Exodus 1:1 – 6:1
Shemot means “names”.
This portion can be divided as follows:
Israel's suffering In Egypt
Birth of Moses
Moses in Midian
Moses and the Burning Bush
Miraculous Signs For Pharaoh
Moses Goes to Egypt
First Encounter with Pharaoh
Israel's Deliverance Assured
In Chapter 3:13 Moses asks for the name of God. His petition is granted and we find the answer in verses 14 and 15.
“I Am” and YHVH have the same basic meaning. This Great God is self existent, immortal, Being of Beings, and it includes all time past, present, and future. In the ancient Hebrew language, the letter "vav" had a "w" sound so it is believed that His Name would probably be YHWH.
Verse 15 - “And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto 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 unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations”.
This verse assures us that YHVH is His memorial name forever and ever. This was not the first time that He had revealed His name. Scripture states that it is only at this point that He will make Himself known to them by THIS name.
The point that I would like to address is one that is oftentimes overlooked. Not only was His Name, YHVH, memorial to them, but the circumstances being discussed between YHVH and Moses was going to be HIS MEMORIAL to them for all generations.
Here is what I mean. In verse 3:12 we read, “And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token (sign) unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.”
YHVH promises Moses that the sign between the two of them will be that He will bring them out of Egypt and that he will bring them to this same mountain, Mt. Sinai/Horeb, to worship Him.
You see, the God of the Israelites not only was known assuredly as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but He was also known throughout scripture as YHVH thy God which brought you out of the land of Egypt.
This was the MEMORIAL that they were always to remember - YHVH Almighty God, and He alone, brought them up out of the bondage of Egypt. This they were to always remember.
In fact, in Exodus 20:1-17 we have listed what Christians call The Ten Commandments. In Hebrew they are called The Ten Words. Christians and Jews divide these Words/Commandments up differently. For all Jews the first commandment is,
“I am the LORD (YHVH) thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage”.
This is the memorial of their God. He made Himself known to them by bringing them up out of Egypt.
Further proof is seen at the sin of the golden calf at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Exodus 32:4,
“And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”
Still proof is in I Kings 12:28, “Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”
Notice how in both of these circumstances they tried to tie their calves to “the god that brought you out of Egypt”. In essence they were saying, these golden calves are YHVH. Not so, we must not be deceived! We must REMEMBER the first commandment/Word - “I am the LORD (YHVH) thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” This is His MEMORIAL forever!
In the future YHVH will deliver His people from their bondage through His Son, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ), who’s very name means salvation.
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Shalom,
Leisa
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