Elohim/YHWH (throughout the text).
Ruah Elohim (possibly) in Genesis 1.
Cherubim in Genesis 3.
Malak in Genesis 16 and 18.
Elohim is the plural-singular or royal-singular word that we translated as “God.” In Genesis, it never means “angels,” but later biblical books appear to use this word to sometimes describe angelic beings.
God’s name is YHWH (I AM), and he’s never physically described.
In Genesis 1:2, the “Ruah Elohim” is translated as the “Spirit of God,” and it appears to behave as a living thing (“hovering over the surface of the deep”) and is described as somewhat distinct from God.
This is hard to understand because God is… spirit. It is not entirely clear from the text. But also, when we get to Genesis 6 where God says “My Spirit will not content with humans forever…” it is very difficult to visualize!
The Cherubim (plural for cherub) are not physically described in Genesis, except that they (plural, so more than one) have been set in front of the Garden of Eden, and they block the entrance while wielding flaming swords. They probably don’t look like winged babies.
The Malak/Malakim is written as “angels” of YHWH, but this word in Hebrew means “messenger.”
In the text, they look human, first appearing to Hagar in Genesis 16, and later to Abraham in Genesis 18. Apparently, they can eat and drink and talk to people.
Later, we’ll read that they can grab hold of people, blind people, and they can apparently ldestroy entire cities!
But here’s the very interesting bit: as messengers of God, they appear to be able to speak as though they ARE God, despite NOT being God. When the malak talks to Hagar, he says “I will increase your descendants,” but this is something only God can do. But then in verse 13, the text clearly says it was God who spoke to her.
Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”
Genesis 16:9-10 (NIV)She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
Genesis 16:13 (NIV)
Likewise, when the malakim speak to Abraham (at this point in Genesis 18, they’re only identified as “men” and not yet idenfied as malakim until the next chapter), one says “I’ll return to you,” but when the time comes, it’s not the malak who shows up. It’s God.
Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”
Genesis 18:10a (NIV)
This idea of the malakim being able to speak as God and doing things on behalf of God makes me wonder about how God interacts with humanity.
Are the malakim “spiritual beings” that materialize in this world, or is God working through actual humans to show himself?
It seems like “spiritual beings” is the correct answer, because… well, fire from heaven and all that. They’re super-naturally powerful.
But doesn’t Elijah call down fire from heaven later on? As a prophet, was he not also a “messenger of God?”
I wonder.