LENT: EXODUS 6

Lenten devotions: Exodus 6 

(please read the chapter before reading this devotion).

Chapters 5-6-7 begin a long action dialog between Moses and the LORD. God asks/tells Moses to do something – pharaoh retaliates – people complain – Moses goes to God, and ... circle repeats. So, you shouldn’t be surprised when the chapter opens with God’s answer (if you want to know what the “question” was, please read chapter 5). There are two main parts of the chapter: revelation of the name and the genealogy of Moses and Aaron. For the sake of time and space I’ll take upon a task to talk about the name.

To set the stage God promises to Moses that He will do triggering pharaoh to send them (sons of Israel) out and even drive them out (Exodus 6:1). Again, the post size doesn’t allow me to explain it in full, but please note the similarity of Adam’s exodus from the Garden [of Eden]. LORD God sent Adam out and drove him out… (Genesis 3:23-24).

The completion of this promise relies on two aspects of God’s nature. This is the background for the exposition of the name. God says that previously He would reveal Himself as “God Almighty,” Hebrew – El Shaddai. El is God/Mighty One. The single meaning of Shaddai is disputed, but from the occurrences in Scripture we can make a connection with a miraculous power to make life or make life great. In Genesis 17 El Shaddai appears to Abraham and announces that he will have a son being 100 years old (and his wife Sarah being 90 years old). Also, El Shaddai appears to Jacob (Genesis 35) telling him that a great nation will come from him. Not a family, but a strong nation!

Now He tells Moses that His covenantal name should be YHWH (usually vocalized as YaHWeh). This name comes from the verb to be/to be alive. It is not used from an existence (of a thing), it is used for a description of living elements of creation. The reason is very simple – being Living One, He is the source of life. Life for the Israelites, life of the believers, life of the world.

St. Paul addresses it on two levels: general one, when he preaches at Athens. Quoting one of the Greek writers, he states: “in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28a). The whole creation has its being/life from God.

Then in the Letter to Galatians the apostle gets more specific: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

In Jesus we have a fullness of the presentation of the name of God: He did the most powerful act, overcoming death and providing life.