Ever wonder just how much control God has over... well, everything?
Let's dive into a fascinating passage from Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, that really gets to the heart of this question. Rabbi Simon, quoting Rabbi Eliezer, starts with a verse from Hosea (12:6): “The Lord is the God of hosts [tzevaot], the Lord is His designation.”
Now, the word tzevaot, "hosts," is key here. Rabbi Eliezer, as presented in Shemot Rabbah, understands it to mean that God carries out His will – His tzivyono, if you will – upon all of creation. Everything is under God's command.
But what does that really mean?
The text goes on to illustrate this point with some pretty amazing examples, starting with the angels. According to this interpretation, God doesn't just create angels and then let them do their own thing. No, no. God actively directs them. Sometimes, He makes them sit, referencing the angel in Judges 6:11 who "came and sat beneath the terebinth." Other times, He makes them stand, like the seraphs – those fiery, winged angels – described in Isaiah 6:2. And then there's Zechariah 3:7, where we read "I will grant you movement among those standing," clearly a reference to angelic beings.
And it gets even wilder! The passage suggests that God can even alter their forms. Sometimes, they appear as women, as in Zechariah 5:9: “Behold, two women emerged and wind was in their wings." Other times, they appear as men, like the "three men" who visit Abraham in Genesis 18:2. And perhaps most strikingly, God can transform them into elemental forces, like wind and fire, echoing Psalm 104:4, "He renders His angels winds, flaming fires His servants.”
So, the angels aren't autonomous beings. They are extensions of God's will, shaped and directed by Him.
But it doesn't stop with the celestial realm! The text then extends this idea to the physical world. Just as God commands the angels, so too does He command the elements. When He wants, He produces bread from the earth, as Psalm 104:14 reminds us. He brings down water from the heavens, as described in Deuteronomy 11:11. He can even raise water from the depths of the earth, like in the story of the well in Numbers 21:17. And, of course, there's the ultimate example of divine provision: the manna that rained down from heaven, as promised in Exodus 16:4.
This isn't just about physical power, though. It speaks to a much deeper theological point: the utter and complete sovereignty of God. Everything, from the highest angel to the smallest grain of sand, is ultimately under His control. It's a pretty humbling thought, isn't it?
This passage from Shemot Rabbah invites us to consider our place in the universe. If everything is ultimately directed by God, what does that mean for our own free will? How do we reconcile the idea of divine control with our own choices and actions? It's a question that has occupied theologians and philosophers for centuries, and one that continues to challenge and inspire us today.