Early in Hebrew history, the revelation of God’s name wasn’t known to the Patriarchs until Moses’s encounter with God at the burning bush.
In fact, throughout much of Genesis, we see the patriarchs of Israel interacting with God, but they never know His name.
After Noah, the next person to have a direct encounter with God is Abraham. While Abram was in Harran, he was called by God and given the promise that he would be made the father of many nations (Genesis 12:2-3).
Throughout the book of Genesis, the patriarchs of the Hebrew people interacted with God, the Most High, but they didn’t know Him by a specific name. Instead, they knew God as El.
What is God’s Name?
It wasn’t until Genesis 32, when Jacob had an encounter with God, that the first of the Patriarchs asked God for his name.
Well … this story goes that Jacob wrestled with a man during the night, and as the day broke, Jacob asked the man to bless him. During this encounter, the man gave Jacob the name ‘Israel’, for he wrestled with God and man.
Jacob then asked the man what his name was, but he refused to answer. Jacob named the place Peniel for ‘he saw the face of God and was spared.’
Many years had passed since this encounter. In fact, the Hebrews were oppressed and enslaved by the Egyptians for nearly four hundred years since Jacob. Moses, a Hebrew who grew up in Pharaoh’s palace, would be the first to learn God’s name.
Out of the burning bush, God called Moses, introducing Himself as ‘the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’
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God placed a mandate on Moses to go to Pharaoh to have the Israelites released from their captivity, and here, for the second time, someone asked God his name.
This time, however, God chose to answer Moses, saying:
“I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I Am has sent me to you.’”
God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord (YHWH), 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, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.”
Exodus 3:14-15
Later, in Exodus 6, God explained to Moses His relationship with the forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Here, He says:
“I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name, the LORD, I did not make myself fully known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.”
Exodus 6:2-5
Throughout the Israelites’ history, they knew God by this name. His name was sacred, and to honor its sanctity, they ensured that it wasn’t used in vain. In fact, during the Babylonian exile, Hebrew scholars replaced God’s name with the word ‘Adonai’ to ensure that God’s name was never used inappropriately.
The Angel of the Lord
The Angel of the Lord in Exodus
The first encounter with an Angel of the Lord took place at the burning bush, where God’s name was revealed to Moses.
After being rescued from the hands of the Egyptians, God tells Moses this:
“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him.”
Exodus 23:20-21
The Angel of the Lord, whose identity was concealed until the burning bush, was sent to rescue those in captivity. He came to rescue the Israelites during Egyptian oppression and was sent to guard the Israelites through the wilderness.
Later, once more, another encounter with this angel happened during Israel’s tussle with neighboring nations.
The Angel of the Lord in Judges
The book of Judges highlights the state of depravity the Israelites were placed in and their need for excellent leadership in both the ways of God and battle. Despite this, Judges demonstrates how inconsistent men were and how they often failed.
Judges 13:1-25 shows the state of the Israelites and their continuous evil doings. However, during this time, the Israelites suffered at the hands of the Philistines, and thus, God responded by sending an Angel to a woman married to a Danite.
Dan was one of Jacob’s twelve sons born to Rachel’s maidservant. His name means ‘the Lord will vindicate’. To vindicate someone means to clear their name of blame or suspicion. In other words, to remove their sins from them.
This was the very first encounter in the Old Testament where an Angel is sent to a woman to tell her that she’ll have a son. This Angel gives the woman specific instructions, declaring that the child is to be a Nazarite from birth.
Through this child, God would vindicate Israel from their past by sending a ‘deliverer’, a new judge, who would rescue them from their oppression caused by the Philistines.
Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?”
He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.” Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the Lord. And the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. When the angel of the Lord did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the Lord.
“We are doomed to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen God!”
Judges 13: 18-22
In all these encounters, the Angel of the Lord has a significant name. He reveals His name to Moses at the burning bush, He leads the Israelites through the wilderness, and He reveals Himself to Manoah as the one to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines.
Through this, we understand that the Old Testament was provided as a covenant between God and the Israelites, promising them restoration and a soon-coming Messiah who would vindicate them, save them from oppression, and deliver them from their captivity.
Until Next Time…
Understanding God’s revealed name is important in understanding Jesus’ name and its etymology. However, more importantly, learning about the erasure of God’s name during the Babylonian exile is also important.
Throughout their years with God, the Israelites went through many trials, faced captivity at the hands of mighty empires, and lost many battles. Throughout their journey, the one thing that God promised them was a redeemer, but as years went on, the Israelites not only neglected God but also forgot His name.
My next post focuses on this forgotten name, what it means, and how it was restored.
What’s in a Name Sessions will take place every Wednesday at noon as a part of my Lunch and Learn Bible Study Sessions. Here, we talk about topical situations and how our faith in Christ would challenge how we view them. Some For Inquiring Minds Only questions will also be answered as a mini-series during the Lunch and Learn Sessions.
I welcome healthy discussions in the comments section and encourage you to share your thoughts and insights on the blog.
Remember that our best teacher and guide is the Holy Spirit. Pray for clarity and understanding before reading through a session, and feel free to ask questions.
Signed,
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