The Speaking Yahweh Came
THe Lord Calls Abraham
PART TWO
Acts 7:2-4 ESV
And Stephen said, “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living.”
This is the New Testament account of God’s call the patriarch Abraham. Notice, that Stephen specifically points out that “The God of glory appeared (G3700) to Abraham. This word means “to allow one’s self to be seen, to appear.” This is not the word you would use for an inward sense, a mental thought, or even an auditory voice. Stephen is saying that while Abraham was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, he had a visible encounter with the God of Glory who spoke to him. We find this account that Stephen referenced recorded in Genesis 12:1-3:
1 Now the LORD (YHWH) said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:7 ESV:
Then the LORD (YHWH) appeared (H7200) to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So, he built there an altar to the LORD (YHWH), who had appeared (H7200) to him.
The Numbers are from the Strong’s Concordance and are for your convenience. I encourage you to always check these things for yourself. (These study tools are available free online, through apps like The Blue Letter Bible or The Step Bible.)
Notice how the writer records what this took place.
Yahweh said to Abram…and Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” And he built an altar to Yahweh, who had appeared to him.
Twice in these two verses we read that Yahweh appeared to Abraham. The Hebrew grammar indicates that this is the Niphal tense of the Hebrew word ra’ah (H7200) which means to present oneself, to be seen, to be visible.
Read Genesis 15:1&6. Notice these phrases:
1 After these things the word (dabar H1697: speaking, word, thing) of the LORD (Yawheh) came to Abram in a vision (machazeh H4236: vision) saying,
“Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great… 6 And he believed the LORD (Yahweh), and He accounted it to him as righteousness.”
This is not the language we would use if we were only having an impression in our spirit. You also realize that a vision is not just hearing an audible sound. These words are used to describe what Abram saw and experienced.
Let’s go back and look again at the Hebrew term dabar. It is good to pause and ponder the way the Old Testament writers conveyed this experience of Abraham encountering of the word (of the) LORD. It could also be translated the speaking Yahweh.
As you read scripture notice the choice of words; “the word (of the) LORD came” or “the speaking Yahweh came.” What the writer wants us to know is that when He comes, He calls us. He makes Himself known to us by the voice of His Word.
In preparation of our next blog on the Voice of the Lord read: