God spoke to Moses, and said to him, “I am Yahweh; and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them. I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as aliens. Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant. Therefore tell the children of Israel, ‘I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments: and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am Yahweh.’”
Exodus 6:2-8 WEB
Why does it say here that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob didn't know the God by the name Yahweh when all through Genesis they had already been calling God Yahweh?
The 3 main theories are:
1. Since Moses wrote Genesis, he inserted the name Yahweh, like for example if when we write about Paul before his conversion, we still often call him "Paul" even though he was known as "Saul" until his first missionary journey.
2. The name "Yahweh" was known, but the meaning of "I am Who I am" was not yet known.
3. In Hebrew usage, knowing someone's "name" is a symbol of knowing someone deeply. Even today the Jews often refer to God as "HaShem" - "The Name". So Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew Yahweh to a certain extent, but now Moses was going to know God in a deep and personal way that his ancestors didn't know.
I don't know which theory is correct (or even if there's yet another reason) but I was thinking about #3 for applicability:
Many people know about God, and even know God to a certain extent, but what God wants for us is to grow in our intimacy with Him.
As we become more and more conformed to the image of Christ daily, we are brought into His perfection.
So I am encouraged to spend time with Him daily, to grow in intimacy with Him, to renew my mind with His precepts, as it says in Romans 12:2, "Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God."
As the Don Moen song said, "Draw me close to You. Never let me go. I lay it all down again, to hear You say that I'm Your friend. Help me find the way, bring me back to You."
This morning, someone WhatsApped me this video of Don Moen singing "God will make a way" in response to the COVID19 pandemic.
Father, indeed I pray, "Draw me close to You." As I spend time daily in Your Word, renew my mind. In Jesus' name, amen.
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