I’m surprised that many people do not know God’s name. I believe knowing God’s name is extremely important; but it seems as if many people don’t give it a second thought.
When the Bible says at Exodus 20:7, “Thou shall not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7 KJV), people actually think God’s name is LORD?
The word “lord” is defined as “a title for someone having power, authority or influence; a master or ruler”. The word “LORD” in all caps in the Bible always refers to God the Father, who is the Father of Jesus. So why do people believe if someone says a curse word which includes the word “God” that you’re taking God’s name in vain? I’ve never understood this because God’s name isn’t “God”.
What is God’s Name?
The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and God’s name is actually four letters, (יהוה ) or YHWH, called the Tetragrammaton. Scholar’s concede that the correct pronunciation is “Yahweh”, but the truth is that we don’t really know how to say it.
Wikipedia says: (“The strong consensus of biblical scholarship is that the original pronunciation of the name YHWH … was Yahweh.”[6] R. R. Reno agrees that, when in the late first millennium Jewish scholars inserted indications of vowels into the Hebrew Bible, they signaled that what was pronounced was “Adonai” (Lord); non-Jews later combined the vowels of Adonai with the consonants of the Tetragrammaton and invented the name “Jehovah.” Modern scholars reached a consensus that it should be pronounced “Yahweh”.” Reno, R. R. (2010). Genesis. Brazos Press. ISBN 9781587430916” Paul Joüon and Takamitsu Muraoka state: “The Qre is יְהֹוָה the Lord, whilst the Ktiv is probably (יַהְוֶה (according to ancient witnesses)”, and they add: “Note 1: In our translations, we have used Yahweh, a form widely accepted by scholars, instead of the traditional Jehovah.“[8] Already in 1869, when, as shown by the use of the then traditional form “Jehovah” as title for its article on the question, the present strong consensus that the original pronunciation was “Yahweh” had not yet attained full force, Smith’s Bible Dictionary, a collaborative work of noted scholars of the time, declared: “Whatever, therefore, be the true pronunciation of the word, there can be little doubt that it is not Jehovah.”[9] Mark P. Arnold remarks that certain conclusions drawn from the pronunciation of יהוה as “Yahweh” would be valid even if the scholarly consensus were not correct.[10] Thomas Römer holds that “the original pronunciation of Yhwh was ‘Yahô’ or ‘Yahû'”.[11]).
In Jewish tradition, “Yahweh” is too sacred a name to utter out loud. Over time the Jews started to substitute in “Adonai,” or “My Lord,” especially when speaking. Another common replacement is the name “Elohim,” which simply means “God.” What’s interesting is that these two replacement names are both used for other things as well, not just God, whereas Yahweh is reserved exclusively as the name of God.
Jehovah is the most well-known and widely recognized name for God. However, as mentioned above, scholars have rightly criticized this form and have provided ample evidence that favors Yaweh as the most accurate and faithful rendering. However, it’s important to know that God meets us where we are. Even though for many years I referred to the true God as “Jehovah” , He, no doubt, always heard my prayers when I approached Him in the name of Jesus. Today, however, when speaking of God Almighty, I only use His true name, Yahweh.
YHWH Means “I AM Who I AM
In the Bible, God’s personal name, YHWH, occurs over 6,800 times. In Exodus, God says that His name YHWH means “I AM”. But why is that so significant? The meaning of a personal name was extremely important in Bible history, and a persons’ name always indicated something about the bearer’s nature.
God’s name denotes that He has always existed and will always exist. God has never had a beginning and He will never have an end. God is from eternity to eternity. So when Moses asked God who he should tell the Israelites who had sent him, he was asking God to provide some credible detail about Himself. He was asking about God’s character and nature. It’s encouraging to me that even though no one knows the exact pronunciation of His name, God has preserved the meaning of His name throughout Scripture.
God’s name reveals His character and to know Him by name means to have a personal, intimate relationship with Him. And God goes to great lengths to reveal Himself to each one of us personally, by His Spirit (the Spirit of Christ) and in the pages of the Bible.
Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: I AM Who I AM, .” And He said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘That YHWH, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” – (Exodus 3:13-15)
God is holy, so it follows that His name is holy. God is absolutely pure in every sense. He is not at all like His human creatures. And He doesn’t think like we think.
YHWH says, “My thoughts are not like your thoughts. Nor are your ways like my ways. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8, 9)
The prophet Isaiah declared, “Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3) God’s holiness is the divide between Himself and sinful humans.
God repeatedly tells us;
“There was no God before me, and there will be no God after me. I myself am YHWH; I am the only Savior. I myself have spoken to you, saved you, and told you these things. It was not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses, and I am God. I have always been God. No one can save people from my power; when I do something, no one can change it.” (Isaiah 43:10-13)
YHWH, the King of Israel, is YHWH Almighty, who saves Israel. This is what He says: “I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God. (Isaiah 44:6) – Please read Isaiah chapters 40-44
God is so holy that the nation of Israel feared being in His presence. When YHWH revealed Himself to the people of Israel, He warned them not to come too close:
YHWH said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you and will always believe you.” Moses reported the people’s words to YHWH and YHWH told Moses, “Go to the people and purify them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day YHWH will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put boundaries for the people all around the mountain and say: Be careful that you do not go up on the mountain or touch its base. Anyone who touches the mountain must be put to death. No one may touch him; instead he will be stoned or shot with arrows and put to death, whether animal or human.” (Exodus 19:10-13)
And when God came down on top of Mount Sinai, He warned the people again, YHWH said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to cross the boundary to see me. If they do, many of them will die. Even the priests who come near me must purify themselves, or I will punish them.” (Exodus 19:21,22)
This restriction God set was because of God’s holiness. There was a limit to how close the people could come. They were to avoid climbing the mountain or even touching its border. They were to come into God’s presence on God’s terms and maintain their distance. This prohibition was very serious because the penalty was grim, “for whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death”.
The Good News is that believers in our Lord, Jesus Christ can draw near with confidence to God’s throne of grace (unearned favor) and enter into His presence because Jesus is our High Priest who pleads for us. Through Jesus’ sacrificial death we can approach and draw close to God. It’s not that God has become more approachable to us than to ancient Israel. It’s that God was at that time manifesting His presence in a physical way that His chosen people would not forget. But we must not forget that God has also chosen us; and we are part of spiritual Israel, the New Jerusalem!
But now, thus says YHWH, who created you, O Jacob, and he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine….For I am YHWH your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;….Since you are precious in my sight, you are honored and I love you…” (Isaiah 43:1-4)
We must always honor God’s name and…
“You must not misuse the name of the YHWH your God, because YHWH will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses His name.” (Exodus 20:7)
“’Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God.” (Leviticus 19:12)
Further, God says, “This is My name forever and this is My memorial from generation to generation” (Exodus 3:15). What does it mean for God’s name, YHWH (Yahweh), to be His memorial? It means His name is how He is to be remembered.
Praise YAH!!
Loving Yahweh with Heart, Soul and Strength 