In Exodus we find the story of Moses, his birth, how and where he grew up and the reason he fled for his life to the land of Midian (Exodus 2:11-15). During his exile, Moses married the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian. One day, while tending his father-in-law’s sheep, Moses saw a burning bush on a mountain near the place he had taken the flock, yet the bush was not consumed. Although the text says it was the Angel of the LORD that appeared to Moses in the flame (Exodus 3:2), it was the LORD who called out to Moses when he turned aside to see the bush that was not consumed by the fire:
Exodus 3:2, 4-6 KJ2000 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. (4) And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. (5) And he said, Draw not near here: put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground. (6) Moreover he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. (emphasis mine)
Just as with Jacob earlier, we find that the Angel of the LORD is also called the LORD God (YHWH). In fact, this same Angel is still speaking from the bush when Moses asked his name:
Exodus 3:14-15 MKJV And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM. And he said, So you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. (15) And God said to Moses again, You shall say this to the sons of Israel, Jehovah the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My title from generation to generation. (emphasis mine)
Although it was the Angel of the Lord who showed himself to Moses in verse-2, he introduced himself as the LORD (YHWH), the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the fathers of the Israelite nation in verses 14 & 15. It is this Angel who brought all the plagues upon Egypt, finally killing all their firstborn in order to bring that mighty nation to its knees.
When Pharaoh finally released the children of Israel, the LORD went ahead of his people, leading them continually by a pillar of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22). However, almost immediately after Israel left Egypt, Pharaoh decided he should not have left them go. He and his armies came upon them near the Red Sea (Exodus 14:8-10). Nevertheless, the text says that the Angel of God was in the pillar of a cloud before Israel and he moved to the rear and placed himself between the camps of the Egyptians and of Israel. To Pharaoh and his armies the Angel was darkness, but to the camp of Israel he was light (Exodus 14:19-20). When morning came and Israel crossed the sea on dry ground, the Egyptians followed after them. Then, the LORD looked out of the pillar of a cloud and fire and troubled the Egyptian armies (Exodus 14:24) taking the wheels off their chariots and trapping them on the sea floor as the walls of water returned to their strength and collapsed upon them (Exodus 14:25-31).
Clearly, the LORD and the Angel of God are the same in Exodus 13 and 14. Notice it is the LORD who went before Israel in the pillar of the cloud (Exodus 13:21-22), but it was the Angelof the God who hid himself in the pillar of cloud (Exodus 14:19). Yet, it is the LORD who looked out of the pillar of cloud to gaze upon the Egyptian armies (Exodus 14:24).
Moreover, after Israel had come to the Promised Land and had lived there for quite some time, this same Angelof the LORD came to address the elders and the people at Bochim. There he reminded Israel that it was he who had led them out of bondage in Egypt, and it was he who brought them into the Promised Land, just as he had promised their fathers, Abraham Isaac and Jacob, but they had broken the Covenant that he made with them by making treaties with the inhabitants of the land. Therefore, he would not drive Israel’s enemies out from among them anymore:
Judges 2:1-4 KJV And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. (2) And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? (3) Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. (4) And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. (emphasis mine)
From the very beginning Moses spoke with the Angel of the LORD whom he addressed as both God and LORD or YHWH (Exodus 3:2-6), and it is the same throughout the book of Exodus. The plurality issue is there. It can be ignored or it can be addressed, but it is there. The targumists, often address the problem by changing LORD (YHWH) into the Word of the LORD (YHWH). There is nothing wrong with distinguishing the Godhead in this manner. The first chapter of the Gospel of John shows that the one whom the targumists called “the Word of God” is Jesus (John 1:1, 14) in the NT. Nevertheless, modern Jews and many who claim the Christian name do not understand the paradox of the two Jehovah’s (YHWH’s). They have chosen to ignore this issue by clinging to the proposition that God is a singular Personage, alone in eternity.
Throughout the Old Testament the Angel of the LORD is revealed as God and the LORD (YHWH), the God of Israel. We see him under the guise of a man meeting with Joshua as the Captain of the army of the LORD in Joshua 5:13-15. However in Joshua 6:1-2 this same man is shown to be the LORD (YHWH). The break between chapters 5 and 6 serves to hide this fact, but it is clearly there if one checks the context.
The Angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon in Judges 6:12, but it is the LORD in verse-14 that looked at Gideon and told him what to do. After awhile, Gideon realized that the one who stood before him was the Angel of the LORD and thought he would die. He believed he saw God when he saw the Angel of the LORD face to face. Nevertheless, the LORD told him to be at peace for he would not die (Judges 6:18-23). Then Gideon built an altar to the LORD. Clearly, this Angel received the worship of Gideon showing that he is indeed God – the LORD (YHWH).
When David sinned and the Angel came to destroy Jerusalem’s inhabitants, David spoke with him addressing him as LORD (YHWH). David wrote many Psalms and sang praises to this Angel (Psalm 34:7; 35:5-6).
The Angel of the LORD appeared to Elijah and fed him while he journeyed to Horeb, the Mount of God (1Kings 19:5-8). When Elijah arrived at the mount, it was the Word of the LORD that spoke with him (1Kings 19:9) and Elijah addressed him as the Lord Jehovah (1Kings 19:10).
Speaking of a day when all nations will be gathered against Jerusalem, the LORD said he would defend them. In that day those who are feeble will fight like David and the rulers will fight like God – like the Angel of the LORD (Zechariah 12:8).
Throughout Israel’s history they were rebuked and saved by this Angel. When they were afflicted, so was he. He saved them through his love and redeemed them through his pity. He led them out of Egypt and into the land he promised them. It was he who bore them throughout their history. It was the Angel of the presence of the LORD (Isaiah 63:9; cp. 1Timothy 6:16 and 1John 1:5), and the same is the Word of God (John 1:1) who became Jesus (John 1:14). We need to remember that the Hebrew word translated The Angel of the LORD may also be translated Prophet, Priest or Prince (of the LORD)—all titles of Jesus in the NT.
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