Central Lutheran Church - Elk River
Central Lutheran Church - Elk River
Understanding Existence Through Ancient Texts {Reflections}
What if a simple phrase could unlock the mysteries of existence itself? Join me, Ryan, on Reflections as we unravel the enigmatic dialogue between God and Moses in Exodus, chapter 3. Discover the profound layers of meaning behind God's response, "I am who I am," and explore the linguistic and philosophical depths of the Hebrew phrase "Eya Asher Eya." Through this captivating narrative, we promise you insights that will not only enhance your understanding of this biblical encounter but also challenge your perception of divine identity.
As we journey through this ancient text, we examine the connections between the Hebrew term "Eya" and the divine name Yahweh, uncovering how they both resonate with concepts of being and existence. Listen in as we dissect the scholarly interpretations and the significance of God's name in the context of Moses' mission to liberate the Israelites. Whether you're a seasoned scholar of the Bible or a curious listener, this episode is a thought-provoking exploration into one of the most compelling narratives of faith and identity.
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What is up everybody? Hey, my name is Ryan and welcome to our Reflections podcast. There's a story that I love in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament. It's in Exodus, chapter 3, and God has come to this man called Moses and he said hey, I want you to deliver my people out of Egypt. And Moses, you know, has this back and forth with God.
Speaker 1:But one of the things that Moses says to God is like hey, who should I say sent me? Like, who should I say sent me? Who are you? Which is fascinating on many levels. Like, yeah, who is this guy that appears in a? Or guy, who's this God who appears in a, burning bush and gives Moses this command? And who should Moses say is the one who's sending him?
Speaker 1:And so God says something. It's kind of a mysterious response that is a bit of like a non-answer answer. And so God kind of says something back to him like I am who I am, or I am, or I am that I am. And biblical scholars and commentators have like a field day with this, because in the original Hebrew it's something like this it's what God responds in Hebrew is Eya, asher, eya. And this from Hebrew into English, and again, it's not always easy to do this one for one, but it's something like I will be what I will be, or I am that I am, or I am who I am, but the word Eya. So it's Eya, asher, eya, and the word Eya, which is E-H-Y-E-H. Of course, this is the English transliteration of the Hebrew, so these are English letters, but if you look at it it's like E-H-Y-E-H. That word literally means to be, like, to be, to exist, being, to be. So God might have been saying to Moses something like, something like I am being, or that I cause all things to be, or even that I am existence. So when Moses asks who, should I say, sent me, it could be that God says tell them that I am being what I love. That response Now, and there's one translation, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible.
Speaker 1:It's in Greek and it's of the Hebrew Bible. It's in Greek and it's actually literally translated as the one who is being, and it's incredible. So it could be that God is saying to Moses tell them that the one who is being itself, or existence itself, that's the one who is sending you. And then later God commands Moses. He's like hey, call me. In English it's the Lord, but it's the word. It's in the Hebrew. The Hebrew is Y-H-W-H.
Speaker 1:We call this Yahweh and this is the name. It's like the divine, personal name of God that God gives to Moses and the people of later, the people of Israel, to use when talking to God or about God, and this word, eya, sounds a bit like Yahweh, and so many scholars think that the sacred name of God in fact has much to do with this idea of being or existence, and so that maybe even the divine name of God, which is Yahweh, is something like the one who is the one who is being, the one who is existence itself. And so, in short, I mean God's divine name, yahweh, is rooted in being or existence itself. So I love it Like God. Moses is like hey, god, who should I tell them, is sending me. And God just responds with like hey, tell them, existence or being itself is the one who sends you. And then later, god, like a couple of verses later in this is in Exodus 3, by the way, in verse 15, god's like hey, tell them the Lord, this is now his personal name, so he's telling them and Moses call me the Lord. In the Hebrew it's Yahweh. The letters Y-H-W-H. Again, these are English transliterations of the Hebrew consonants, and remember, they don't use vowels in the Hebrew language. And so when he tells them, hey, tell them the Lord Yahweh. It's sort of this similar thing. It's very much similar to this Eya, asher, eya, it's this existence and being itself is kind of like somehow related, shares the same root word verbally as existence or being itself. I love this.
Speaker 1:There's a modern theologian named Paul Tillich and he says this about God Because, by the way, remember, when talking about the divine, it's impossible to use any words that actually encapsulate God. There's no way we could do this. Everything we say falls short, but it's all we have, right. So we use metaphors and stories and analogies, and so we say things like oh, god is like a warrior, god is a judge, god is a father. None of these perfectly encapsulate what God is like. How could they? God is divine, transcendent, otherworldly, and yet we only have this very worldly kind of experiences, and so we use our experiences to describe what God is like, and so, but okay, so Paul Tillich says this. Paul Tillich says that he says God doesn't exist. Now, he's a Christian theologian, by the way, so let this marinate for a minute. But he goes God doesn't exist.
Speaker 1:You know, like a pen exists, a pen exists. I can hold it. Actually I'm holding one of my hands right now. A pen exists. It has matter. It's made up of atoms. I can hold it, I can look at it under a microscope, I can break it, I can use it. It's matter, it's a thing. It's got again. It's got atoms.
Speaker 1:But God is not a thing.
Speaker 1:God isn't a being that I can hold in my hand or examine under a microscope.
Speaker 1:God doesn't exist.
Speaker 1:Rather, he says God is the ground of all existence.
Speaker 1:So God isn't a being, god is being itself, and I love this because it manages shatters a lot of these preconceived ideas I have about God that do generally fit into a nice neat box.
Speaker 1:But I want to worship and be in relationship with a God that is like almost beyond my own understanding. That's why he's God. He's so much more than I think of God. And so today, as you think about God and try to imagine what God is like, may you experience awe and wonder and think about God as not as like a pen that you can hold or kind of examine under a microscope, but God as the ground of all being, god as being itself the sustainer and creator of all things. We read in the scriptures. That's what God is like, and today you have an experience of that. God, amen, see you guys, peace. Hey, if you enjoy this show, I'd love to have you share it with some friends. And don't forget, you are always welcome to join us in person at Central in Elk River at 830, which is our liturgical gathering, or at 10 o'clock, our modern gathering, or you can check us out online at clcelkriverorg Peace.
