God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.
This is my eternal name,
my name to remember for all generations.” (Exodus 3:14–15 NLT)
When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush to commission him to be the Lord’s servant sent to free the Israelites, Moses was not very willing to go, so he questioned God’s wisdom in choosing him. When God addressed this concern by telling Moses he would not be alone, Moses changed tactics by asking who he should claim sent him. In turn, God tells Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” There is a lot that can be unpacked from this interaction and God’s response to Moses, but one of the ways God’s answer has been interpreted throughout the years is as a proclamation that God is self-sustaining and does not need to depend upon anyone else. Even so, He chose to use Moses as His representative before Pharaoh and the Israelites, just as God chose Mary to be the mother of the Messiah.
There are a few other parallels in the interaction between God and Moses and the one between Gabriel and Mary in Luke 1. Both detail the commissioning of servants for great works of God. Both include God sharing His name—though in one it is directly from God and in the other He uses an angel as an intermediary. Both include God making a point to declare that He is with His servant. Yet unlike Moses, who initially expressed reservations and made excuses, Mary was willing to be used by God.
Take a few moments to reflect back on the past excuses you have made to avoid obedience to God’s call. Then, as you go about your day, look for the instances that God uses to nudge you toward His desires.