Question
I have a question concerning Abraham’s statement in Genesis 22:14. How is it that he understood what he did, enough to call that place what he did, when over in Exodus 6:3 God says that He was not known by His name Jehovah to Abraham. I do not doubt the veracity of either incident or their record in God’s word, it just seems to be a little contradictory. I would appreciate any thoughts you have.
Response
This is a question that is frequently asked not only because of what Abraham does in Genesis 22:14, but also because “LORD” is used numerous times by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when speaking about God or to God, addressing Him as such. In fact, both Abraham and Isaac build altars and ‘call upon the name of the LORD’ in so doing. Moreover, even Abraham’s servant calls God “the LORD,” as do others, including ones of other nations. Furthermore, God even identifies Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as “the LORD God”; and even Noah used this title in speaking of God. And there are other identifying and naming uses of “LORD” previous to what God says to Moses in Exodus 6. Hence what God says in Exodus 6 sometimes puzzles folks.
In view of the use of “LORD” previous to the time of Exodus 6, it is obvious that by what God says to Moses in verse 3 that He does not mean that His name “LORD”/”JEHOVAH” was not known at all or used at all by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For once again that is not the case. But rather God is talking about the issue of them knowing Him as such in connection with what He did in the times that He appeared unto them to make Himself known unto them. Notice that this is the issue that God specifically refers to in what He says to Moses. In verse 3 He says, “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty,…” There are a number of different reasons for why God chooses to “appear” at times. But with particular respect to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob He did so in connection with the initial matters connected with the establishment of His covenanted program with Abraham and his seed, and in order to provide for their education so that they could walk faithfully in accordance with the program at that time. In other words each particular appearance of God to them had a significant connection with an establishment matter in the program, and it also had a significant connection with their personal edification. Therefore, by His appearances unto them God ‘made Himself known unto them’ in some significant and meaningful way that contributed to their edification in accordance with the establishment phase in the program.
Now this is the issue that God has in view in what He says to Moses in Exodus . He is talking about the issue of educating the seed of Abraham in the subject of Himself, so to speak. And what He is pointing out to Moses is that when He appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He did not appear unto them to make Himself known unto them by His “name JEHOVAH”. They definitely knew the name, and even used it. But the name was designed by God to have much doctrinal significance to it, and not just be ‘a name for name’s sake’. However, the time would come in Israel’s program when the initial establishment phase would be fully accomplished and then the next significant phase would commence. And it would be in connection with the next significant phase that God would appear again, and when He did the seed of Abraham would begin to be educated by Him in the doctrinal significance of His name “JEHOVAH”. And this is the very thing that has taken place at this time in the opening chapters of Exodus, just as they testify; with what God says to Moses when He appears to him as recorded in chapter 3 setting forth the fact that He is now going to begin to educate the people in the fundamental scope of the doctrinal significance of His name “JEHOVAH”. Moreover, just as God indicated to Moses in chapter 3, Israel’s education in His name “JEHOVAH” would be tied to the fact that Pharaoh would not let them go. And this is the very thing that God reminds Moses about in Exodus 6, after Moses complains to Him about things not going as he had expected.
So once again the issue is that of educating the seed of Abraham the doctrinal significance, understanding, and appreciation for what God’s name “JEHOVAH” involves. And though this name was known and used as a name prior to the time of Exodus 6, when God appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob in connection with making Himself known unto them and edifying them thereby. He did not do so for the purpose of educating them in His name “JEHOVAH.” Rather God appeared unto them for the purpose of educating them in the issue of His ‘Almightiness,’ so to speak; which was the most important and significant issue to be understood and appreciated first in connection with what was taking place during the initial establishment phase to the program.
There are some other meaningful matters that are related to this, or develop out of it. But this is the basics of what God is talking about in Exodus 6, and understanding this at least provides for removing any puzzlement over what Exodus 6:3 says.
Something else that can be noted in what God says to Moses in Exodus 6:3 is this: Notice that God says,
“but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them”. He does not say, ‘but my name JEHOVAH was not known by them’, or, ‘by my name JEHOVAH was I not known by them’. This may not seem like it is all that big of a difference, but it is. Unfortunately, we have lost a good amount of precision of meaning in our English language today, not only in vocabulary but also in prepositional phrases and the like. This often results in the precise use of such things not always making their full impact upon our thinking like they are capable of making; and we have an example of this very thing in this verse. There is a difference between “not known to them” and ‘not known by them’. God says, “not known to them” but we have a tendency to equate this with the concept of ‘not known by them’. But the two are not exactly the same. “To” and “by” are not prepositions with identical meanings, though they can often share a measure of commonness in their meaning. But when used in contexts involving, for example, knowledge or acquaintance, the precise use of “to” and “by” can be employed to signify a big difference. For example, since you and I have never actually met, I can say that you are known “by” me, but not really “to” me. That is, I know that you exist; I know your name; and I even know where you live and a few other things. And in this sense you are known “by” me, or I know “of” you. But you have not been made known “to” me in the sense that we have met and I am well acquainted with you, etc. In accordance with the precise meaning of “to”, in order for someone to be ‘known to’ another person that person needs to know more about the other person than the fact that he exists, etc. There is a much more personal and knowledgeable acquaintance with someone, which is usually based upon fellowship and communion with each other, when someone is ‘known to’ another person and not just ‘by’ him.
So then in view of the precision of what God says in Exodus 6:3, my understanding is that He is not saying that His name “JEHOVAH” was not known ‘by’ Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; or that He was not known ‘by’ them by that name. Instead He is saying that He was “not known to them” by that name. He had not made Himself known “to” them by that name, so that their communion and fellowship with Him was based upon their understanding and appreciation of the doctrinal significance and meaning of that name, as was now going to be the case with the children of Israel beginning with the events of Exodus 6 and following.
Having said all of this, there is one particular matter that needs to be addressed because it may seem as if it might not perfectly fit in with this. And it is the matter in Genesis 22:14 when Abraham “called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh”; which certainly seems to indicate that he had a measure of understanding about the issue of God’s “Jehovah-ness”. However, there are two particular things that I think need to be understood about this:
- this is still not the issue of God being ‘known to’ Abraham by His name “JEHOVAH” to the same extent that God is speaking about in Exodus 6. In view of what God says to Moses in Exodus 6, and then in view of what takes place from that time forth during which the actual education in God’s “Jehovah-ness” occurs, it is evident that the issue of God being made “known to” the children of Israel ‘by His name JEHOVAH’ is quite extensive and involved. It clearly involves much more than one issue. And,
- later on in Israel’s program God speaks about this particular situation with Abraham in Genesis 22, and He speaks about it as an event that He specifically produced for a couple of significant reasons. And one of them is that God designed it to be ‘looked back upon,’ so to speak, by the children of Israel, for the purpose of them seeing that in the days of their father Abraham He actually gave them a foreshadowing (by what He did with Abraham and Isaac) of what He Himself would eventually be doing for them on the basis of His “Jehovah-ness.” In view of this the whole event of Genesis 22, and in particular the naming of the place, is established by God as a sort of memorial for the children of Israel, just as the latter half of verse 14 emphasizes. In connection with this the event of Genesis 22 kind of falls outside of the realm of Abraham’s normal education, seeing that God purposed that its educational impact would be for later on. So then in view of these two things, and especially in view of what Exodus 6:3 specifically says, the issue of Genesis 22:14 is not contrary to what Exodus 6:3 specifically says.
This, once again, is the basics of my understanding regarding Exodus 6:3. I hope it is of some help to you.
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries
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