Judges 2 presents a paradox of the identity of God similar to that in Deuteronomy 6:4. "The angel of the Lord" is literally "messenger" of the Lord, or Yahweh, but this phrase is often interpreted as a theophony (except by the cults that in turn deny the deity of Jesus Christ.) The paradox is in the apparent contradiction with statements such as Exodus 33:20 ("you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live" and John 1:18 ("no one has ever seen God.") Whenever "the angel of the Lord" appears he is treated as God by those who meet him. Genesis 22:15-16 the angel of the Lord calls to Abraham and says "By myself I have sworn, says the Lord." Additionally, 32:24 Jacob wrestles with a "man" and calls him God, naming the place "Peniel," ("the face of God") saying "for I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved" (24). Numbers 14:14 even states that "you, O Lord, are seen face to face." So when Judges 2:1 records the "angel of the Lord" telling Israel "I brought you up from Egypt" there is more than simply a rehearsal of God's mighty acts: there is theology as well. The "angel of the Lord" is God Himself, in visible human form, what has been called the preincarnate Christ.
Is this the same Yahweh who had to cover Moses with His hand in Exodus 33 so Moses wouldn't die? In a way it is, and in another important distinction it is not. The historic explanation has always believed that the one true God was one God, defined by three persons, the Father in heaven, His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Yet, as affirmed over and over in the Old Testament, there is one God only. The word "trinity" was coined to describe this apparent contradiction, or paradox. Whatever the explanation, the reader is faced with the same problem Abraham had: believe or doubt, whether or not one thinks it makes sense, because "sense" has very little to do with God's ways.
A related paradox in the monotheistic theology o...