What Does the Name Jehovah Mean in Exodus 6:2?

    God has a lot of titles in the Bible.  The title of God in Genesis 1:1 is actually Elohim which in Hebrew means the All Mighty.  Throughout Genesis you can see the title of Jehovah which means the self-existing One, the I Am. 



First day of spring!

When God promised Abraham in Genesis 12  that his children would be like the sand and the stars, His title was El Shaddai, which means God all-sufficient. When God made a covenant with Abraham about this promise in Genesis 15:13-14,  He told Abraham that his descendants would  be in captivity in Egypt for 400 years.  

In chapter 14 of the Life-Study of Exodus I learned that these 400 years were up when Moses was 80 years old, and that was the very same year God charged him to tell Pharaoh  to let the Israelites go. But as everyone knows, Pharaoh always refused to let the Israelites go.  Moses was like, what's up  with this?  It actually  discouraged Moses, and that’s why God  spoke to him these words: 

I am Jehovah; and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob by the name of God All-sufficient; but by My name JEHOVAH  was I not known to them.  And I have established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage wherein they were strangers.  Exodus 6:2-4

      When I was reading this chapter, I learned that the name Jehovah actually has two meanings—the self-existing God and also  the fulfilling God.  I appreciated the exposition Witness Lee gives on the name Jehovah on pages 162-163, 166-167:

Cherry tree at the park

When God spoke to Moses in 6:1-8, He did not speak as El Shaddai, the promising God, but as Jehovah, the fulfilling God… If God were not the self-existing One and the ever-existing One, the promise made thousands of years ago could not be fulfilled.  However, because God is and always will be, He cannot fail to fulfill His promise.  In this universe there is One who is, and this One is the fulfilling God.  Whatever He says will come to pass.  Jehovah will fulfill His word….When you encounter tests, trials, and difficulties, you should say, ‘Lord, You are.  My problems will end, but You, Lord, will be forever’…If we have received the revelation of the Lord as the I Am, we shall pray in a new way.  When trouble comes, we shall go to the Lord and say,’ Lord, here is a problem, but You are.  You are the I am, and I believe in You’ (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Exodus.  Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1979, Print).

Many times what I’m reading goes along with where I’m at.  I was somewhat discouraged about a situation, and this word gave me the faith to say to God, "You are!”  

You can listen to excerpts of this life training and some outstanding commentary by listening to Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee on Exodus.

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Exodus:

Why Did God Use So Many Women in Exodus 1 & 2?
Taking a Closer Look at the Conflict Between God and Pharaoh in Exodus 5
What Does the Name Jehovah Mean in Exodus 6:2?
Why Did God Really Send the Manna in Exodus 6?
What is the Meaning of the Bitter Waters at Marah in Exodus 15:23?
How are the 10 Commandments Like God's Engagement Covenant in Exodus 20?
How Can You Keep the 10 Commandments?
Why Did the Israelites Build a Tabernacle in Exodus 25:8?
Taking Another Look at the Priesthood of the Believers in Exodus 19:6
Seeing God's Spiritual Building in Exodus 26 - Part 1 of 1
Seeing God's Spiritual Building in Exodus 26 - Part 2 of 2
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus 25 - The Ark
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus 25 - The Showbread Table & the Lampstand
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus 27 & 30 - The Bronze Altar & Laver
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus - The Golden Incense Altar

How About Trying Some Authenic Italian Pasta Sauce? - Carmine's Italian Lamb Shank Pasta Sauce

     First off, I need to tell you that this recipe was given to me by my son-in-law's father Carmine who was born in Italy. The first time I had this pasta sauce was when our granddaughter was born, and they came to stay with us and wanted to make dinner for us.  

     Of course I asked him for the recipe.  He made this Italian pasta sauce with lamb shanks.  It simmered most of the day, and when we recently visited our daughter's family, her husband made this pasta sauce for my birthday dinner.  Of course, pasta is his family's favorite meal.




Carmine's Authentic Italian Lamb Shank Pasta Sauce

1.  Prepare vegetables:
(1)  Chop 1 large onion.
(2)  Mince 5-8 cloves of garlic
(3)  Chop up 1 red bell pepper.
(4)  Chop 4-5 basil leaves.
(5)  Chop 2-3 sprigs of parsley.

2. Prepare the pasta sauce:
(1)  In a stainless steel skillet put 2 T of olive oil and sauté the onion, and red bell pepper.  Towards the end add the garlic, as Carmine told me it gets bitter if it cooks too hot or for too long.
(2)  Add to the pot 1 cup of red wine, and boil it out a bit.
(3)  Then add 2 large cans of Italian tomatoes (my son-in-law prefers using Delallo whole peeled tomatoes that are imported from Italy), and 1 large can of tomato paste.  This will make a thick, rich sauce.
(4)  In a separate pan brown the lamb shanks or ground beef if you don't want to use lamb.  Add meat to the pasta sauce.
(5) Stir in1 Tof salt and 1/2 t of black pepper.
(6)  Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 1-3 hours.  You can always add this to a crock pot so you don't have to worry about it scorching. Carmine told me the more it simmers, the more flavor it will have. 

3.  Add other spices 5 to 10 minutes before serving:   Stir in the basil and parsley.  Taste and make any flavor adjustments.  If it's too thick, add a bit of water.

Be sure to serve it with freshly grated Parmesan, and, of course, garlic bread, and a green salad.  

Other Italian & Greek Pasta Recipes on This Blog:

Italian & Greek Chicken:

Incredible Gluten Free Chicken Souvlaki   (My son-in-law's marinade recipe--so good!)

Chicken Cacciatore with Peppers & Mushrooms  (My mother-in-law's yummy recipe!)

You've Got to Try This Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan!  (From my church cook book, Come & Dine)

Pasta Casseroles:

Delicious Gluten Free Chicken Tetrazzini     (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)

 Classic Pastas:

My Mom's Splendiferous Gluten Free Spaghetti  (My mother's amazing sauce!)

Ginger's Family Favorite Gluten Free Beef Stroganof   (From my friend Ginger)

Gluten Free Pasta Aioli - Sausage & Vegetable Penne  (My son-in-law's Italian recipe)

Incredible Gluten Free Pasta Primavera     (Combination of two Internet searches)

Fantastic Gluten Free Salmon Fettucine 

Easy to Make Gluten Free Shrimp Linguini   (From my Syre School Cookbook)

Mac & Cheeses:

Fantastic Gluten Free Macaroni & Cheese  (Modified from Heritage School & Internet search)

Gluten Free Comfort Food - Downright Delicious Gluten Free Tuna Noodle Casserole  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Pizza:

Judi's Gluten Free Crazy Crust Pizza -  Spinach, Artichoke & Feta Pizza (From a friend)

Soups:

This is the Best Minestrone Soup!  (From my son's Internet search and tweaking)

Mouth Watering Italian Turkey Sausage Soup   (This is my friend Debbie's delicious recipe)

Salads:

Tasty Gluten Free Pasta Salad   (I've been making this salad for over 20 years!)

Jeremy D's Sensational Greek Salad  (From my son-in-law who is half Italian!!)

Michelle's Greek Quinoa Salad   (My foodie daughter came up with this great way to use quinoa)

Taking a Closer Look at the Conflict Between God & Pharaoh in Exodus 5

     In December I read something by Watchman Nee that really made me think.  He said that in the book of Revelation you can see chapter by chapter the battle between God and Satan is for worship.  As I thought about this, I realized you can trace this battle throughout the Bible.

     First you have to take a look at Genesis 1:26-27 where it says that God made man in His image and likeness so that man might express and represent Him.  Don’t you think that Satan could see that, and that’s why he didn't waste any time in enticing Eve to eat the fruit that God had commanded them not to? Satan was out to destroy man's ability to worship God.

Good thing God had already factored that into His eternal plan of salvation!  Ever since then it's obvious  Satan has been plotting ways to stop or at least hinder man’s worship to God. 

     As I’ve been reading through the chapters on the conflict between Pharaoh and Moses in the Life-Study of Exodus, it’s made me think about this matter of worship because the first thing God told Moses to do was tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go to hold a feast to Him.

And afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, Thus  says Jehovah, God of Israel, let My people go that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness. Exodus 5:1

     When this news hit Pharaoh he was like, who is Jehovah that I should listen to Him?  And thinking that the Israelites must have too much time on their hands, Pharaoh tells the taskmasters to demand that in addition to meeting the weekly quota of bricks the Israelites now have to get their own straw to make them.

On page 155-156 of chapter 13 Witness Lee shares his insights on these events:

To be idle in this sense means to feast unto the Lord and to sacrifice to Him.... 
Some are so industrious that they have no time to feast unto the Lord...We are not to be so busy with the things of this life that we disregard the word of God....The purpose ordained by God for our existence is to live Christ, to live God out, and to have God's testimony. But the people of this world have only their existence they have no purpose. Eventually they make their existence itself the purpose of their existence. They know nothing but existence. Satan picks up the existence of human beings or of human living and uses this existence to usurp people so that today the whole world cares only for existence, not for God's purpose in existence (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Exodus. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1979, Print).


     I really liked getting recalibrated by this word  because God created us to love Him and enjoy Him and this is the feast that God needs from His people week by week!
  
You can listen to excerpts of this life training and some outstanding commentary by listening to Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee on Exodus.

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Exodus:

Why Did God Use So Many Women in Exodus 1 & 2?
Taking a Closer Look at the Conflict Between God and Pharaoh in Exodus 5
What Does the Name Jehovah Mean in Exodus 6:2?
Why Did God Really Send the Manna in Exodus 6?
What is the Meaning of the Bitter Waters at Marah in Exodus 15:23?
How are the 10 Commandments Like God's Engagement Covenant in Exodus 20?
How Can You Keep the 10 Commandments?
Why Did the Israelites Build a Tabernacle in Exodus 25:8?
Taking Another Look at the Priesthood of the Believers in Exodus 19:6
Seeing God's Spiritual Building in Exodus 26 - Part 1 of 1
Seeing God's Spiritual Building in Exodus 26 - Part 2 of 2
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus 25 - The Ark
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus 25 - The Showbread Table & the Lampstand
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus 27 & 30 - The Bronze Altar & Laver

Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus - The Golden Incense Altar

Lisa's Red Lentil Soup

One of my friends brings this soup regularly to our church pot lucks.  It's delicious and soothing.  A few months ago I asked her for the recipe. 

 I made it last week with just a few changes, and it was yummy!  The combination of the red lentil and rice makes this soup a filling entree or a great side dish. Because of our international students we've gotten into the habit of having  some kind of soup every night at dinner.   

Red Lentil Soup  - For 6-8 servings

1.  Prepare vegetables:  
(1)  Dice 1 onion
(2)  Dice up 1 1/2 cups of carrots
(3)  Chop up 2-3 T of parsley (something I added!)

2.  Prepare the soup:
(1)  Put 1 T of coconut oil into a soup pot and saute the onion.
(2)  Add 7-8 cups of water mixed with 3-4 t of veggie bouillon (The recipe calls for 6 cups of water, but I add more so it's not like a stew.  I added about 3 t of chicken bouillon because I didn't have the other).
(3)  Then add 2 T of tomato paste, 3/4 cup of red lentils,  carrots,  and 3 T of wild rice (I used a rice combo from Trader Joe's).  
(4)  Stir in 1-2 t salt, 3/4 t cumin and  1/2 t black pepper (I added a bit of pepper).  Bring to a boil and then simmer until the rice is done about 30 minutes or so.
(4)  Add one 14 oz can of tomato sauce.
(5)  Taste and make any seasoning adjustments. or if it needs more water to thin it out. 

List of My Favorite Soups, Chili & Stew Recipes: 

Beef 

Grandma's Favorite Beef Stew  (My mother-in-law's delicious recipe!)

Just Like Home Ukrainian Borscht   (A Polish student  said this tasted like his mom's!)
Mouth Watering Italian  Sausage Soup   (This is my friend Debbie's recipe)

Poultry

This is the Best Gluten Free Minestrone Soup!   (A recipe my son modified)

Mexican Fiesta Chicken Soup   (A recipe I got years ago from a Mexican cookbook)
My Thanksgiving Turkey Soup  (My very own special concoction!)
Gary's Incredible Gluten Free Arkansas Gumbo  (Given to me by a Bible study friend from Arkansas)
Jeannie's French Market Soup  (A friend from when my kids were little)
Southwest Turkey Soup  (From my Syre School cookbook)

Fish
Northwest Salmon Chowder  (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Almost Like Ivar's Clam Chowder (From my Come & Dine Cookbook)

Bean & Legumes
Vi's Best Chili  (A  Bible study friend's great recipe)
Bethany's Crowd Pleasing Tortilla Soup  (One of my daughter's friends special soup)
Country Style Lentil Soup   (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Kathy's Texas Chili & Chips (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Spicy Cuban Black Bean Soup (From a store recipe card)
Marilyn's Make It From Scratch Chili  (From my mother-in-law)

Vegetable

Downright Delicious Potato & Kale Soup  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
A Great Fall Soup - Make it From Scratch Corn Potato Chowder  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
French Pumpkin Soup  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Asian
Chinese Chicken Soups  - Bok choy chicken, chicken & spinach, and chicken & cabbage (Modified from Internet search by our Chinese students)
Make Your Own Gluten Free Chicken Pho!  (Modified from a newspaper article)
Gluten Free Chinese Hot Pot  (Modified by a Chinese student)
Chinese Egg Drop Soup  &  Chinese Egg & Tomato Soup  (Modified  from a student's recipe)

Vegetarian & Gluten Free Tom Yum Soup (A delicious Thai soup) 
Deluxe Miso Soup (Kenchinjiru)   (Adapted from Internet search)
A Thai Mom Teaches Me How to Make Tom Yum Kung  (A student's mom's recipe)
A Vietnamese Cooking Lesson - Lien's Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup  (An International student's aunt's recipe)
Cooking Beef Pho for Vietnamese Students  (Modified Recipe)
Asian Curried Chicken Soup  (From my Come & Dine church cookbook)
Rose's Chinese Beef Bone Soup  (My friend's recipe)

Why did God Use So Many Women in Exodus 1 & 2?

     Exodus is a book of pictures.  And in the first picture we see the children of Israel working as slaves to build Pharaoh’s treasure cities.  What happened between with that?  By looking at the end of Genesis, we learn that when a terrible famine hit that part of the earth, and Jacob had to send his sons to Egypt to get food.  There they met their long lost brother Joseph that they had sold as a slave.  But they didn't know right away that this ruler was their brother Joseph, and that his dreams were being fulfilled. 

   But after Joseph's death, the new pharaoh felt threatened by large population of Israelites in Egypt.  Not only were the Israelites working under harsh conditions, but Exodus opens with Pharaoh releasing a edict to kill all their baby boys!  

    Early in chapter 2 of the Life-Study of Exodus Witness Lee explains that Pharaoh represents Satan, the ruler of the world.  He states that Satan’s intention was to terminate the nation of Israel so God’s purpose would not be fulfilled through them.  In  fact, Pharaoh had charged all the midwives to kill only their boy babies.   It’s a bit surprising that the midwives refused to follow Pharaoh’s orders, but God honored them for that. 
 
    It's incredible that God used four females to help preserve Moses.  In chapter 4 of the Life-Study of Exodus he underscores that all believers should exhibit the "female" life which is one that's always dependent on the Lord.  On pages 40, 42-43 he explains this:

"Just as man represents God, woman represents man in his relation to God.  In this sense, woman, typifying man, signifies the dependent life….Man should not be a male, but a "female," one who lives a life of dependence on God.  Only such a "female" life is useful to God.  In Exodus, a book of pictures, this female life is portrayed by the midwives in chapter one and by all the females in chapter two--Moses' mother and sister, the female slave, and Pharaoh's daughter, and the daughters of the priest of Midian….In order to be "females" we need to depend upon the Lord"This indicates that Moses was living a female life, a life of dependence on God (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Exodus.  Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1979, Print). 

    This chapter closes with a passage  from the Word to show that the Lord and the apostles considered all the believers as  "females." First off, in Matthew 25:1 in the parable of the 10 virgins, the Lord is pointing out that His followers are "females."  And  in 2 Corinthians 11:2  the Apostle Paul tells the believers that they have been espoused to one husband.  And finally in Revelation 19:7 the Apostle John tells us that all the believers are considered the wife of the Lamb.  

My grandkids checking out the flowers

   And what does that look like for us today?  This helped me when he said it means that we don't initiate anything on our own.  It means we spend time on the mountain like Moses did to hear God speak to us and receive revelation from God.  And he said that this will produce in us a living that is completely dependent on God. 

Blog Update 11-10-17:  Another song I recently heard on Youtube put out by New York City Young People's CD called Choose to be a Living Overcomer.
 

You can listen to excerpts of this life training and some outstanding commentary by listening to Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee on Exodus.

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Exodus:

Why Did God Use So Many Women in Exodus 1 & 2?
Taking a Closer Look at the Conflict Between God and Pharaoh in Exodus 5
What Does the Name Jehovah Mean in Exodus 6:2?
Why Did God Really Send the Manna in Exodus 6?
What is the Meaning of the Bitter Waters at Marah in Exodus 15:23?
How are the 10 Commandments Like God's Engagement Covenant in Exodus 20?
How Can You Keep the 10 Commandments?
Why Did the Israelites Build a Tabernacle in Exodus 25:8?
Taking Another Look at the Priesthood of the Believers in Exodus 19:6
Seeing God's Spiritual Building in Exodus 26 - Part 1 of 1
Seeing God's Spiritual Building in Exodus 26 - Part 2 of 2
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus 25 - The Ark
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus 25 - The Showbread Table & the Lampstand