The Names of Yahweh in Exodus

The names of Yahweh in Exodus

Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (3:15).

Yahweh, the God of Israel (5:1).

Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews (7:16).

Yahweh, the Warrior (15:3).

Yahweh, your Healer (15:26).

Yahweh, my Banner (17:15).

Yahweh, your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery (20:2).

Yahweh, your Sanctifier (31:13).

Yahweh, the Jealous One (34:14).

Yahweh, Yahweh, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation (34:6-7).

Dreams and Night Visions in Genesis

Genesis has a large percentage of the dreams and night visions in the Bible.  In Genesis 46 Jacob has a night vision and God spoke to him, and it seems that he heard clearly what God was saying.  The first dream in Genesis is in Gen 20 where God appears and speaks to Abimelech and very clearly threatens him with death.  In Genesis 28 Jacob has a dream, and in Genesis 31, and the night vision of Genesis 46.  In all three dreams of Jacob God speaks to him, in the last two Jacob is called by name.  Laban also has a dream in which God speaks to him clearly in Genesis 31.  Joseph has two dreams in Genesis 37 that although God does not speak to him, the message seems to be interpreted throughout the family easily enough.  The last four dreams of Genesis, the cupbearer and the baker's dreams in Genesis 40, of which they seem to be clueless to the meaning, but Joseph gives an interpretation from God.  The two dreams of Pharaoh in Genesis 41 not only can Pharaoh not interpret the meaning, but none of those who normally do interpret dreams can interpret them. 

How does looking at the dreams as a vehicle of communication with God in Genesis apply to our lives today?  Sometimes God speaks directly in dreams, this may be primarily vocal, as in Abimelech's dream in Genesis 20, or vocal combined with visible images such as Jacob and the ladder to heaven in Genesis 28.  Other times God does not speak directly as in Joseph's dreams or Pharaoh's dreams, but the visual stimulii has a meaning behind it that God is communicating, whether or not the dreamer or those associated with the dreamer understand that message.  It appears that the fact that dreams have an interpretation are found both in Egypt and among the Hebrews.  So the overwhelming message seems to be that God speaks to us through dreams.

What does he say?  The dreams in Genesis are messages of warning (Abimelech), future blessing (Jacob), future death (baker), and warning of famine (Pharaoh).  It seems that God is saying what he is about to do, whether that be to kill you, or to bless you, or to bring a famine.

Israel's nation, blessing and land

In Genesis 46-47 we read of the promises reaching some sense of fulfillment in the life of Jacob (Israel).  Abraham was promised to be a great nation, to be blessed, and to be brought to a land (Genesis 12:1-3), and this promise is respoken in terms of offspring (great nation), possess the gate of enemies (land), blessing (Genesis 22:17-18).
The same promises extend to Isaac as multiplied offspring (great nation), blessing, and lands (Genesis 26:3-5). 
Jacob recieves the same promises.  In the dream of a ladder to heaven God promises Jacob offsping like dust, land extended, and blessing (Genesis 28:13-14). 
In Genesis 46-47 these promises are both fulfilled and yet found wanting.  Let's take each promise in turn.
Israel's Nation.  (Genesis 46:1-30)
Fulfilled.  The offspring of Israel dominates this section.  From the perspective of Israel his son Joseph has been dead for about 20 years.  Long before 20 years does one give up hope for the dead.  The period of shock is long gone and the person in truly dead.  Israel meets Joseph and says, "Now let me die."  Joseph, in so many ways the fulfillment of the promises, is not dead after all.  He is the king that came from Jacob's own body (Genesis 35:11).  Not only that but Israel comes with 70 from his family, a brady bunch type perfect number. 
Found wanting.  And yet the numbers do not add up.  It is 66 or 70?  Is it 68 or 70?  These numbers point to the fact that two of Israel's grandsons, Er and Onan, are dead.  They also point to the fact that Dinah is not counted, why not when another granddaughter, Serah, seems to be counted (Genesis 46:17).  The numbers do not add up, not because the writer was a moron, but because the writer was pointing to the fulfillment being found wanting.
Israel's Blessing. (Genesis 46:31-47:26)
Fulfilled.  Jacob and his family are not only provided for during the famine, but Jacob himself comes to bless Pharaoh (Genesis 47:7).  Israel is a blessing to other nations, the nation of Egypt.  Not only that, but Joseph literally saves all of Egypt from starvation and allows them not to die.  Israel's son has provided salvation for Israel and Egypt and the world.
Found wanting.  Yet Israel's encounter with Pharaoh does not seem to typify "blessing," since "few and evil" (Genesis 47:9) have been his days, and he sees an unfiulfillment of his days compared to his father's days (47:9).  Also, while Joseph does save the land of Egypt, he does it by debt-slavery (Genesis 47:21), by making Egypt be in bondage to Pharaoh, bonds that would transfer later to Israel when Joseph is forgotten, bonds that God would have to come and break.
Israel's Land.  (Genesis 47:27-31)
Fulfilled.  Jacob and his family found land in Goshen, which it seems is very good land for shepherds, and they were able to settle down a bit, as much as wandering shepherds do.  They had land which was extremely good.  They could survive.
Found wanting.  Jacob did not belong there, and he did not forget the promise God gave him of the land of Canaan.  He did not want his people to forget God's promised land.  He did not want to bury himself in Egypt, but to be buried in the promise of God, even if that promised land was being eaten up by famine.  So he makes Joseph swear to bury him with his fathers in the land (Genesis 47:31).

Genesis 47

Joseph was a very good administrator, maybe too good.  He seemed cool and calm before Pharaoh coming out of jail saying, "It is not in me.  God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer" (Genesis 42).  But as the starving Egyptians come to Joseph and have paid him all the money they have, Joseph continues to barter them down, taking their land for Pharaoh, taking their livestock for Pharaoh, and yes, making them Pharaoh's slaves.  Hmm.  Joseph sounds like the guy who finds a man bleeding on the street and says, "Hey I will call 911 if you give Pharaoh your fishing boat, or your road bike, or your Prius."  Of course they accept, or they would have died.  But Joseph sets up things in Egypt to prepare the way, years later when he was forgotten, for the people of Israel to become slaves. What if Joseph would have said, "Take it, a free gift, you don't have to give anything."  Or if he would have said, "Give all of this to God, for Pharaoh and I myself would have been starving without hope HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR GOD."  Does Pharaoh really deserve anything?  Maybe Joseph in all the hype of Egypt had forgotten who he was serving.  Pharaoh was not his master, or was he?

How many of Jacob's family came into Egypt?

In this blog we will be looking at passages from the Bible and studying them so as to know what God's word for us today would be from what He said long ago.  Today we find ourselves in Genesis 46 where in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, says that there were 66 (Genesis 46:26)and also that there were 70 (Genesis 46:27).  Another number that is mentioned is that Joseph had two sons born to him in Egypt (Genesis 46:27).  The math seems to be 66 +2 = 70.  Hmmm.  Some would throw their hands up in the air and say the Bible is full of contradictions and be done.  But let's look further.  The Septuagint (LXX) Greek translation, which it seems either Luke or Stephen (Acts 7:14) had in front of him at some time reads 75 persons (having the sons of Rachel numbering not 14 but 18).  This makes the Septuagint version add up thus 33 + 16 + 18 + 7 =75 and 75-9 = 66.  In terms of math, we are drawn to the error of making 74=75 in the septuagint and 68=70 in the Hebrew text.  So what were the author and translator drawing our attention to, assuming that the error would make us look harder.  Er and Onan, Judah's two sons, died.  That could make the equation read 70-2 = 66+2.  But for the case of the Septuagint, 75-9=66, but 33+16+18+7 does not =75.  There is one missing.  Could the Septuagint translator, or the text the translator was using, be drawing our attention to the defiled Dinah, while the Hebrew text is pointing our attention to the death of Judah's sons?  Judah's sons died, as Jacob thought Joseph had died, and right after this Jacob sends Judah ahead of him to Joseph.  What do you think?

The Greek Alpha Beta

I still have not figured out how to type anything in another language.  Find the Greek alpha beta, and then say it over and over again.   Then read it over and over again.  Soon you will have it.  What's that?  You already know the greek alpha beta because you were in a sorority or a fraternity.  Great!  Make sure you know the lower case too.

The Hebrew Aleph Bet

I am not a very smart blogger in that I have not realized how to actually write the Hebrew Aleph Bet on this computer because all I am getting is English Times New Roman type font.  So while you are on the internet, why don't you do this, find the hebrew aleph bet, it has 22 characters, and say them over and over until you know them.  Don't say you can't do this.  Kids can do it.  You can do it.  Say it over and over and over.  Write it over and over and over.  You will know the Hebrew Aleph Bet.  Good job.