David learns He's the Shepherd. Each name answers a need. Each name invites trust.

This matters because we don't worship an abstract concept. We worship a Person who has made Himself known. The more we understand His names, the more we understand Him—and the more we can trust Him with every circumstance of our lives.

What the Bible Says

The Foundational Name: YHWH (I AM)

"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.'"
— Exodus 3:14

At the burning bush, Moses asks God's name. The answer is staggering: "I AM WHO I AM" (Hebrew: YHWH, often rendered "LORD" in English Bibles). This name declares God's self-existence. He doesn't depend on anything outside Himself. He simply is. He's the uncaused cause, the ground of all being, the one constant in an ever-changing universe.

When Jesus said "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58), His audience picked up stones. They understood the claim: Jesus was identifying Himself with YHWH.

Compound Names That Reveal Character

Throughout the Old Testament, YHWH is combined with other words to reveal specific aspects of God's character:

YHWH Jireh – "The LORD Will Provide" (Genesis 22:14)

When God provided a ram to replace Isaac on the altar, Abraham named that place "The LORD Will Provide." This name assures us that God sees our needs before we do and meets them according to His wisdom and timing.

YHWH Rapha – "The LORD Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26)

After the bitter waters of Marah, God revealed Himself as Healer—of bodies, yes, but also of souls and communities. He is the God who restores what is broken.

YHWH Nissi – "The LORD Is My Banner" (Exodus 17:15)

After victory over Amalek, Moses built an altar with this name. In battle, the banner marked where the king stood. This name declares God fights for His people and leads them to victory.

YHWH Shalom – "The LORD Is Peace" (Judges 6:24)

Gideon, terrified after encountering the angel of the LORD, discovered that meeting God brought not destruction but peace. This name declares that true peace—wholeness, completeness—is found in God alone.

YHWH Rohi – "The LORD Is My Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1)

David's beloved psalm presents God as the attentive Shepherd who provides, guides, protects, and comforts. This name assures us of personal care—not distant sovereignty but intimate attention.

YHWH Tsidkenu – "The LORD Our Righteousness" (Jeremiah 23:6)

This messianic title promises that God Himself would provide the righteousness His people lacked. In Christ, this finds fulfillment—He becomes our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30).

YHWH Shammah – "The LORD Is There" (Ezekiel 48:35)

The final words of Ezekiel name the restored city: "The LORD Is There." After exile and judgment, the ultimate promise is presence. Where God is, everything is right.

Other Names Revealing God's Nature

Elohim – God (Genesis 1:1)

The first name in Scripture, Elohim emphasizes God's power and majesty as Creator. The plural form hints at the complexity within God's unity—a door the Trinity will later open.

El Shaddai – God Almighty (Genesis 17:1)

When God made His covenant with Abraham, He introduced Himself as El Shaddai—the All-Sufficient One, able to do what seems impossible. Sarah will bear a son. Nothing is too hard for God.

El Elyon – God Most High (Genesis 14:18)

Melchizedek blesses Abraham in the name of El Elyon—the God who possesses heaven and earth, sovereign over all nations and rulers. No power rivals Him.

Adonai – Lord, Master (Psalm 110:1)

This name emphasizes God's authority and our proper response: submission. To call God "Adonai" is to acknowledge His right to rule our lives.

The Character God Proclaims

"The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished."
— Exodus 34:6-7

This is God's self-description—what He says when He proclaims His own name to Moses. Notice the emphasis: compassion, grace, patience, love, faithfulness, forgiveness. This is who He fundamentally is. Justice is real ("does not leave the guilty unpunished"), but it's surrounded by mercy.

How It Fits the Full Narrative

Every name anticipates Jesus. The compound names of YHWH find their fulfillment in Christ:

YHWH Jireh → Jesus is God's ultimate provision for sin
YHWH Rapha → Jesus heals the sick and the broken
YHWH Nissi → Jesus leads us in triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14)
YHWH Shalom → Jesus is our peace (Ephesians 2:14)
YHWH Rohi → Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11)
YHWH Tsidkenu → Jesus is our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30)
YHWH Shammah → In Jesus, God is with us—Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23)

Jesus takes the divine name. Seven times in John's Gospel, Jesus says "I AM" with a predicate, revealing who He is:

"I am the bread of life" (6:35)
"I am the light of the world" (8:12)
"I am the gate" (10:9)
"I am the good shepherd" (10:11)
"I am the resurrection and the life" (11:25)
"I am the way, the truth, and the life" (14:6)
"I am the true vine" (15:1)

Each "I AM" echoes Exodus 3:14. Jesus isn't just a teacher from Nazareth—He's YHWH in flesh.

The name above all names. After His death and resurrection, Jesus is given "the name that is above every name" (Philippians 2:9). The divine name belongs to Him by right. Every knee will bow at the name of Jesus.

Why This Matters

We pray to a Person, not a force. God has a name. He's introduced Himself. Prayer isn't meditation into the void—it's conversation with Someone who has revealed who He is and invited us to call on His name.

We can trust God in every circumstance. Whatever you're facing, there's a name that addresses it. Need provision? YHWH Jireh. Need healing? YHWH Rapha. Need peace? YHWH Shalom. Need guidance? YHWH Rohi. The names invite specific trust.

We worship with understanding. Knowing God's names transforms worship from vague sentiment to informed adoration. We're not praising an unknown god—we're praising the self-existent, compassionate, faithful, sovereign, providing, healing, peace-giving, shepherding God who has made Himself known.

We see how the Old Testament reveals Christ. Every Old Testament name and attribute of God finds its embodiment in Jesus. This is why Jesus could say the Scriptures testify about Him. He's not a new revelation—He's the fullest revelation of what was always there.

How to Communicate This

Make it personal. Don't just teach the names as information—connect them to people's actual needs. "You're struggling financially? Let me tell you about YHWH Jireh and how He's provided throughout Scripture and in my life."

Show the unity of Old and New Testaments. This is a powerful tool against the "different Gods" objection. The same YHWH who walked with Abraham is the Jesus who walked in Galilee. Trace the continuity.

Use the names in worship and prayer. Teach people to pray with the names: "Lord, You are YHWH Rapha—the God who heals. I bring my brokenness to You..." This moves doctrine from abstract to intimate.

Counter distorted views of God. Many people carry images of God as distant, angry, or indifferent. Exodus 34:6-7—God's self-description—corrects this. Lead with compassion, grace, patience, love. Show who God says He is.

Defending Against Critics

Objection: "The Old Testament God is angry and violent; the New Testament God is loving."

Response: This misreads both Testaments. Exodus 34:6-7 shows YHWH's self-proclaimed character is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Meanwhile, the New Testament includes judgment—Acts 5, Revelation's plagues. The same God throughout Scripture is both just and merciful. The cross is where these meet: God's justice is satisfied while His mercy flows.

Objection: "God's jealousy is a character flaw."

Response: Divine jealousy isn't petty insecurity—it's appropriate commitment. A husband should be jealous if his wife is unfaithful; it would be strange if he weren't. God's jealousy reflects His covenant love. He's committed to His people and won't share them with false gods that harm them. It's jealousy for us, not against us.

Objection: "Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship the same God."

Response: All three traditions are monotheistic and trace roots to Abraham. But their descriptions of God differ significantly. The Christian God is Triune; Islam explicitly denies this. The Christian God became incarnate in Jesus; Islam considers this blasphemy. At minimum, we're making very different claims about God's nature and actions. Whether these different claims refer to the same being depends on which claims are true—and they can't all be true.

Objection: "God created evil and is responsible for it."

Response: God created beings with free will who chose evil. He permits evil for reasons that include human freedom, soul-making, and ultimate good we may not fully understand. But He doesn't cause moral evil—that comes from creaturely rebellion. His character is light with no darkness (1 John 1:5). The problem of evil is real and difficult, but it doesn't contradict God's revealed character; it creates tension we must hold honestly.

Objection: "How can God be both loving and send people to hell?"

Response: Hell is not arbitrary punishment; it's the natural consequence of rejecting the source of all good. God doesn't force anyone into His presence. Those who spend their lives saying "My will be done" finally get their wish—existence apart from God. Love doesn't coerce. C.S. Lewis said the doors of hell are locked from the inside. God's love is precisely why He allows creatures to reject Him rather than forcing compliance.

Going Deeper

Key passages to study:

Exodus 3:13-15 – The revelation of YHWH
Exodus 34:5-7 – God's self-description
Genesis 22:1-14 – YHWH Jireh
Psalm 23 – YHWH Rohi
Isaiah 9:6 – Names of the coming Messiah
John 8:48-59 – Jesus claims the divine name
Philippians 2:9-11 – The name above all names
Revelation 19:11-16 – The names of the returning King

Questions for reflection:

Which name of God speaks most powerfully to my current circumstances?
Has my view of God been shaped more by Scripture's revelation or by other sources?
How might meditating on God's names change my prayer life?

I AM WHO I AM: The Names and Character of God