Hallowed be Thy Name: His Name is YHVH or YHWH?
Ok friends – I am a little intimidated to write about this Hallowed Name of God – Jehovah/Yahweh – which means “The Self-Existent” One. It is used over 6000 in the Old Testament. It was considered such a sacred name in the Old Testament era that the Jewish people would not even attempt to utter it. They simply referred to God as Ha-Shem, which means “The Name”. This is what would happen when the scribes came to this Holy Name as they copied scriptures: they would stop, take a bath, change clothes, and use a new quill with which to write the Name. We certainly have come a LONG way from this kind of reverence for God’s name. Just listen to everyday conversation and you will hear this precious Name being profaned every minute. Folks – we need to realize we are serving this same God today and we should keep His name HOLY.
This post will be kind of technical and out of the ordinary for my writing stye – but it is important that we know the origin of this Great Name. Don’t worry though, my next post about Jehovah will be the big revelation of the Self Existent One. So put on your thinking caps and think high up on your tippy toes – here we go!!
The Name of Yahweh was not fully revealed until Exodus 3 when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush. After God revealed to Moses that he would be the one to lead the Children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage and that he would go to Pharaoh and say “let my people go”, Moses raised a couple of questions. He asked God in Exodus 3:11, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” God had a simple answer – “I will be with you”. Onto the next question – Moses is afraid that the people will ask, “What is His name? What shall I say to them?” Again, God comes back with a simple answer for Moses to respond to them, “I AM WHO I AM…I AM has sent me to you.”
This is where the name Yehovah or Yahweh originates. I AM WHO I AM literally means the Self Existent One. Here is how this phrase looks in Hebrew:
You still hanging with me? You can see the similarity of consonants in Yehovah and Yahweh – these are both different translations for The Name God gave Himself in Exodus 3:14. Since Hebrew does not contain vowels, it looked like YHVH or YHWH in Hebrew – an unpronounceable tetragrammaton. A transliterated Hebrew word simply inserts some vowels so us non-Hebrew speaking folks can pronounce it easier – resulting in Jehovah or Yahweh. In the Old Testament, some versions of the Bible choose to use LORD in capital letters, instead of Jehovah or Yahweh. So every time you see LORD, it is really Jehovah/Yahweh.
Whew…my brain hurts! How about yours? But isn’t it wonderful that God progressively reveals Himself throughout the Bible? We couldn’t handle it if He revealed His character all at once! We would constantly be face down! Once we know all these names and their significance, it should impact our petition. We can call on the Name of God that best fits our needs in the moment. I am so excited you are taking this journey with me! Make sure you catch the next post – Jehovah is going to knock your socks off!
Reference: PRECEPT AUSTIN