In Genesis 48:15-16 Jacob said, “The God who has shepherded me all my life to this day, / The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys.” The revelation of the Trinity in Genesis ends with the Angel of God [Elohim] and the Angel of Jehovah (16:10; 21:17-18; 22:11-12; 31:11-13; 48:15-16). Exodus stresses two matters concerning the Trinity: the Angel of God, or the Angel of Jehovah, and the Spirit of God. An angel is one who is sent by God. The Spirit of God is the One who comes from God to reach man and, in a deeper sense, to enter into man. One who is sent to us may come to us but not enter into us, but the Spirit comes from God to reach us not only objectively but also subjectively by entering into us. In Exodus God is the Angel of God, who is sent to be with man, and the Spirit of God, who comes to reach man in a subjective way. In the New Testament the One sent by God to us was Jesus Christ, the second of the Trinity. In John the Lord often said that He was sent by the Father (e.g., 5:36; 6:57; 8:16; 12:49; 14:24). Then this sent One said that He would ask the Father to send another Comforter, the Spirit (14:16, 26; 15:26). These two, Christ and the Spirit, in the New Testament are the fulfillment of the Angel and the Spirit in Exodus. Christ, the second of the Trinity, came as the sent One to be with us, and the Spirit, the third of the Trinity, came to reach us and even enter into us. We need to enter into the deeper revelation of the Trinity.
Exodus 3:2 says, “The Angel of Jehovah appeared to him [Moses].” Verse 4 continues, “When Jehovah saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him.” Verse 6 says, “He said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” He and I in verse 6 refer to the Angel of Jehovah in verse 2. The Angel of Jehovah is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. This threefold mentioning of God indicates the Trinity. Verse 7 says, “Jehovah said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people.” Here we see that the Angel of Jehovah is Jehovah Himself. Verses 14 through 15 say, “God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. And He said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you...Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob...This is My name forever, and this is My memorial from generation to generation.” The Angel of Jehovah is Jehovah, God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and the I AM WHO I AM, the great I AM.
In the Old Testament there are two basic divine titles in Hebrew, the first language used for the revelation of God’s Scriptures. The first title, Elohim, indicates God. In the Scofield Reference Bible, Dr. Scofield says that Elohim (God) is “formed from El = strength, or the strong one, and Alah, to swear, to bind oneself by an oath, so implying faithfulness.” Hence, Elohim denotes God’s attributes—His strength, power, and might with His faithfulness. In other words, Elohim is the mighty and faithful One.
The second basic divine title in Hebrew is Jehovah. According to Dr. Scofield, Jehovah is “literally (as in Exo. 3:14), ‘He that is who He is, therefore the eternal I AM.’ But Havah, from which Jehovah, or Yahwe, is formed, signifies also ‘to become.’” Hence, Jehovah denotes God’s existence. He is the self-existent and ever-existent One, the great I AM, the great TO BE, to be whatever we need. Whatever we need, He is.
Jesus, Jehovah our Savior, in the New Testament is this great I AM. Jesus, a name that comes from Greek, means “Jehovah the Savior,” or “the salvation of Jehovah,” in Hebrew. In John 8:24 the Lord said to the Jews, “Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.” When the Lord said, “Believe that I am,” He meant, “Believe that I am Jehovah your God.” Verse 28 says, “Jesus therefore said to them, When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am.” Then in verse 58 the Lord said, “Before Abraham came into being, I am.” According to grammar, it seems that the Lord should have said, “Before Abraham came into being, I was.” But the Lord Jesus is Jehovah, the I AM.