moses and the bit at the burning bush

lurk

i know jehovahs name has been done to death but ive got to ask this .(.its not about the meaning of his name im on about, but rather the use of a name before and after moses time).

heres my question

Q1)

according to the WTS the name of god was used before moses time but they just didnt appreciate the meaning of his name .But the bible says moses knew he was a hebrew ,was fed by his own mother (sarah fed issac untill he was 5 years old so possibly for at ;least that long ) so he must have known that he was her son and a hebrew from her right and that she wasnt just some servant? so being with her he got his identity and info of what a hebrew is .. .wouldn't one of the things he learnt from her been the name of the god of the hebrews if that god was of any real importance in her life ?

Q2)

why at the burning bush did he ask what the name of god of the hebrews was if he knew he was a hebrew and was brought up for many years by one?

lurk

Narkissos

There are two conflicting (and imo irreconciliable) traditions in the present text of the Torah:

(1) (Yahwist) Yhwh's name is used from the very beginnings of mankind (Genesis 4,26).

(2) (Priestly -- and Elohist?) Yhwh's name is first revealed to Moses (Exodus 6:3).

You don't have to choose.

A Paduan

Q1) so being with her he got his identity and info of what a hebrew is .. .wouldn't one of the things he learnt from her been the name of the god of the hebrews if that god was of any real importance in her life ?

What a hebrew is and what their god was like he most likely would have known, as you say - as it was with the jews that he was to help emancipate - that is how he and they knew that what would be was true - they recognised their God when they were told who it was, concordance/identify with he who they would be with/as.

I suppose in our language we say, "identify with" or "get it" or perhaps "know him". A jew simply "knows" when one hears the name " I am who I am".

he is a jew who is one inwardly

Q2)
why at the burning bush did he ask what the name of god of the hebrews was if he knew he was a hebrew and was brought up for many years by one?

He didn't have the words for what he knew, as with those he would see - But Moses said to the LORD, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either heretofore or since thou hast spoken to thy servant; but I am slow of speech and of tongue." - but that's different from identifying with / knowing.

Everyone in my family is 'I am who I am'.

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thus I will be remembered throughout all generations

Leolaia

According to the non-Yahwist traditions in Genesis, God ('lhym) was known to the patriarchs under a variety of names and titles, including El-Elyon (cf. 14:20), El-Shaddai (cf. 17:1, 28:3, 35:11), El-Roi (16:13), El-Olam (21:33), El, the god of Israel (33:20), El, the god of your father (46:3), the Bull of Jacob (49:24), and so forth -- all names and epithets consistent with the Canaanite father-god El. Note also that the name of the nation, Israel, has El as a theophoric element, and indeed there are very few Yahwistic names in Genesis aside from Joseph and Beriah (46:17), whereas many contain El as a theophoric element, including Methushael and Mehujael (4:18), Abimael (10:28), Ishmael (16:11), Bethuel (22:22), Abdeel (25:13), Rachel (29:6), Bethel (35:6-7), Peniel (32:31), Eliphaz (36:4), Reuel (36:10), Jemuel (46:10), Elon (46:14), Jahleel (46:14), Malchiel (46:17), Jahzeel (46:24), and so forth. Onomastic evidence of West Semitic names from the Late Bronze Age also reflect the absence of Yahweh as a theophoric element and the ubiquity of El (as well as Baal and other DNs). The Priestly tradition may thus accurately reflect the fact that El was the older god in Canaan/Israel and was only later identified with (e.g. revealed to be) Yahweh.

Gretchen956

Very simple.. Moses had been into the mushrooms again and thats why he saw the burning bush in the first place.

Sherry

Greenpalmtreestillmine

A man can have a variety of family relationships. He can be called, "son" by his mother, "uncle" by his nephew, "brother" by his sister, "husband" by his wife. But until he becomes a father he will not be called father by anyone. I believe it is in this context that Moses asked the question in this Biblical story.

Sabrina

melmac

Leolaia has a good point. Some claim that the identification of "El" with Jehovah took quite some time to happen.

You may want to take a look at chapter 4 in http://www.jcnot4me.com/Items/theology/JEHOVAH_UNMASKED/jehovah_unmasked.htm

Edited to add:

Ex 22:28 Thou shalt not revile the gods , nor curse the ruler of thy people.

unclebruce

Very simple.. Moses had been into the mushrooms again and thats why he saw the burning bush in the first place.
Sherry

He was into the Sherry too!

Have you heard of the oily bush that still grows throughout the middle east that spontaniously combusts from time to time in the intense summer heat? - strange but true (and something else you'll never hear about in a kingdom hall)

unc

lurk

i ahve to admit i didnt understand much of the replies.

i havent read about the supposed book of j,or priestly ,yahwists........ive no idea if the intellectuals have correct ideas about the bible being writen by a woman as a story or that its just a mass of history passed of as a religion or is its about differant gods mashed into one god cause moses didnt know what he was on about and they (intellectuals) do .

i just dont get all that stuff... but thanks for trying

lurk

moses and the bit at the burning bush

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