Tag: Yahweh

Shaliah

*Exodus 3-4

Proverbs 27

Matthew 12

Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            When we start Exodus 3, the Israelites have been demoted from a position of honor to a position of slavery (Ex 1).  Moses was born into these turbulent times and through a series of miracles survived and was promoted to a position of authority, and then fled when he was near 40 and remained in exile for 40 more years (Exodus 2, Acts 7: 23-30).  This puts Moses at the spry young age of about 80 years old when the story of the burning bush kicks off in Exodus 3.  This is one of the most important stories and chapters in the entirety of scripture for a couple different reasons: firstly,  for the first time the concept of  “shaliah” is indisputably revealed to us in scripture, and secondly God reveals himself to a human (Moses) by name for the first time in recorded history.  There are a few chapters in Genesis where the concept of Shaliah can be strongly inferred, but this is the first time I’m aware of that it’s plainly revealed. 

            If you are not familiar with this concept,  understand it is absolutely critical to understanding scripture.   You are apt to get a number of scriptures wrong if you don’t view them from the perspective of it’s original authors, that is to say, the ancient Jewish people. This is what wikipedia states about the Law of Shaliah (it is a legal term):

( Quoting Wikipedia) “In Jewish law, a shaliaḥ (in Hebrew : שָלִיחַ or pl.שְלִיחִים , sheliḥim (pl) or sheliah, literally “emissary” or “messenger”) is a legal agent. In practice, “the shaliaḥ for a person is as this person himself.” Accordingly, a shaliaḥ performs an act of legal significance for the benefit of the sender, as opposed to him or herself. “

            This concept is shown to us clearly in scripture by comparing and contrasting Ex 3:2 to Ex 3:4.  “And the angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a blazing fire…And Yahweh saw that he turned aside to look, so God called to him from the midst of the bush…” (LSB translation).  In essence, the messenger that God sends (be it angel, donkey, or human) speaks with the full authority of God, as if they are God.  So when “the word of The LORD” comes to the prophets and they speak, they are speaking with the full authority of the Most High God.  When God placed His name in the angel leading the Israelites in Ex 23:20-21, He explained to them that this angel spoke with His authority.  When the donkey spoke to Balaam, through the “angel of Yahweh”, it states clearly that “Yahweh spoke” (Number 22:22-28).  The one speaking was not the donkey, not the angel, but The LORD (YHVH) Himself (through His agent).  This is why it’s so critical to understand Shaliah, because the one who is sent by God speaks with the full authority of God.  This does not make the messenger mysteriously transform into God, but God lets us know that this messenger is speaking with the full authority of God so we’d better listen up. 

            This concept is repeated constantly throughout scripture but a lack of understanding of this concept, along with the introduction of a number of popular Greek philosophies later on, have caused numerous misinterpretations of scripture and much confusion amongst believers.  That concept carries over into the New Testament as well.  Jesus states in the book of John about 42 times that God sent him: he is not only the Messiah prophesied, but the man chosen to be the Shaliah of God.  The title “Christ” in Greek means “The Anointed One”, and we see from the OT that you are anointed by God from among men, so every time you see “Jesus Christ” in scripture, it is an affirmation that Jesus of Nazareth was the prophesied messiah, the anointed one, the man chosen by God to be his Shaliah.  Christ is a title, not a name, and it affirms Jesus’ humanity every time it is spoken while at the same time affirming that he speaks with the authority of God.

            Exodus 3 is one of my favorite chapters in the bible.  In it, God clearly reveals himself through his agent (Shaliah, we just talked about that) by name to a human being, for the first time recorded in history.  This is both awesome and humbling: that the creator of all things would reach back out to we who bear His image in another attempt to draw us closer to Him speaks to the never ending mercy and lovingkindness of our heavenly Father.  While there is some debate as to the proper pronunciation of the most sacred name (YHVH: is it Jehovah, or Yahovah, or Yaweh….?), the fact remains that He chose to reveal his identity to us, and that is wonderfully beautiful.  Some people say that every breath that we breathe, in and then out, whispers the name of God.  Try it, and visualize the name.  That is also wonderfully beautiful, and seems to me like an amazing “made by” stamp like you might see on the bottom of a fine piece of pottery, but in our very breath.      Praise God!

            Personally “The LORD” really bothers me.  Most of your Bibles will say something in the preface notes to the gist of “…and honoring tradition, all references to YHVH (the actual transliterated name of God) have been translated as “The LORD””.  This is a horrible mistranslation, as has led to a whole lot of terrible confusion and mistaken identity later.  Let me be very clear: GOD HAS A NAME.  He reveals it to us, and gives us a command, in Ex 3:15: “And God furthermore said to Moses, Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’  This is my name forever, and this is My memorial-name from generation to generation.”  (LSB translation).  Did you know that in the Old Testament, the actual name of God is used almost 7,000 times?  Why have we stopped using it when we pray or worship?  Think about it. 

Reflection Questions:

  1. If you had seen the burning bush, would you have turned aside to go investigate or would you be too busy with work/school/life?
  2. How many times in a week do you think that God is trying to get your attention to tell you something important?  Of those times, how many times do you stop and listen?
  3. Do you call on God by name when you pray or worship?  Why, or why not?
  4. When you breathe in and out, and listen closely, do you hear the name of God?

Prayer

Blessed be the Lord God Yahovah, creator of the the heavens and the earth, who has made all things and us with them, who causes the sun to go down and the sun to rise, and all things to be made anew every day.  Lord God, renew me today, help me to listen when you are trying to get my attention.  Open my eyes so I can see you, and my ears so I can hear you.  I thank you in your son Jesus’ name, Amen.

Side Note: A brief mention of 1 of the 2 verses in the Old Testament that baffled me a bit: Ex 4:24 has always confused me.   If God had wanted to kill something, it would die, period.  In my Bible currently, I have a handwritten note by Ex 4:24 that says “possible confusion among the host?”.  I think this is one of 2 verses in the Old Testament that tend to point out that in some very rare instances, and in some minor matters, there may be some level of miscommunication amongst the Shelihim (legal agents of God; the story of Balaam is the other).  This is absolutely inconceivable if it were the most high God performing the actions directly, but becomes understandable if beings lower than God are acting on their own perceptions but with God’s authority,  particularly if there are multiple agents in play simultaneously.  Just a theory.

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Remember & Trust Yahweh our God

Psalm 20

1 Chronicles 19

2 Samuel 10

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we remember the name of Yahweh our God.  – Psalm 20:7 (REV)

It is very easy to rely on our modern technologies for help. The United States spent around 1 trillion dollars on defense last year, and it is easy to look at that high spending and have some confidence that the US would have an upper hand in any conflicts that it is engaged in, and that soldiers might enjoy a higher level of safety. We can look at medical technologies and pharmaceuticals and have confidence that something out there can diagnose and treat our potential maladies.

Yet despite these great resources, soldiers still die, and people still get sick and do not receive the diagnosis or treatment that they want or need. Confidence can lead to letdowns when placed in earthly things.

In 1 Chronicles 19, we see King David extend kindness to his potential foes, only for it to be repaid with treachery and opposition. When the Ammonites realize that they have put themselves at odds with David, they amass a significant force of chariots to fend off any attacks. They put confidence in the technology of the day to help deliver them from the potential conflict with Israel.

As Psalm 20:7 says, some people put their trust in chariots and horses, but we remember – or put our trust in – Yahweh. David trusted his God to deliver him and his armies from whatever his enemies devised as a means of attack or defense strategy. David recognized God as sovereign and that God is capable of anything. Historically and personally, David knew that God used underdogs and laughably small forces to conquer the enemies of his chosen people.

We do not have promises from God that we will never suffer or experience pain, death, or illness. God does promise us redemption through the blood of his son Jesus. We have a promise of restoration for the earth, which is something that has never been accomplished by human effort, whether governmental or environmental.

-JJ Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1. What will you put your trust in?
  2. Who will you put your trust in?
  3. Why is God’s provision so much more powerful than earthly promises?
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No “Works Cited” In Prayer!

Psalms 85-89

psalm86_11

Monday, January 9

Have you ever stopped to think about copyrighting? In our world, even words can be trademarked and copyrighted. For example, if I was going to start making a comic called “Superheroes of Scripture” (which would be awesome), I would be infringing on the trademarked word “superhero”, a trademark of Marvel and DC Comics. That’s pretty impressive that the word “superhero” can’t be used in a product that you desire to sell unless approved by Marvel/DC! Also, if I use someone else’s words or even information in a paper for school, it is considered stealing unless I cite my source. (I know my seniors doing research papers understand the pain of a “Works Cited” page.)
However, the authors of Scripture felt no such compunction to cite their sources or honor “copyrights” of previous authors. You’ll see tons of quotations of the Old Testament in the New Testament, when you get there. But there will be parts without quotes that you may recognize were pulled out of the OT without a reference to the original author. The authors of Scripture quoted, summarized, paraphrased and referenced previous books of Scripture with abandon, because the books and words were part of how they thought.
A prime OT example of this is Psalm 86:15. The author (David, here) writes “But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth.” If you have been following along since August, you may catch what is being referenced. Know what it is? It is Exodus 34:6 – “Then the Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: Yahweh—Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth…”  In this Psalm, David turns the narrative of Yahweh passing in front of Moses, hidden in the cleft, into a prayer. YOU, Yahweh, are compassionate and gracious, etc. David knew that this was written before, but he is not writing something new, he is not breaking ground, he is using what God has already said about Godself to speak to God.
We can do the same. Sometimes, we have no words to say about God or our words to God sound so small. I’ve been there; thinking that what can I say to God? If you don’t know where to begin to pray, one of the best places is to look to Scripture and use the words you find there to pray. We have permission to pray using the words of Scripture in the Psalms and the Psalms themselves are great passages to use. If your prayer life is struggling, or if you are wanting to grow closer to God, may using God’s own words bless you!
-Jake Ballard
Pastor Jake attended Atlanta Bible College, and has been a professor there in the past. He would like to encourage those who want to know more about the Bible, about leadership and about Christian Spirituality, to get in contact with the college. It is a wonderful opportunity, and if you are one of those juniors or seniors working on research papers, as you are applying to and investigating different college options, don’t forget ABC!
(Photo credit: http://www.heartlight.org/gallery/psalm86_11.html)

Who Is Yahweh? (Exodus 5-7)

Moses the 80-year-old fugitive went to the Pharaoh, the powerful leader of mighty Egypt, and declaimed, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness'” (Exodus 5.1).  Pharaoh met this bold demand with the following:

Exodus 5.2
Who is Yahweh, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know Yahweh, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.

Notice how Pharaoh answers Moses.  He doesn’t know Yahweh.  Who is Yahweh to tell him me what to do?  The rest of the ten plagues answer this one question.  You see, Egypt was full of gods.  They believed in Ra, Apis, Hathor, Nut, Isis, Osiris, and Heqet, but not Yahweh.  Pharaoh can’t imagine that the god of his slaves–the Hebrews–could possibly be more powerful than the revered and ancient deities of Egypt.  Consequently, Pharaoh decides to press the issue.  Not only will he not them go, but he decides to oppress them even more than before.  Since these Israelites have so much time to worry about going off into the wilderness to have a feast, they obviously don’t have enough work.  Pharaoh decides to increase their labor; now they will have to forage for their own straw to make bricks without diminishing productivity.  That will teach them not to fantasize about introducing new gods to give them time off.

Naturally, the elders of Israel were furious at Moses for making them “stink in the sight of Pharaoh” (Exodus 5.21).  Moses feels discouraged and God has to work with him by reiterating the promises.  He tells Moses he will liberate them from the Egyptians; he will deliver them from slavery; he will redeem them with great acts; he will take them to be his people; he will be their God; he will bring them to the promised land that he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 6.6-8).  After he convinced Moses of his plan to harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he can perform his mighty deeds, Moses marches right back into Pharaoh’s presence.

To start, Moses had Aaron throw down his staff so that it became a serpent.  However, the Egyptian sorcerers did the same so Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he sent Moses away.  Now a third time, God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh in the morning, while he is at the Nile river, and say, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘By this you shall know that I am Yahweh: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood” (Exodus 7.17).  After he struck the water, the Nile river, the life source of Egypt, turned into blood.  Amazingly, Pharaoh turned and went home and didn’t give the miracle a second thought.  The Egyptians began digging along the banks to draw water since for seven days the river ran red with blood.

What Pharaoh did not yet understand is that this was just one of ten plagues through which the God of the Hebrews would answer his question, “Who is Yahweh that I should obey his voice.”  Now he begins to learn, that Yahweh is the God who can slit the veins of Osiris, the protector of the Nile, and cause him to bleed.  Stay tuned for the rest of Pharaoh’s education…