The word for "Lord" in Hebrew (the original language of most of the Old Testament) is adonai. This means "master" or "lord" in a generic sense.
The word translated "LORD" (all capital letters) is represented by four Hebrew letters that can be transliterated "YHWH". What does that mean, you might ask, and how do you pronounce it? To answer the first question: these four letters refer to the proper name of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. While He appears as the central character throughout the book of Genesis, it is not until the burning bush (Exodus 3), when Moses asks the bold question, "What shall I tell them if they ask who has sent me?" that God reveals Himself by Name: I AM WHO I AM. "Tell them I AM has sent you."
It's necessary to recognize that in the time and culture in which this was written, a name meant much more than just what someone was called. It represented character. I touched on that concept in my post about Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel). When Moses made another bold request of God ("Show me Your glory" -- Exodus 33) God responded by "proclaiming His Name" before Moses: The LORD, the LORD God (or, I AM WHO I AM) compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth... In other words, when God said He would proclaim His Name before Moses, He actually proclaimed His character.
This name I AM WHO I AM reveals much about the character of God: He is Eternally Self-Existent. He just IS. No one created Him. He has no beginning and no ending. There is also a little of Popeye's "I yam what I yam" implied here: God's character is His character, and it is unchangeable. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Furthermore, His existence doesn't depend upon anything or anyone else. Rather, all else depends upon Him. He is the source of all other creation and life, and "by Him all things consist." (Col.1:17 KJV)
So, that lengthy answer was to cover the first question, "What does it mean?" Now for the second, "How do you pronounce it?" Ancient Israelites and modern-day Orthodox Jews hold the Name of God to be so sacred that they do not pronounce it. In fact, they will not even write it in its entirety. So, in speaking, the Israelites, when referring to I AM WHO I AM would instead substitute the word adonai: Lord or Master. In writing, they would omit the vowels in the word to render it unpronounceable: YHWH. Similarly, Orthodox Jews today will write "G-d" or "L-rd" in reference to I AM. Today we just don't know what the vowels in the original Hebrew word were, nor do we know how it was pronounced. The English word "Jehovah" is a guess as to how it might have been pronounced. "Yahweh" (pronounced YAH-way or yah-VAY) is another possible pronunciation.
[Thanks to Lynda for pointing out that "All Jews refer to God as Adonai, BTW. Not just Orthodox and Ancient Israelites."]
All that to say this: In Leviticus chapters 18-23, every time you see the phrase "I am the LORD" or "I am the LORD your God" you could substitute "I am I AM WHO I AM". The fact that God so closely links His Name with the laws and commandments suggests to me that these laws and commandments are another way in which He reveals His character to us.
In Leviticus 18:5 He says that by keeping His laws a man may live. "I am I AM WHO I AM". What does this reveal about God's character? That He is the Giver of life.
Leviticus 18:6-23. I AM the One who defines family relationships, and the proper context for sexual intimacy. Children are to be treasured, regardless of the circumstances of their birth. (Worship of the pagan deities of the land of Canaan included illicit sex with temple prostitutes, and the resulting children were sacrificed in the fire to the god Molech. As barbaric as this was, it is only a short leap to our generation which has sacrificed millions of children on the altar of "Reproductive Freedom".)
Lev.19:4 I AM the only True God and I don't want you to ruin your lives chasing after false gods of your own making.
Lev.19:9-10 I AM a God who cares for the needy.
Lev.19:11-12 I AM the Truth (see also John 14:6). You can never go wrong when you tell the truth. Don't be deceived by the Father of Lies into thinking that you can somehow protect yourself by lying.
Lev.19:13-14 I AM the Protector of the laborer, the weak, the deaf, the blind.
Lev.19:15-16 I AM a God of justice. I condemn all forms of prejudice, even what is now called reverse discrimination.
Lev.19:17-18 I AM a God of love and kindness.
Lev.19:19 I AM pure.
Lev.20:4-8 I AM a holy God and I want a holy people.
Lev.20:24-25 I AM a God who distinguishes between clean and unclean, holy and profane. You live in an unclean world and these laws will help you know how to be clean. Even more, they will help you understand what holiness is. (God's law sets a standard that we cannot attain, which is why we need the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.)
Lev.21:16-23 I AM God and I define who may approach me and how they will approach me. I AM also a God who provides for those who serve me.
Lev.22:3 I AM a holy God and no one who is unclean can approach me.
Lev.22:29-31 I AM even a God who understood about germs and food spoilage long before science and medicine figured it out. (Doesn't that make you wonder what else science will eventually "discover" that has been in the Bible all along?)
I hope that this has challenged you to go through this section and highlight the "I am the LORD" statements. In what ways do you see God's character revealed in these chapters and in His laws?
The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD
is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the
LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are
true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than
honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
--Psalm 19:7-10
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