Parasha: Va Era – and I appeared
Torah: Shemot 6:2 – 9:35
The Mystery of Avinu’s Name
6:2-3 And Elohim spoke to Moshe, and said to him, I am YHVH: 3 And I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya’akov, by the name of El Shaddai, but by my name YHVH was I not known to them.
** From BeReishit 12:1 through Shemot 6:3 and possibly further, the fathers and possibly their descendants that were in Egypt for hundreds of years, called YHVH “El Shaddai”. There are dozens of “names” for YHVH in the Scriptures. They usually indicate the type of relationship that He has with certain individuals or a special “Name” will be used to highlight a particular characteristic of YHVH. In this case, YHVH chose to be known as “El Shaddai” (God Almighty) to a select group of humans for a specific period of time.
6:6 say to the children of Israel, I am YHVH , and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Mitzryimians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
“13 And Moses said to God, Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and shall say to them, The God of your fathers hath sent me to you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say to them? 14 And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me to you. 15 And God said moreover to Moses, Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me to you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial to all generations.” (Ex 3:13-15 )
** “…the Lord, God of your fathers..” – YHVH Elohei avotekem is revealing Himself to Israel under a new relationship that includes the historical relationship that He established earlier with their fathers.
** So, what does this mean for us? I believe that the Scriptures have sent a clear precedent for us. Following this precedent allows us to recognize and accept what Yeshua teaches.
“1 Yeshua spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 “as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Yeshua HaMeshiach whom You have sent. 4 “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 6 ¶ “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 “Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You., that they may be one as We are One.
12 “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 “But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.” (Joh 17:1-13 )“And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (Joh 17:26 )
“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Mt 6:6 )
I believe that “Believers” have been “given” this special name which speaks to the special relationship that we have been granted at this time.
Shaul also teaches, “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”” (Ga 4:6 )
“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”” (Ro 8:15 )
Please read Exodus 6:2-3 again and then read the following Scriptures from that perspective.
“So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.” (Ge 12:4 )
“1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”” (Ge 15:1-2 )
“May God Almighty bless you, And make you fruitful and multiply you, That you may be an assembly of peoples;” (Ge 28:3 )
“Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body.” (Ge 35:11 )
“Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,” (Ge 48:3 )
** YHVH – He who was, who is and who will be defines Elohim as the Elohim of history, The Eternal One who is from the beginning. Yeshua now identifies Him as Avinu – Our Father because the relationship is changed. If we are Believers, then we are His Sons. The “brothers” of Yeshua. We are being treated with the same love that He treated Yeshua with.
Yes, He is YHVH, El Shaddai as well as many more “names” in the Scriptures. But to those that He has chosen for a special relationship, He is Avinu – Our Father!
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