-- Before we go into further detail on the meaning of the divine NAME of God as is revealed in the * Tetragrammaton. I think it wise to have a good look at just exactly who the Messenger (Angel) of the LORD is? Indeed, it is he after all who appears as the one who is sent from before the “Face” of God as the bearer, the bringer and the deliverer of His message. To bring to the recipient the very message or Word from God. His message is so deeply part of his person that there seems to be little to differentiate between he and God. He is a “being” therefore of the highest authority under God speaking here, his voice and appearance is as if it is the very Eternal God speaking and appearing to the recipient and it seems that the message he delivers here in Exodus 3 reflects of His own glory and authority. The following serves only as an introductory note on his person that I think is worthy to consider, as we will get into a more detailed and scriptural account of him in the next post. This article to my mind then serves as an interesting and quite proper introductory summary on this seemingly mysterious, although, clearly Mighty “Messenger” of Hashem [=The NAME]. Namely, the Angel of the LORD.--
-- "In Hebrew, an "angel" is called malakh (מַלְאַךְ), a word that basically means "messenger" or representative (from the root לאך, meaning "to send"). God created many angels, of course (Psalm 68:17, 103:20), but there there is one malakh who stands out from all the rest of the malakhim (angels) as a King stands above his subjects. This "King of Angels" is called Malakh Adonai (מַלְאַךְ יהוה), or "the Angel of the Lord." Unlike the other angels that function as emissaries of God, Malakh Adonai is the supreme representation or Message of God Himself. His Word/Voice is "one" with the Person of God, just as the Spirit of God is "one" with the Person of God. Since the glory and power of God's infinite Being is incomprehensible to finite creatures, the Angel of the LORD is a form of God's condescension in a visible or audible manner so that an angel or a human being can apprehend His message....
This unique King of the Angels, or "Angel of the LORD," is named in about 50 verses of the Tanakh (i.e., "Old Testament"), though he is alluded to in various other places as well (e.g., Gen. 18:1-ff; Gen. 48:16, Exod. 23:20-23, etc.). He is first mentioned in Genesis 16:7-13 where He is clearly called God. After he spoke with Hagar in the desert, she called him "the LORD" (יהוה) and identified Him as El-Roi (אֵל ראִי) -- the "God who sees me" (Gen. 16:13). He later appeared to Abraham in the grove at Mamre (Gen. 18:1-ff) to reaffirm the promise of a coming heir, and later still, during the most terrifying moment of the sacrifice of Isaac, he cried out to stop Abraham from bringing down the knife on his son (Gen. 22:11, see also Gen. 22:15-ff). And note especially that it was the "Angel of the LORD" who appeared to Moses in the "burning bush" and identified himself as YHVH, the "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" (see Exod. 3:2-ff).
Other examples from the Tanakh should be noted. The Angel of the LORD helped Gideon deliver Israel from Midian (Judges 6:11-13); he prophesied regarding the birth of Samson (Judges 13); he led Elijah to Mt. Horeb (1 Kings 19); he commanded David to build an altar which later became part of the Holy Temple (1 Chron. 21:18), and he is mentioned in Psalm 34:7 ("The Angel of the LORD camps around those who fear him") and in Psalm 35:6-7. In light of all this, it is clear that that Malakh Adonai is nothing less than a manifestation of the LORD Himself. Indeed, the prophet Isaiah calls him the "Angel of His Face" (מַלְאָךְ פָּנָיו)"...
*Greek: "Four letters". The four letters which compose
the name of God. Traditionally the name is so sacred that it is never
articulated and the letters YHWH -- Tetragrammaton by Micha F Lindemans
--To be continued..
#malakhyhwh #angelofthelord #angelofadonai #messengerofthelord #angelofgod #messengerofyhwh
No comments:
Post a Comment