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The Names of God -1. Yahweh. Exodus 3:1-15 and 6:2-8. 17Th April 2016

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The Names of God -1. Yahweh. Exodus 3:1-15 and 6:2-8. 17Th April 2016 The Names of God -1. Yahweh. Exodus 3:1-15 and 6:2-8. 17th April 2016. Introduction. In Hebrew tradition names have meanings. Hebrew parents named their children according to their hopes and dreams for their child. People changed their names like Abraham and Sarah to reflect their faith. A person’s name was believed to reveal their character, nature and identity. Another ancient belief was that if you knew someone’s name or a god’s name then you had some sort of connection or relationship with them which meant you could call on their power to help you. Names with meanings. Abraham= Father of a multitude. Sarah= Princess. Isaac= Laughter. Judah= Praise. Samuel= God heard. Robert Duncan. In the original Gaelic Robert= Bright Fame and Duncan= Brown Warrior &Descendant of the Donnachaid the Fat! So in the Bible the names of God have meaning. Through revealing His name to His people God revealed His nature and character in a series of increasing self revelations. The general name for God in the Old Testament is El, and for gods, Elohim. However, when God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt He revealed another name to Him (or possibly it was something of the meaning of the name that was revealed at this time.) This name was YAHWEH. This name was revealed to Moses to strengthen him for the task that God was calling him to – a task that needed courage, strength, stamina and faith in the presence of god of supernatural power, because frankly the task was beyond him! For Moses, his shepherding days relying on his skills and knowledge gained “on the job” were over. Days of deliverance were coming. For this task Moses would need to depend on God – or fail. Exodus 3:1-15 and 6:2-8. First God met with Moses unexpectedly when Moses was getting on with his ordinary life as a shepherd. Then everything changed for him when he encountered God at the burning bush. God loves to break in to the ordinary! He is everywhere and can make any place extraordinary. God initiated this encounter. Moses was not expecting it. The name El or Elohim is a general term for God or gods but Yahweh is a personal name. What does it mean? The name Yahweh consists of the four Hebrew letters, yod, heh, vav, heh. It is closely related to the Hebrew verb haya, “to be.” It can be translated “I AM WHO I AM” or “I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE.” It is a mysterious name and not easy to translate. This name brings revelation but holds back as well. Yahweh is used over 6,700 times in the Old Testament. In Latin it becomes Jehovah. It became such a sacred name for the Jewish people that they would not speak it, saying instead Adonai, meaning Lord of Ha Shem meaning “The name.” When vowels were added to the Hebrew Bible from the year 800 AD the vowels of the word Adonai we always inserted into the word Yahweh to remind the reader to say Lord instead of “Yahweh.” Today, many English translations have LORD in capitals for Yahweh and Lord, with only one capital when the word is Adonai. So what does Yahweh mean? Mike Bickle in Growing in Prayer, p140 writes: It has the sense of “The One who eternally exists.” “God revealed Himself as the eternal God, who is self existent, unchangeable and transcendent. I am with you, ready to save and to act, just as I have always been. The name Yahweh or Jehovah implies God’s intimate presence and desire to serve and to act on behalf of His people.” The purpose of this revelation was to give Moses and the Israelites assurance that God was with them and would act on their behalf and He would take them through the process of deliverance from an enemy who was too strong for them. It was a promise of God’s presence, care and power. The name was connected to the past promises which the LORD gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is God’s Covenant name. The name was connected to the present. The promise if this name is “I will be with you.” Exodus 3:12. The name was connected to the future. Yahweh would reveal Himself to His people through promised acts of deliverance. Exodus 6:1 Now you will see what I will do to Pharoah. V 6-8 is a three layer sandwich. The bread is the three times repeated “I am the LORD.” The filling is the seven promises “I will- ” Yahweh’s future acts of deliverance were rooted in the covenant He made with the ancestors of the Jews. This covenant had lain dormant for some 400 years and was now being re-activated. Yahweh was declaring “I am here for you.” He is eternally, actively present, here and now, to act and to deliver His people. Jesus and His “I AM” statements. In John we read that Jesus picked up on the “I AM” revelation and applied it to Himself. I am the bread of life. Ch 6. I am the light of the world. Ch 8. Before Abraham was – I AM. Ch 8. I am the good shepherd. Ch 10. I am the resurrection and the life. Ch 11. I am the way, the truth and the life. Ch 14. I am the true vine. Ch 15. Also, in the New Testament the name LORD is applied to Jesus linking Him to the Old Testament name of Yahweh. Phil 2:9 -11. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Jesus himself and the Early Church connected His name to the YAHWEH revelation of Exodus 3. Summary. Yahweh loves to break into the ordinary and turn it into extraordinary, like at the burning bush. Ex 3:2. Yahweh loves to communicate and reveal himself. V 14. Yahweh calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things, all unexpectedly. V 10. Yahweh is holy – “take off your sandals.” V 5. Yahweh is everywhere and He promises to be with His people. V 12. He is a caring and delivering God. V 8. He makes promises to be actively involved with His people’s unfolding history and destiny. V 17. Yahweh loves freedom and He loves to bring His people into a land of blessing. V 17. Yahweh acts on behalf of His people, naturally and supernaturally. V 19-20. .
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