“God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, Lord, I did not make Myself known to them. I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians (Exodus 6:2-7 NASB95).”
God appeared. He appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He appeared to them as God Almighty. In the Hebrew אֵל שַׁדַּי (H410 and H7706: El Shaddai). God appeared as the All-Sufficient, Almighty One who has come to establish an everlasting covenant with those who revere His appearing. God in this advent demonstrated His authority to uphold His Word by His own authority. He appeared to be the God of His people.
The text goes on to say that God Almighty appeared to the patriarchs as El Shaddai, but He did not reveal himself to them as LORD. El Shaddai appeared but He did not make Himself known as yet by the Name LORD. This distinction or Name of God, LORD, was revealed to Moses. As God appeared to Moses, He revealed Himself by His Name, LORD. In the Hebrew this Name is יְהֹוָה (H3068: Unpronounceable proper Name of the Supreme God; The Existing One). Theologically this term is referred to as the tetragrammaton, or the unpronounced Name of God. This term is unpronounced both historically and contemporaneously by our Jewish brothers and sisters because it is seen as profane to utter the Name aloud. Rather than pronouncing the Name, it is referred to as HaShem (the Name). This Name of God can be defined as He who is. In English the Name is sometimes written as Jehovah or Yahweh. Both of these terms serve as transliterations of the original unpronounced Hebrew Name.
As indicated in the Scripture selection from Exodus, it was an act of the Lord to reveal Himself to Moses as יְהֹוָה (He who is). Earlier in the book God appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush. God instructed Moses to go back to Egypt. Moses was to return to declare to the people that the Lord was going to deliver them from slavery. Moses asks God by what Name will the people be delivered. What Name should be given so that the deliverer can be known. The Name given to Moses was “I AM” (Ex. 3:14). I AM will be the deliverer. I AM will be the One who sets the captives free. I AM will set free.
Think back to the verses cited at the opening of this thought. God declares that He has appeared to the patriarchs as El Shaddai. The All-Powerful iteration of God Almighty appeared by this Name in demonstration of His authority to keep His own Word according to His own power. God then appeared to Moses as the I AM. God, the deliverer, the One who was, who is and is yet to come, the beginning and the end. The God who upholds His covenant by His own might but also the God who has come to deliver from slavery. The God who has come to set the captives free. The Lord appeared.
The prophet Isaiah tells us of yet another appearing of the Lord. “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14 NASB95). Immanuel- עִמָּנוּאֵל (H6005- God with us), with us is God. With us is the Savior. With us is Jesus. Immanuel appeared. God appeared to bring redemption to the lost, broken and hurting. Our Messiah appeared and He has revealed Himself to those who claim hope in His Name. Jesus (Yeshua), the name of Salvation has come to us. The great I AM has come to deliver and redeem. The first and the last, the One who was, is and is yet to return has appeared. It is by this Name that we can claim truth, hope and life. This Name is the Light of this world. Only Jesus is the way. He is the way to be reconciled before God Almighty. He is the way to be covered under His authority as our Great High Priest. And it is to His glory that we can call Him LORD. With us is God. And to God be the glory forever and ever, Amen!
Corby Shuey 