The name of God in the Hebrew has no pronunciation. It is a word of all consonants. Without vowels it can not be pronounced. It is also made up of all the forms for being: was, is and will be.
For the Jew, a name represented the essence of the person. It spoke of the history and the reputation of what it represented. Similarly we speak of a person’s reputation as his “good name.” God revealed this to Moses who trembled as he spoke to a burning bush. Moses wanted to be able to tell the Egyptians who had sent him. “What is your name?”, actually meant who are you, what are you like and what have you done? God said, “When they ask who sent you, tell them I Am, that I AM sent you.” In other words, God responded by saying an I am the God of eternity. This is also what the Hebrew writer was referring to when he said, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday , and to day, and for ever.” (Heb 13:8)
The ironic thing about the name of God is that it speaks of infinite potential for change. This seems paradoxical since it also seems to indicate stability. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday , and to day, and for ever.” How can He be always the same and have infinite potential for change? The answer to this question seems to lie in the fact that His character and His essence are solid in their absolutely, unshakeable stability. His creativity on the other hand has the elastic quality of continual possibilities. That God will never change does not mean that He has run out of ideas or that His infinite mind has crystallized. Our God can be counted on to never alter in the absolutes of His character from which we derive our value system. Our God can also be counted on to continue to act in creative ways as He assists us with the difficulties of our lives.
by Dr. Gayle Woods