["אהיה אשר אהיה" - Conveying at a very minimum: I will prove to be what I will prove to be!]
You must tell them: ‘The one who is called "I Am" [אהיה] has sent me to you.’”
(15) God continued, “You must tell the Israelites that "I Am / I Will Become" ~ אהיה
"who / which / that / what" ~ אשר
"I Am / I Will Become" ~ אהיה
Exodus 3:13-15 present a wondrous study on the "Nature" of God. In verse 14 God said He was "אהיה אשר אהיה". Think for a second to take special note of what that literally equates to. God said:
"I Am / I Will Become" - "who / which / that / what" - "I Am / I Will Become"...
Those three original Hebrew words convey all of that! God then says to tell Israel the one who is called אהיה has sent Moses to them; God thus telling Moses He is אהיה אשר אהיה, and that all of those words collapse into אהיה. So, using the English "I Am" to represent
יהוה just seems weak and beggarly as it looses way too much in translation. A problem! The pronunciation of God's actual written Name of
יהוה has been long lost! No one alive today knows how to say it. And, since
יהוה warned many times about the sanctity of His Name and the danger of misusing it; (
Exo 20:7;
Lev 24:16;
Deu 5:11) one might choose to wonder if using a name that is not really "His Name," might be dangerous... The sudamen אהיה himself gave us through Moses, however, is still commonly pronounced in our day in time. Referring to God as אהיה thus seems a respectful and appropriate way to speak to or about our Creator. This explanation by God seems an important part of His Nature. Your faith in all such matters is and/or reveals "your" nature! God cares and is listening... (
Mal 3:16-4:3)