How the LORD is One
Defined by the Law and Revealed in Christ
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The LORD is One The Law’s Meaning The Connection “Hear O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4) “In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?” tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.” (Deuteronomy 6:20-21) The nature of the LORD who brought Israel out of Egypt, defines how the LORD is one (Deuteronomy 6:4, 20-21) The LORD who brought Israel out of Egypt is the compound unity of: (1) God who saved Israel (Exodus 20:1-2); (2) The Angel of the LORD (the preincarnate Son) who saved Israel (Judges 2:1-5); and (3) The Spirit of the LORD who saved Israel (Isaiah 63:10-14). The LORD is One God The Angel of the LORD The Spirit of the LORD The LORD who brought Israel out of Egypt He said: I brought Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 20:1-2) He said: I brought Israel out of Egypt (Judges 2:1-5) It is written: I brought Israel out of Egypt (Isaiah 63:10-14) First, in the prologue to the Ten Commandments, God said that he brought Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 20:1-2). Thus, he is the first Person of the LORD. “And God spoke all these words: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” (Exodus 20:1-2) Second, the Angel of the LORD, too, said that he brought Israel out of Egypt (Judges 2:1-5). You might be asking yourself, though: How is this different from how Moses was used by the LORD to bring Israel out of Egypt? The Hebrew word for angel is “malak,” which just means “messenger,” not necessarily a created being. The context of Judges 2:1-5 shows the significant difference between the Angel of the LORD on one hand, and Moses or created angels on the other hand. The Angel of the LORD gave himself glory for the following: (1) swearing to give land to Israel’s ancestors, (2) saying that he would never break his covenant with Israel, (3) saying that Israel should obey him, (4) saying that he will not drive out the people of Canaan as a result of Israel’s disobedience. It was the LORD who did all this. Yet, here, we see that the Angel of the LORD did all this. He never says that he is speaking on behalf of the LORD as angels do. Rather, he speaks on important topics as though he himself is the LORD. Thus, this is all significant proof that the Angel of the LORD is one with God as the second Person of the LORD who brought Israel out of Egypt. “The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’” When the angel of the LORD had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, and they called that place Bokim. There they offered sacrifices to the LORD.” (Judges 2:1-5) Third, it is written that the Spirit of the LORD, too, brought Israel out of Egypt. However, the same question must be addressed: How is this different from Moses being used by the LORD to bring Israel out of Egypt? The context of Isaiah 63:10-14 answers this. The following is written about the Spirit of the LORD: (1) rebelling against the LORD is the same as grieving the Holy Spirit of the LORD, and (2) the way that the Spirit of the LORD gave rest to Israel by bringing them out of Egypt, is how the LORD guided his people to make for himself a glorious name. Isaiah uses parallelism to say that rebellion against the LORD is the same thing as grieving the Holy Spirit of the LORD. What is parallelism? In the Bible, parallelism is when a biblical author refers to the same thing in complementary ways to describe multiple aspects of it. So, Isaiah used parallelism to describe multiple aspects of disobedience to the LORD, where he described it as both rebellion against him and also as grieving his Holy Spirit. He also uses parallelism to say that the Spirit of the LORD’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt is the same thing as the LORD’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Thus, both of these factors are significant proof that the Spirit of the LORD is one with God and the Angel of the LORD as the third Person of the LORD who brought Israel out of Egypt. “Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy. and he himself fought against them. Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his people— where is he who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them, who sent his glorious arm of power to be at Moses’ right hand, who divided the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting renown, who led them through the depths? Like a horse in open country, they did not stumble; like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the LORD. This is how you guided your people to make for yourself a glorious name.” (Isaiah 63:10-14)
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About the Book
What if the greatest barrier to understanding Jesus Christ lies in how we interpret one verse of Scripture? In How the LORD is One: Defined by the Law and Revealed in Christ, Kristian Klepes presents a detailed biblical theology of the Shema, “The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Many interpret this declaration as absolute singularity. Klepes argues instead that the Law itself defines the LORD’s oneness as a compound unity revealed in the Exodus narrative and fulfilled in Christ. Drawing from the Law, the Prophets, and the New Testament, this Christian theology study examines how God, the Angel of the LORD, and the Spirit of the LORD act together in Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. It traces how this Old Testament foundation aligns with Christ’s revelation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Through careful scriptural analysis, the book engages Trinitarian doctrine, biblical interpretation, and apologetics in conversation with Jewish, Muslim, and non-Trinitarian readings. Written for pastors, seminary students, and serious Bible readers, this work equips you to understand and defend the unity of the LORD as revealed across Scripture. If you seek a deeper, text-driven exploration of the Trinity rooted in the Old Testament, this book invites you to examine the evidence and reconsider how the LORD is one.
About the Author
As a Christian scholar, Kristian Klepes published a peer-reviewed article in The Canadian American Theological Review entitled, “The Paraclete: Christ’s Replacement or Christ’s Connector?” His first Christian book is entitled “Is Jesus Christ Really In My Heart?” He is finishing his MDiv degree at Northeastern Seminary to become a pastor.