We have been studying Theophany and Christology at Church and it is easy to think that this idea of Christ being in the Old Testament was something that early Christians thought up but that would be wrong. God‑appearing Word, the Angel of the LORD, and the embodied Presence fit naturally within the theological world of Jews who confessed the Shema yet believed in Jesus.Today we explore this topic realizing that human have limits in perceiving the universe and so we had better use all our senses even as we ask: How Could First Century Jews Believe in the Shema and in Jesus Both?
Scripture Summary and Commentary
Genesis 15:1–6 — The Word Who Appears in a Vision
Abram experiences the Word of the LORD not merely as a voice but as a visible presence. The Word “comes” to him in a vision, leads him outside, speaks promises, and invites him to count the stars. Abram believes, and God counts it as righteousness.The Word of the LORD is seen, not just heard.This is a Theophany, God appearing in embodied form. First‑century Jews already believed God’s Word could be personal, visible, and active. This prepares the theological ground for understanding Jesus as the embodied Word without violating the Shema.
1 Samuel 3:1–10 — The Word Who Stands and Calls
Young Samuel hears a voice calling his name. After several repetitions, the text shifts: “The LORD came and stood.” God’s Word is not only spoken, it is present. Samuel responds, “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.” The LORD stands in the room, this is an embodied presence. The Word of the LORD is a personal agent, not an abstract message. This matches early Jewish concepts of the Memra (Word), the Name, and the Glory, as divine manifestations that were distinct yet fully YHWH. Samuel’s encounter mirrors the pattern fulfilled in Christ: the Word who calls, appears, and draws near.
John 1:1–14 — The Word Who Becomes Flesh
John declares that the Word was with God, was God, and is the agent of creation. This eternal Word becomes flesh and dwells among us, revealing God’s glory full of grace and truth. John identifies Jesus as the same appearing Word of Genesis and Samuel. Theophany becomes Incarnation. What first‑century Judaism already allowed—God’s Word appearing, standing, speaking, bearing the Name—now reaches its climax in Jesus. The Shema is not broken; it is fulfilled in the one God who reveals Himself through His Word.
Message: These three passages form a single theological arc: Genesis 15 — The Word appears in a vision. 1 Samuel 3 — The Word stands and calls. John 1 — The Word becomes flesh. This is why first‑century Jews could believe in Jesus as divine without abandoning monotheism. The God who appears in the Old Testament is the God who appears in Christ.
In Scripture, visions are not imaginations. They are things you see. Abram does not merely hear God, he sees the Word. The Word leads him outside, speaks promises, and stands before him as a Presence. This is not a messenger. This is God appearing.
And here is the crucial point: First‑century Judaism had categories for this. Jews of Jesus’ day believed God could appear in embodied form, through His Glory, His Name, His Angel, or His Word. The Shema (“YHWH is one”) meant Israel had one God— not that God was limited to one mode of presence.
Abram’s vision fits perfectly within the Judaism Jesus Himself lived and taught.
In the Hebrew Bible, angels are not merely delivery agents. They are bearers of God’s presence. The Angel of the LORD: speaks as YHWH, bears the divine Name, forgives sins, receives worship, and is identified with God Himself. This was not controversial in early Judaism. Philo, the Targums, and the Enochic tradition all speak of a second divine figure, the visible YHWH alongside the invisible YHWH. This is why Jews of the first century could meet Jesus and say: “This is the One who has always appeared.” Theophany becomes Christology.
Samuel hears a voice. But then the text shifts: The LORD came. The LORD stood. This is not a metaphor. This is a manifestation. The Word of the Lord is not merely spoken; He is present. And again, this fits the Judaism of the time. The rabbis spoke of the Memra—the Word—as a personal agent of God. The Glory of God was understood as a visible, embodied presence. The Name of God was believed to dwell in a messenger who carried divine authority.When Samuel sees the Word standing before him, he is experiencing the God who has always made Himself visible.
First‑century Jews were fiercely committed to the Shema: “YHWH our God, YHWH is one.” But “one” never meant “solitary.” It meant: one God, one covenant Lord, one divine identity.
Within that oneness, Scripture revealed: YHWH in heaven and YHWH on earth (Genesis 19:24), the Angel who is God (Exodus 3), the Name who dwells in a messenger (Exodus 23), the Glory who appears visibly (Ezekiel 1), the Word who stands in a room (1 Samuel 3), the Son of Man who shares God’s throne (Daniel 7),
This is why the earliest Jewish believers did not abandon the Shema. They saw Jesus as the embodied Word, the visible YHWH, the Name‑bearing Son, the One who fits the pattern of God’s appearances throughout Scripture.The Old Testament prepares us for the Gospel’s claim: The Word who appears, the Word who stands, the Word who speaks, the Word who leads Abram outside, the Word who calls Samuel by name, is the Word who becomes flesh. Jesus is not a new revelation. He is the continuation of the God who has always appeared. Theophany becomes Incarnation. The God who could be seen in visions now can be seen in a face.This is why first‑century Jews could believe in Him. He fit their Scriptures. He fit their theology. He fit their expectations of the God who appears.
And So, most of us do not see visions as Abram did, nor hear audible calls as Samuel did. But the pattern remains: God still comes. God still stands near. God still speaks through His Word. God still reveals Himself in Christ. God still draws near in the Spirit. Theophany continues in the life of the believer, not as spectacle, but as presence. The Word of the Lord still comes to us: in Scripture, in worship, in prayer, in the quiet moments when Christ’s nearness becomes unmistakable. The God who appeared to Abram and Samuel appears again in the hearts of His people.
Pray Lord Jesus, that we believe You are the Word who appears, the God who stands near, the Presence who calls us by name. Pray You open our eyes to Your nearness. Pray You open our ears to Your voice. Pray You let Your Word be not distant but present, not abstract but embodied, not merely spoken but revealed. Pray that as You came to Abram in a vision, as You stood before Samuel in the night, You come and stand with us today. Pray we ask the Lord to speak and that we as servants are listening. Amen
Blessing,
John Lawson
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