"Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, "I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I was not known to them by my name 'the Lord.'"
Don't you love when reading Scripture how a verse just seems to leap off the page and make you want to know more? This is what happened to me when reading this passage. You may have read that Scripture a thousand times, but it is that ONE time where you go, "wait a minute, what did God just say?"
So, I looked up the actual Hebrew meaning of 'God Almighty' and 'Lord' because I wanted to see the difference on how God was revealing Himself to both Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob versus Moses. Why did God reveal Himself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as 'God Almighty' and as 'Lord' to Moses?
God Almighty in the Hebrew is the combination of the words "El" and "Shadday". "El - a masculine Hebrew noun emphasizing might" and "Shadday meaning the Powerful One or the Mighty One.... Shadday is the plural of majesty...In other words, God is strong and unchanged...El Shadday was the covenant name for God until the time of Moses...Rabbis believed that the term meant the "One who is self-sufficient" (Key Word Study Bible pages 1710 & 1782). (Note - "plural of majesty" - does that sound like the Trinity :) ).
Does anyone find it fascinating that the name by which God revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob during the covenant years (see Exodus 6:4) meant the self-sufficient One? In other words, yes God established the covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but being the self-sufficient One, He really was cutting covenant with Himself (See Gen. 17) because He was and is the only One who can sustain such a covenant. I hope that makes sense to you. If not ask me to explain a little further :)
Now - on to 'the Lord". "Hebrew YHWH, usually rendered Lord" (Key Word Study Bible, pg 84). "The meaning of this word is "to know by instruction or observation. Israel was about to witness, through the events of their exodus from Egypt, a demonstration of His power in a more graphic way than had their forefathers. It was by this name, the LORD, that His powerful works of salvation would be done. Israel would know by its experience the full meaning of the name. Though they knew He was called the LORD, the Patriarchs had not seen such a demonstration of power and, therefore, had not known all the implications of that name. Note also Ex. 3:13-15 where I AM is from the same Hebrew root as YHWH" (Key Word Study Bible, pg. 84).
Ya'll - that's some powerful stuff. Names in the Old Testament meant something so this is noteworthy that while God is unchanging there are facets of His character that He reveals in certain seasons of time and life dependent on what we need during that season of time.
Application - God can adapt who He is depending on the season. While He is unchanging, every season we go through is an opportunity to see a different dimension of who He is. Isn't that exciting? Doesn't that somehow reduce the blow of James 1 in our lives? That regardless of the season I am in, I get to see a different character trait of God that absolutely meets my heart right where it needs to be met.
That's powerful. And also brings with it a degree of peacefulness.
So, I ask who do you need God to be in this season of your life? Ask and receive.
The word of God for the people of God - thanks be to God.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Carri
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