In Exodus, chapter three, we have recorded for us the story of the encounter of Moses with YHWH. This is the beginning of the discovery of "I AM". It is the intended discovery of us all.
Moses, in verse 13, asks of GOD, "What is your name"? In verse 14 GOD tells Moses to say to the Israelites, "I AM has sent me to you". This is the introduction for Moses to HIM who is LIFE. LIFE is the person and presence of HIM who is LIFE. "I AM"! " HAYAH "!
In Strong's Concordance, I AM ( HAYAH ) is #1961.
In Exodus 33, verse 19, GOD said to Moses, "I will make all my good(ness) pass before you (literally, 'on your face'), and I will proclaim the name (nature) YHWH before you". YHWH told Moses that HE would make all of HIS good(ness) 'pass'. The Hebrew word that is translated 'pass' is Strong's #5674, and is pronounced ' ah-vare'. The word means " to cross over". It is the same root that the word "Hebrew" is derived from. A Hebrew is one who has 'crossed over'. Abram was the first to be called a 'Hebrew'. He was living in Ur of Chaldea (Ur is light). When Abram heard the call of YHWH in his heart he was willing to leave Ur- the light that the Chaldeans had- to go and find "...the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is GOD". [Heb. 11:10]. Abram departed the light (Ur) of the Chaldeans. Abram was searching for a better 'Light'. Abram "crossed over".
In Exodus 33:19, YHWH told Moses that HE would make all of HIS good "cross over". HE then said "...and I will proclaim the name (nature) YHWH before you". The Hebrew word translated 'proclaim' is pronounced in Hebrew 'kah-rah'. It is Strong's #7121, and is translated as "proclaim; to call; to call out; to address by name". The word is used when a child was named. The parent was actually declaring the name (nature) of the individual being named. It is as if to 'kah-rah' (Strong's #7121) is " to establish the truth of ." To declare. GOD said to Moses that HE (God) would declare and establish the name of YHWH. Also in the verse GOD said that he would "...proclaim the name YHWH 'before' you". The word translated 'before' is the Hebrew word 'pah-neh'. It is Strong's #6440, and is defined as 'the face; the part that turns;" To have something ever before your face is said in Hebrew " al- paneh"; literally, on the face. I believe that GOD was telling Moses "...I will cross over and I will forever be declaring the name and nature YHWH before (literally, 'on') your face". Or in other words, "...every place and direction that you look you will see GOD". And now the mystery becomes more demanding. "...to him to whom much is given, from him much will be required (more accurately, 'sought for')".[Luke 12:48]
In Ex.33:20 YHWH tells Moses "...you cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." On first glance, this appears to contradict verse 19. In verse 19, GOD tells Moses that GOD will proclaim the name YHWH ever before Moses. Then in verse 20, HE says that Moses cannot see HIS face, for no man can see HIM and live. In verse 20, the word translated 'to see' is the Hebrew verb 'rah-ah'. It means "...to see; to perceive; to understand." The word is Strong's #7200. And the word translated 'man' in verse 20 is the Hebrew 'adam'. But the word that adds most to this mystery is the word that is translated 'to live'. This is the Hebrew word 'hkah-yah', and is Strong's #2421, and is translated "...to live; to make to live; to give life to;" The Hebrew word 'hkah-yah' and the Hebrew word 'hah-yah' are very similar. However, there is a great chasm, or gulf, that separates the meaning of the two words. The word 'hah-yah' Strong's #1961, is"..to be; to exist; to be life." It is the very nature of YHWH. YHWH is LIFE HIMSELF. "In HIM was life, and the life was the light of men". [John 1:4] In John 8:58 JESUS tells the religious leaders of the Jews, "Most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM". Jesus was declaring to be ' HAYAH ', the very existence of YHWH. And the Jewish leaders clearly heard what HE said, and they certainly understood HIM, for they immediately took up stones to stone HIM.
The Hebrew word 'hkah-yah' (Strong's #2421) is "..to give life to" a thing. It imparts the ability to mimic, or ape, or to act out life. But it is not to be confused with LIFE. Please read and consider John 17:3. LIFE is the person and presence of YHWH; HIM who is LIFE HIMSELF. To make a puppet dance on a string is to 'hkah-yah'. The puppeteer causes the puppet to dance; to act; to mimic life. But the puppet could never be mistaken with the puppeteer. The puppet acts out life. The puppeteer gives life to the puppet. The puppeteer is the puppet's life.
Please consider this analogy. I heard the story of a missionary visiting a mission village in Africa. The natives and mission workers were all in a line to greet the visiting dignitaries. At the end of the reception line was a chimpanzee. The animal was dressed in missionary clothing, and stood in line and shook the hands of the visitors. The chimpanzee 'aped' the routine of the others in the greeting line. And it was all very comical and everyone got a good laugh. But it was clear and obvious that the animal was only 'acting' like a human. There is a great chasm between being ape and being human. The animal could be taught to act human; it could never be human. It is the same with 'hah-yah (#1961) and 'hkah-yah' (#2421). GOD was saying to Moses in Ex.33:20 that "...no adam(man) can see (perceive and understand) the face of GOD, and live (or continue to 'hkah-yah'; to mimic LIFE). To 'see' GOD, adam, the first adam, has to die. Only CHRIST, The Last Adam, can see and understand and recognize FATHER. The first adam, or the first expression of Adam, must die. CHRIST, or the Last expression of Adam, must arise and supplant the first adam. Adam is the expression of us that is given the opportunity to have GOD proclaim HIS presence in our face. But only CHRIST can 'behold' GOD. "No man (adam) has seen (perceived) GOD at any time. The only begotten SON, who is in the bosom of FATHER, HE has declared HIM." [John 1:18]; and also, "...but we know that when HE is revealed, we shall be like HIM, for we shall see HIM as HE is." [1 John 3:2] To see (rah-ah) HIM is to be like HIM. It does not mean to act like HIM or to try to imagine what HE would do and then to ape HIM. You have been CHRISTED by the SPIRIT that raised CHRIST from the dead. You have been now made to be HIM by HIS SPIRIT in you. You are not called to mimic CHRIST, but to be CHRIST to a world that has historically known only chaos and death. The Body of CHRIST is to give LIFE to the world. Not to 'hkay-yah' LIFE to them, but to BE LIFE to them. You, unlike Moses and the other patriarchs, have now seen HIM by HIS SPIRIT that dwells in you. Now go and be ( HAYAH ) CHRIST to a world that can only be saved and made whole by the presence of CHRIST. For when they have seen you (CHRIST in you), they have seen FATHER.
Shalom and Shalom! Alan