Exodus 6:3; I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,[El Shaddai] but by my name the Lord [The Hebrew for Lord sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for I am] I did not make myself fully known to them.
The adjective almighty can be defined as having unlimited power; omnipotent, as God; having very great power, influence; or when almighty is used informally, means extreme; terrible. All these descriptors of God are found in the scriptural accounts of God’s actions and works, even a descriptor such as “terrible”. It takes unlimited power to create something out of nothing, just ask Quantum scientist and Albert Einstein, about the amount of energy required to produce atomic and or nuclear bombs and energy, and here, we are talking about turning something to nothing (destruction not creation) and even that is not possible. Energy can not be destroyed, only transformed. Those working in the field of nuclear power can attest to the immense energy involved or generated, and even this knowledge pales into insignificance when we consider or try to envision the power of God.
By His power, God created the whole creation out of nothing, He performed countless stupendous feats by His power. We are talking, mind-boggling feats, supernatural acts that manifests His omni potency. Since our minds are limited, we can not begin to fathom the extent of His power, and anyway His powers are limitless. Therefore, to begin to discuss an aspect of God, that is beyond or besides His omni potency, when we can not even begin to fathom His powers, is indeed complicated, if not near impossible. Which was what became the barrier of or against, understanding for theologians and experts of the Law, in the time God was with us in person as Jesus Christ.
For God to state unequivocally in Exodus chapter 6 verse 3, that even that nature of His “omni potency” is not a complete revelation of Who He is, and that the full revelation of Him is in that, He is the “I AM” (Lord), immediately begs the question, what is “I AM” or who is “I AM”, what does it mean? A clue to the meaning may be found in Psalm 62 verses 11 and 12, which states; One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”. So in the context of this, God’s statement in Exodus 6:3 can be understood, that the complete revelation of God is His unfailing Love, in addition to His limitless power. Out of His unfailing Love flows His mercy, His compassion, and His forgiveness. Because of His Love, we are not consumed. His Love keeps His limitless power in check. In Romans 8:39, the Holy Spirit tells us that, the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus.
The unfailing love that made God come down in person to offer Himself as sacrifice in order to redeem man, to save man from the consequences of man’s sins, which is death. It is that unfailing love (that KEY nature of God) of God that makes Him forgive us no matter how wicked we are, and mind you, we are and can be pretty wicked. Man can be more wicked than some demons, that is really something. However, if we paraphrased Psalm 130 verse 4 as ”But there is limitless (Almighty, Omnipotent) power and forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” Inherent in forgiveness is the power to punish. Therefore Psalm 130 verse 4 suggests with the statement “But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” That God has the power to punish, and this is the reason why we have to fear Him. Though forgiveness from God is borne out of His Love for us. Which seems contradictory on the face of it in Psalm 130 verse 4 when taken literarily (associating fear with forgiveness, whereas this is an aspect of love or borne out of love). The Scriptures is full of the promises of the manifestation of that STAR quality or nature of God, that was finally manifested when He was with us as Emmanuel. Jesus Christ said “He came to fulfill the Laws. He also said that the prophets and the righteous men (the chosen men of God) talked about Him”. This implies that the Old Testament – The Scriptures is about Jesus Christ. He confirmed it that He is, was and to be, the “I AM” several times in the gospel account of John in chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8: verse 58; Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”. The Psalms are also full of the promises of the manifestation of “I AM” or that “I AM” is AKA “unfailing love”. Just as the book of revelation chapter 5 verses 9-10 reveals to us what “I am who I am.[ I will be what I will be]”, will be; “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” In Exodus 3:14; God said to Moses, “I am who I am.[ I will be what I will be] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” I AM involves the two major natures of God, His limitless power, and His unfailing Love, from which all His other natures or characteristics flow.
