by Sue Feldman, of Adat Yeshua

Our passage opens up with G-d speaking further to Moses saying "I am Y-H-V-H: I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as El Shaddai (G-d Almighty), but by my name, Y-H-V-H, I did not make Myself known to them."

There is much to be said about this new name, but only a few comments will be made here. This name that we choose not to speak today, for lack of correctness (correct vowel markings) carries with it the very breath of life itself. 

 

Stop and slowly pronounce each letter:

In using this name - the power of life is breathed into the people, the children of Israel.  It speaks of creation, the faith of their fathers, and of one who can change all things.  The covenant he made with Abraham is now going to be realized by His faithfulness as He reveals himself by this name, not only to Israel, but also to Egypt, and especially to the 'god' of Egypt, Pharaoh.

As Moses and Aaron are given the charge (vs13) to bring out the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt, we are immediately taken to the household of Israel by tribes, beginning with Rueben.  But as we get to Levi, we are lead deeper into their family tree.  All of a sudden, there are years attached to certain names.  Numbers that carry an important factor in this story of Exodus, and G-d's faithfulness.  In 6:16 we have Levi living for 137 years.  In 6:18 we have his son Kohath living for 133 years, and in 6:20 we have Amram living 137 years.  As we read further, in 7:7 we have Aaron at the age of 83.  Extracting now from U.  Cassuto's Commentary on Exodus: There are four generations: a) Levi; b)Kohath; c)Amram; d) Aaron, who was privileged to go forth from Egypt and to come as far as the borders of the promised land.  As for the total of years, we must not deduct the years of the sons that coincided with those of the fathers, but we must add together the figures given in the text here exactly as they are.  We are permitted to calculate in this way for tow reasons: a) Each generation endured the burden of exile throughout the time of its exile, and its distress was not diminished by the fact that it was shared by another generation during a certain portion of that period; hence in computing the total length of exile suffered, one is justified to some extent in reckoning the ordeal of each generation in its entirety.  b) A similar and paralleled system was used int the chronological calculation of the Mesopatamians.  If now we take the sum al all the figures in our paragraph (137+ 133 + 137) and add thereto the 83 of Aaron (vii7), the first born of the fourth generation, the total will be 490; and upon deducting from it (in order to allow for the time that Levi and Kohath dwelt in the land of Canaan before they emigrated to Egypt) one unit of time, to wit, sixty years, we obtain exactly a period of 430 years, which is the number recorded in xii40.  Again we are pointed to G-d's faithfulness.

In verse 29 "the Lord spoke to Moses, saying (again) I am YHVH; speak to Pharaoh, King of Egypt, all that I speak to you".  Vs. 30: But Moses said "Behold, I am unskilled in speech (of uncircumcised lips); how then will Pharaoh listen to me?"  And G-d responds "See, I make you AS Gad to Pharaoh [so he will see you s equal to himself]? and yet " will harden his heart, and he will not listen".  Now, we have a historical back drop, the whole family is listed; we have the faithfulness of G-d shown in time and covenant, and we have the power of the very name of G-d, and Moses is given a job to do, that humanly sounds and seems impossible.  Think about it.

Moses "Hey, Lord, I don't speak well.  Don't you know that?"  Lord "Not to worry.  I am going to make you as G-d to Pharaoh - and you can hear me just fine, right?  Don't worry I am not going to let him hear you anyway!"

How many of us feel that way some days?  Either, " can't say it just right" or "no one is going to listen to what I say anyway?"  Do those statements hinder us from our calling, and from our ability to be obedient?

But our story doesn't end there.  By Pharaoh not listening, G-d lays his hands on all Egypt, and all Egypt and all of Israel hear, see and know that "I am YHVH".

And so, as Moses and Aaron are OBEDIENT, and go speak to Pharaoh, the signs wonders and judgments of G-d come upon Pharaoh (as God/King) and all the other gods of Egypt.  All that is held precious, holy and revered to the Egyptians, is defied, one by one.  It is a war of worship.

What is our war on worship today?  In 6:9 it speaks of the despondency of the children of Israel, so that they would not listen.  What is the current day despondency that disallows our people to hear the very voice of G-d?  What are the false gods people are worshipping today instead of paying attention to the living, breathing G-d of creation?  It is our job to be His voice in the world today.  In Mark 16:17,18 it states "These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast our demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover."  This is our part to do.

And this is his part to do, as he did for Pharaoh in Egypt - quoting from Luke 21:10