Part Two: Jehovah, Ever-Present Father.
Last time we looked at the title of God – Elohim. We discovered that within this three things are revealed about who God is:
· He is the Creator
· He is the Covenant Keeper
· He is the Trinity in Character
Today we’re going to look at the most well-known name for God, Yahweh or Jehovah.
Root of the Name:
In Hebrew the name is spelt with four Hebrew consonants, which in English would look like this YHWH.
When vowels are put into it then it looks like this 'Yahweh'.
Orthodox Jews that will not spell or say this name for God. Thus the correct pronunciation has been lost and some Jews believe that the Messiah is the only one who can pronounce this name. The reason they would not say it is because of the holiness in that name.
The Hebrew had such a reverence for God that they would never dare say the name of Yahweh. In place of the word Yahweh he would substitute the name of 'Lord – Adonai’. Many translations of the Bible have kept this practice and have used LORD all in capital letters to refer to God as Yahweh. We will be looking at Adonai later in the series.
We western Gentiles might be more familiar with the name Jehovah. Why? In the ancient Latin version of the Bible called the Latin Vulgate, which dates back to the fourth century AD, and was written by Jerome, Yahweh is translated as Jehovah. It’s a very good piece of translation and Jehovah is actually the Latinised form of Yahweh.
As no one actually knows how to pronounce Yahweh, Jehovah sits well with us. As long as we understand the terms are interchangeable and that they are not different names, but rather the same name in different languages, we should be OK.
Certainly we would be more familiar with the compound names, Jehovah-shalom, Jehovah-nissi and so on.
Jehovah is in the Old Testament 6,823 times.
It appears for the first time in Genesis 2:4: “This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the Lord [Jehovah] God [Elohim] made the earth and the heavens…”
Jehovah is often together with Elohim as Jehovah-Elohim, and so all through the second and third chapters of Genesis, except in the story of the temptation where only the name Elohim appears.
The name Jehovah is derived from the Hebrew verb havah, “to be,” or “being.” This word is almost exactly like the Hebrew verb, chavah, “to live,” or “life.”
We can readily see the connection between being and life.
Although the name Jehovah is used in Genesis 2:4 its full meaning was not revealed until Moses’ encounter with Jehovah at the Burning Bush.
It was Moses who first received this Revelation of who God is. Although the name had been used throughout Genesis, its true meaning had never been explained for Israel.
Exodus 6:2-3: God also said to Moses, "I am the Lord [Jehovah]. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord [Jehovah] I did not make myself known to them.”
The Hebrew people knew the name as a sound but didn't know what it meant.
Let’s see three things about this name as revealed to Moses:
Exodus 3:13-15: “Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"
God said to Moses, "I am who I am[Jehovah] . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ' I am [Jehovah] has sent me to you.' " God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, [Jehovah] the God [Elohim] of your fathers-the God [Elohim] of Abraham, the God [Elohim] of Isaac and the God [Elohim]of Jacob-has sent me to you.' This is my name for ever, the name by which I am to be remembered from Generation to Generation.”
1. Jehovah is Revealed Revelation
Seeing a burning bush in the wilderness is not unusual and should not draw attention. Seeing a bush that does not get destroyed by frie, now that’s worth looking at (Ex. 3:3).
When Jehovah begins to reveal Himself it will make us stop and ponder; to consider what the meaning of what we are seeing and experiencing is.
“All the names of God that occur in Scripture are derived from His works except one, and that is Jehovah; and this is called the plain name, because it teaches plainly and unequivocally of the substance of God.” (Stone)
Within these verses we have God’s self-disclosure – the “I AM WHO I AM”.
There is a claim here that He is self-existent. What does this mean?
Well my existence did not come about by my choice of will. My existence depended upon God’s ability to create the world, time and space and determine my place within it.
My existence also had to do with the choice of my parents too. But before I existed I did not have an inkling to exist.
But God knew me before I was formed – He knew who I would be and what I would make of life:
Psalm 139: 13-16: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
The idea that Jehovah is self-existent is staggering. None created Him? His existence does not depend upon our thoughts towards Him, but our existence depends upon His thoughts towards us!
The fact that Jehovah chooses to reveal Himself to Moses is a revelation – a revelation of Who He is. Surely once someone has met Jehovah – I mean really met Jehovah as He reveals Himself – that person can never, ever be the same again!
Moses’ life was transformed! He goes from a criminal hiding in the dessert for 40 years to a man who becomes one of the greatest leaders, historians, victorious men and world changing characters we have ever seen!
2. Jehovah – Promise of Real Relationship!
The Hebrew verb 'to be' is the key to the meaning of Yahweh.
But the word means more than just the fact that God exists. It speaks of God' self-existence, self-sufficiency and eternity but it also carries the meaning of 'to be or become a present reality'.
In Exodus 3:14 when God reveals himself as 'I am who I am', [Jehovah] God was telling Moses more than the fact that God existed or even pre-existed.
God was telling Moses that He was actively present as and when He chooses.
“I am who I am.” The words could be rendered, “I will be that I will be,” and often the word is used in that sense, “I will be with you.”
Its origin is exactly the same as that of Jehovah—being, existence—and certainly denotes the One who will always be: personal, continuous, absolute existence.
There is something different here to the meaning of God [Elohim] in that in this root Yahweh [Jehovah] God is not just saying He exists, but that He is personally present to those He loves!
This takes us to the idea of Jehovah being Transcendent = above all things [Elohim], and immanent = involved in all things personally [Jehovah].
As a Father, Jehovah is not distant! He is not ‘out there,’ but is involved with us. Our opinions of Father God, as I said last year, have been tainted by the experiences we had with our earthly dads. We might think that God is distant, aloof, or even absent, because our earthy dads were. But the presence of fathers makes all the difference.
Ben at Uni had big problems with his student loans – they paid the fees but not his halls of residence which should go into Ben’s account. We kept saying, son you’re a man now, so ring them. But they kept fobbing him off. Eventually he got a letter saying if he did not pay within so many days he’d be evicted from the halls of residence. Barbie kept saying to me, “do something, you’re the dad!”
So I got Ben to give permission to talk to me. It all centred around a number they were using as his bank number even though the information he’d given was correct. But I guess I asked the right questions and then they agreed to phone him directly and apologise and make the payment.
Ten minutes later my boy rings me, who had been near tears and distraught, as asks, “What did you say? I been trying for weeks to sort this out and one call from you and it’s sorted!”
Point: the involvement of daddy changes reality! The involvement of Father Jehovah changes every reality! And Father God chooses to personally involve Himself in the name Jehovah!
Romans 8:31 and 37-39: What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
3. Jehovah is the Redeemer
The whole revelation of His redeeming mercy gathers round the name Jehovah.”
Exodus 5:1: “Afterwards Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the Lord [Jehovah], the God [Elohim] of Israel, says: 'Let my people go…'" (see also 7:16; 8:1; 8:8; 8:20; 9:1; 9:13).
The changing of use of these two names – Elohim and Jehovah - of the Deity throughout the Old Testament beyond Exodus 6:3 is interesting.
In books where salvation is promised to all people (universal books) like Ecclesiastes, Daniel, Jonah have Elohim almost exclusively.
On the other hand, the books relating to Israel’s relationship with God, such as Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, have chiefly Jehovah.
The interesting thing is that Jehovah becomes the name linked with the plan of salvation for it is the name of His presence with us! He is not an impersonal, distant Father, but One who not only wants to be present in our lives, but also the One who redeems us!
How significant in the light of this that when Satan tempts Eve to disobedience he does not mention the name Jehovah, but only Elohim, nor does Eve mention it in her reply to him.
The devil’s plan has been to wreck Jehovah’s plan of salvation! He supresses the name of Jehovah in the Garden of Eden to try and create the idea that Elohim is distant. Eve’s deception is based on this for she falls into agreement with the devil that God is distant. If God is distant, then He does not care what she does!
Jehovah is used almost exclusively through the book of Genesis (apart from a few exceptions) but in the middle of its use the enemy subverts it.
Why? Because the One who promises relationship and redemption is holy!
The holiness of this Jehovah is magnified throughout the Old Testament. His first requirement of those who should be His witnesses is: “Be holy because I [Jehovah] your [Elohim], am holy” (Leviticus 19:2).
“Wherever the name ‘Jehovah’ appears, after man has fallen from original righteousness, what see we— [is] that God is ever seeking the restoration of man.” (Stone)
He comes seeking Adam and Eve. He teaches man how to approach Him anew by means of sacrifice, a substitute.
Jehovah is used in connection with redemption sacrifice because He is personally involved! For instance:
· In the first seven chapters of Leviticus, which especially set out the system of sacrifice, Elohim occurs only once alone, and once together with Jehovah, while Jehovah occurs eighty-six times.
· The Ark and the Flood: in Genesis 6:22 we read that Noah did according to all that God (Elohim) commanded him, while in Genesis 7:5 it is said that Noah did according to all that Jehovah commanded him.
Context: in the first reference the name Elohim is used with reference to the bringing in of two of every kind of creature into the Ark, for their preservation.
In Genesis 7:5, however, the name Jehovah is used in connection with the command to bring into the Ark seven pairs of every clean animal. It is not merely for preservation now but for that sacrifice upon which forgiveness and fellowship with Jehovah are based in the future.
Wrapping it Up:
When God wished to make a special revelation of Himself, He used the name Jehovah.
As Jehovah, He reveals Himself as self-existent, who desires a relationship in reality and that relationship is based on His redemptions of humanity.
He is ever-present in a special way to those who love Him. He is the Father who is not absent, who rescues and intervenes, who fosters a loving relationship with His children!
Next time: El-Shaddai! Many of you are in for a surprise!
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