Sunday School Extras - April 19, 2026

‘I AM that I AM’’ (Hebrew: ‘Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh’

Covenant references to ‘I AM’ & 'I WILL' (‘Ehyeh’):

Exodus 3:4–12 (Moses)

And God called unto him out of the midst of the bush... 

Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh... 
Certainly I will be with thee...

Exodus 3:14 (Moses asks the name of the LORD)

I AM THAT I AM… 

I AM hath sent me unto you.

Note: This uses the Hebrew 'ehyeh' (1st person singular imperfect of 'to be'), meaning 'I will be' or 'I am/will be.' A Hebrew listener hears continuity: 'I will be with you' and 'I will be what I will be.'

Genesis 6:18; 9:9 (Noah)

But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark...

And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you.

Genesis 17:1–8 (Abraham)

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, 

I AM the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

And I will make my covenant between me and thee... 

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee... to be a God unto thee...

And I will give unto thee... all the land of Canaan...

Genesis 26:2–5 (Isaac)

And the LORD appeared unto him, and said... 

sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, 

and [I] will bless thee...

Note: The phrase 'I will be with thee' uses 'ehyeh' (same form as Exodus 3:12), marking a direct linguistic parallel.

Genesis 28:11–15 (Jacob)

And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said...
behold, I am with thee, 

and [I] will keep thee... 

and [I] will not leave thee...

Note: Uses 'anokhi immakh' (I am with you), not 'ehyeh,' but expresses the same covenant presence concept.

Exodus 6:6–7 (Moses again)

Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, 

I am the LORD, 

and I will bring you out... 

and I will redeem you... 

And I will take you to me for a people,

and I will be to you a God...

Note: 'I will be to you a God' (ve-hayiti) comes from same root 'hayah' as 'ehyeh,' reinforcing covenant identity.

Joshua 1:5 

There shall not any man be able to stand before thee... 

as I was with Moses,
so I will be with thee:
I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Note: 'I will be with thee' again reflects 'ehyeh' echoing Exodus.

Judges 6:12,16 (Gideon)

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said... 

The LORD is with thee...

And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee...

Note: Same 'ehyeh' form appears, linking Gideon's call to Moses’ pattern.

2 Samuel 7:9 (David)

And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest... and have made thee a great name...

Jeremiah 1:8

Be not afraid of their faces:
for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

Identity of the People of God:

Identity of a People
Eden = unmediated access to God within creation
Exodus = partial, structured re-entry into that relationship

Human action is foregrounded: midwives refuse Pharaoh, Moses intervenes, Aaron speaks.
Divine action is asserted over it: “I will deliver,” “I will redeem,” “I will bring you out.”

Unity and independent action:
“These chapters don’t just show God working for people, but through a group that has to learn to act together. That raises interesting questions about how individual and collective responsibility fit together—but we’ll stay grounded in the story itself.”

Through the Exodus, God is forming a people capable of acting together.
And notably:
* They sometimes fail at coordination (complaining, blaming, fragmentation)
* They also improve with structure (Exodus 18—Jethro’s system)

Fourfold Mission of the Church - All require cooperation/Interaction
1. Perfect the Saints
Not a solo project.
* Requires teaching, correction, example, ordinances
* Breaks down without community structure
2. Proclaim the Gospel
* Missionary work depends on sending, supporting, receiving
* Even in Exodus terms: Moses doesn’t go alone—he needs Aaron, elders, signs, backing
3. Redeem the Dead
* Structurally impossible without a temple system + shared records + organized effort
* This is probably the clearest example of “no individual version exists”
4. Care for the Poor and Needy
* Individual charity matters, but sustained care requires distribution systems, discernment, and continuity

These purposes are about relationships, continuity and shared responsibility over time. These are things that individuals can’t sustain alone.

Biblical name meanings:

Exodus 1:15: And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah
Shiphrah: Meaning "Beauty, Harmony", From the verb שפר (shapar), to be pleasing or harmoniously composed. Related names include Sapphira, Shaphir & Shepher
Puah: Meaning "Splendid" or "Radiant" from the verb יפע (yapa'), to radiate. Related names include Japhia, Joppa, Mephaath and Zaphenath-paneah. A biblical man is also named Puah, though it is spelled differently in Hebrew. Puah (II) means "Mouth, Utterance or Edge" from noun פה (peh), mouth. The one and only male Puah of the Bible is a son of Issachar, the ninth son of Jacob and fifth of Leah. His name is spelled פוה in Genesis 46 v13 and Numbers 26 v23 and פואה in 1 Chronicles 7 v1. The various variants of this name are transliterated into English as Puah, Puvvah, Phuvah or Puvah, depending on the Bible version. And in Judges 10:1 occurs the name פואה (Puvah) again as the father of the judge Tola. Since Tola was an Issacharite, it's not certain whether his father was a whole different Puvah, or whether Tola descended from the first-generation-son of Issachar. In that case, Tola would not have been a Tolaite but a Punite, as mentioned in Numbers 26 v23.

Exodus 2:10: And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
Moses: Variably means “Child, Rescued From Drowning In Water”, “Extracted or Loan”, “Hidden or Covered”, 
Similar to the Egyptian noun ‘mes’= child or from (1) ‘mo’ = water, and (2) ‘uses’ = saved from drowning.
Similar to the Hebrew verb משה (masha) = to extract from water, or the noun משה (mashe) = a loan.
Similar to the Greek verb μυσω (muso) = to hide or cover.

Exodus 3:1: Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
Jethro - Meaning ‘Excellent’, ‘His Excellence’, ‘His Remnant’ (From the verb (yatar), to be a rest or surplus)
Reuel - Meaning ‘Friend Of God’ (From (1) the verb (ra'a), to be a friend, and (2) the word ('el), God)
Hobab [Numbers] - Meaning ‘Beloved’, ‘Embrace’ (From an Arabic noun that means serpent and the Hebrew verb (habab) meaning to embrace).


Didn’t get to:
Reuel - Exodus 2:18: And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?
Zipporah - Exodus 2:21: And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
Gershom - Exodus 2:22: And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.
Horeb -
Massah -
Meribah -