My Neville GoddardNeville Goddard on Exodus 3:14
Executive Summary
Neville Goddard interprets the scripture Exodus 3:14 as the self-definition of God, whose name is revealed to be "I AM". This is not the name of an external deity but is, in fact, your own consciousness or awareness of being. This name is eternal, and the ability to say and know "I am" is the presence of God within you. Therefore, what you attach to "I AM" is a declaration about God, as you and He are one.
Key Concepts
- God's eternal name, revealed in Exodus 3:14, is "I AM".
- This "I AM" is synonymous with your own consciousness.
- The Lord is not an external being but is your fundamental awareness of being.
- The unceasing knowledge that "I am" is the presence of God within man.
- When you say "I am suffering" or declare any other state, you are naming God with that quality.
Detailed Explanation
Neville Goddard's interpretation of Exodus 3:14 centers on the identification of God with human consciousness through the name "I AM". He teaches that when the scripture says, "say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you," it is revealing the self-definition of the Lord. This Lord is not a being separate from oneself, but is one's own consciousness.
The name "I AM" is presented as God's name forever, to be known throughout all generations. This awareness of being is God-in-man. Even if a person were to lose their memory of who or where they are, the fundamental knowledge "I am" would persist. This indestructible sense of being is God.
This teaching has profound implications. If God's name is I AM, then any statement you make beginning with "I am" is a declaration about God. To say, "I am suffering," and then to imagine that God is a separate entity who is not suffering, is to hold a concept of a false god. The very consciousness that is aware of suffering is the "I AM" that is God. Therefore, when you claim a state for yourself, you are claiming it for God.
Important Quotes
"...say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you . . .Exodus 3:14." "I AM" is the self-definition of the Lord.
— Seedtime And Harvest
“Go and tell them I Am has sent you. That is my name forever, and by this name I shall be known throughout all generations.”
— The Pattern Man
I know I am because I can’t stop knowing I am, and that is God!
— The Pattern Man
Common Misunderstandings
- A common misunderstanding is to believe that the "I AM" of scripture refers to a God external to oneself. The source material corrects this by stating that your own awareness of being is the Lord, and to believe otherwise is to have a "false god."
- It is a mistake to think that God is separate from your suffering. When you say, "I am suffering," you are identifying your awareness—which is God—with that state.
Practical Applications
The practical application of this teaching is to become conscious of what you are attaching to the name of God. Since your awareness is I AM, every time you think or say "I am..." you are making a divine declaration. This understanding encourages you to be mindful of the states you claim for yourself, as you are defining your own being, which is God.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Neville Goddard say is God's name?
Based on Exodus 3:14, Neville teaches that God's name forever is 'I AM'.
Is the 'I AM' Neville refers to a being outside of me?
No. The source material explicitly states that the Lord, whose name is I AM, is your own consciousness. The knowledge 'I am' is God-in-man.
What is the significance of saying 'I am suffering'?
When you say 'I am suffering,' you are declaring that state for God, because your 'I AM' is God. To believe God is separate from your state of being is to misunderstand the nature of God as your own consciousness.
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