Quote:
The Power Of A Name
By Joe Stowell
Nicknames are often descriptive of some noticeable aspect of a person’s character or physical attributes. Growing up, my elementary school friends brutally called me “liver lips” since at that stage of development my lips seemed disproportionately large. Needless to say, I have always been glad that the name didn’t stick.
Unlike my nickname, I love the names of God that describe His magnificent characteristics. God is so wonderfully multifaceted that He has many names that communicate His capabilities and character. To name just a few, He is:
Elohim, the God above all gods
Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides
El-Shaddai, the almighty God
Jehovah Rapha, our healer God
Jehovah Shalom, our God of peace
Jehovah Shamma, our God who is present
Jehovah Yahweh, our loving, covenant-keeping God
It’s no wonder the writer of Proverbs encourages us to remember that “the name of the Lord is a strong tower,” that in times of need God-fearing people run to it and “are safe” (Prov. 18:10). When unwelcome circumstances threaten you and you feel vulnerable, reflect on one of God’s names. Be assured—He will be faithful to His name.
Lord, remind us that Your names reveal Your
character. Help us to remember them in our times
of need and distress. Thank You for the assurance
that You are faithful to Your name.
God’s names, which describe His character, can bring comfort when we need it most.
Insight
The book of Proverbs provides us with insight on everything from words to work to relationships. Interestingly, sprinkled throughout the book are sayings that don’t tell us something about life but rather about God. Yet those theological truths should not be separated from the idea of practical day-to-day living. It is as important to know that the name of the Lord is strong and provides safety (18:10) as it is to know that a fool’s mouth leads to his destruction (v.7).
By Joe Stowell
Nicknames are often descriptive of some noticeable aspect of a person’s character or physical attributes. Growing up, my elementary school friends brutally called me “liver lips” since at that stage of development my lips seemed disproportionately large. Needless to say, I have always been glad that the name didn’t stick.
Unlike my nickname, I love the names of God that describe His magnificent characteristics. God is so wonderfully multifaceted that He has many names that communicate His capabilities and character. To name just a few, He is:
Elohim, the God above all gods
Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides
El-Shaddai, the almighty God
Jehovah Rapha, our healer God
Jehovah Shalom, our God of peace
Jehovah Shamma, our God who is present
Jehovah Yahweh, our loving, covenant-keeping God
It’s no wonder the writer of Proverbs encourages us to remember that “the name of the Lord is a strong tower,” that in times of need God-fearing people run to it and “are safe” (Prov. 18:10). When unwelcome circumstances threaten you and you feel vulnerable, reflect on one of God’s names. Be assured—He will be faithful to His name.
Lord, remind us that Your names reveal Your
character. Help us to remember them in our times
of need and distress. Thank You for the assurance
that You are faithful to Your name.
God’s names, which describe His character, can bring comfort when we need it most.
Insight
The book of Proverbs provides us with insight on everything from words to work to relationships. Interestingly, sprinkled throughout the book are sayings that don’t tell us something about life but rather about God. Yet those theological truths should not be separated from the idea of practical day-to-day living. It is as important to know that the name of the Lord is strong and provides safety (18:10) as it is to know that a fool’s mouth leads to his destruction (v.7).
Shabbat Shalom, and may YHVH bless each of you.
You may have seen me use various spellings of the Father's Name, or the Son's. I assure you, I've tried my best to study this as far as I can. Needless to say, I'm still studying and praying on it. I was asked to post this though, to give some insight on His Name, so that there would be less confusion. Please know that I'm not here to change any one's religion, or convince you of a thing. As usual, I will ask that you search and pray diligently when reading these things, as much can change our walk with Yahushua. Change is good - I pray that these changes are edifying and His Truth. Amein.
First off, there are many 'names' that are mentioned in the scripture. Anything from Comforter, to Provider. All titles. God - another title. I'm sure you can all agree that many gods are called the same, but we tend to capitalize God for ours. Think about it - we call our kids 'kid', our dog 'dog, our parents by 'mom' or' dad', but they all have names that they go by that were given to them. I will show you how I came by this conclusion in the beginning, and how I came to search for this information. You all can, and should, test this information for yourselves.
Below is something like what I read back then:
Quote:
...A major departure from the practice of the American Standard Version is the rendering of the Divine Name, the “Tetragrammaton.” The American Standard Version used the term “Jehovah”; the King James Version had employed this in four places, but everywhere else, except in three cases where it was employed as part of a proper name, used the English word Lord (or in certain cases God) printed in capitals. The present revision returns to the procedure of the King James Version, which follows the precedent of the ancient Greek and Latin translators and the long established practice in the reading of the Hebrew scriptures in the synagogue. While it is almost if not quite certain that the Name was originally pronounced “Yahweh,” this pronunciation was not indicated when the Masoretes added vowel signs to the consonantal Hebrew text. To the four consonants YHWH of the Name, which had come to be regarded as too sacred to be pronounced, they attached vowel signs indicating that in its place should be read the Hebrew word Adonai meaning “Lord” (or Elohim meaning “God”). The ancient Greek translators substituted the work Kyrios (Lord) for the Name. The Vulgate likewise used the Latin word Dominus. The form “Jehovah” is of late medieval origin; it is a combination of the consonants of the Divine Name and the vowels attached to it by the Masoretes but belonging to an entirely different word. The sound of Y is represented by J and the sound of W by V, as in Latin. For two reasons the Committee has returned to the more familiar usage of the King James Version: (1) the word “Jehovah” does not accurately represent any form of the Name ever used in Hebrew; and (2) the use of any proper name for the one and only God, as though there were other gods from whom He had to be distinguished, was discontinued in Judaism before the Christian era and is entirely inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church....
Preface to the Revised Standard Version (2nd ed., 1971)
http://www.bible-researcher.com/rsvpreface.html
Then, in one particular story that I liked, this:
Quote:
13 But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”[a] He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’:
This is my name forever,
and this my title for all generations.
This is my name forever,
and this my title for all generations.
Exodus 3
I quote the ASV, because that's where I started. At the time, I KNEW that I had to look to older texts. But in my nativity, I thought the KJV was old enough to suffice (I was a kid. What did I know? lol) I didn't give it a second thought, until much later.
Now, that's what brought this to my attention in the beginning, at the age of 12. Being who I am, I have a tendency to read a thing cover-to-cover, and see things that most people don't. Whether they're there, or not. lol This has stuck in my mind for years, and I never found comprehensible answers to the questions that came with this small bit of information.
This is what I found later:
Quote:
3:13 And Möšè מֹשֶׁה 4872 said 559 z8799 unto x413 ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים, 430 Behold, x2009 [when] I x595 come 935 z8802 unto x413 the children 1121 of Yi$rä´ël יִשׂרָאֵל, 3478 and shall say 559 z8804 unto them, The ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים 430 of your fathers 1 hath sent 7971 z8804 me unto x413 you; and they shall say 559 z8804 to me, What x4100 [is] his name? 8034 what x4100 shall I say 559 z8799 unto x413 them?
3:14 And ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים 430 said 559 z8799 unto x413 Möšè מֹשֶׁה, 4872 I AM 1961 z8799 THAT x834 I AM: 1961 z8799 and he said, 559 z8799 Thus x3541 shalt thou say 559 z8799 unto the children 1121 of Yi$rä´ël יִשׂרָאֵל, 3478 I AM x1961 hath sent 7971 z8804 me unto x413 you.
3:15 And ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים 430 said 559 z8799 moreover 5750 unto x413 Möšè מֹשֶׁה, 4872 Thus x3541 shalt thou say 559 z8799 unto x413 the children 1121 of Yi$rä´ël יִשׂרָאֵל, 3478 Yähwè יָהוֶה 3068 ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים 430 of your fathers, 1 the ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים 430 of ´Avrähäm אַברָהָם, 85 the ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים 430 of Yixçäk יִצחָק, 3327 and the ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים 430 of Ya`áköv יַעֲקֹב, 3290 hath sent 7971 z8804 me unto x413 you: this x2088 [is] my name 8034 for ever, 5769 and this x2088 [is] my memorial 2143 unto all y1755 generations. 1755
3:14 And ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים 430 said 559 z8799 unto x413 Möšè מֹשֶׁה, 4872 I AM 1961 z8799 THAT x834 I AM: 1961 z8799 and he said, 559 z8799 Thus x3541 shalt thou say 559 z8799 unto the children 1121 of Yi$rä´ël יִשׂרָאֵל, 3478 I AM x1961 hath sent 7971 z8804 me unto x413 you.
3:15 And ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים 430 said 559 z8799 moreover 5750 unto x413 Möšè מֹשֶׁה, 4872 Thus x3541 shalt thou say 559 z8799 unto x413 the children 1121 of Yi$rä´ël יִשׂרָאֵל, 3478 Yähwè יָהוֶה 3068 ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים 430 of your fathers, 1 the ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים 430 of ´Avrähäm אַברָהָם, 85 the ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים 430 of Yixçäk יִצחָק, 3327 and the ´Élöhîm אֱלֹהִים 430 of Ya`áköv יַעֲקֹב, 3290 hath sent 7971 z8804 me unto x413 you: this x2088 [is] my name 8034 for ever, 5769 and this x2088 [is] my memorial 2143 unto all y1755 generations. 1755
Kind of a mess, but those numbers represent the Strongs file for the definitions in this program. You can find it at qbible.com, though there are others that will give you the hebrew along with this (it's KJV, just revised for study).
There's one thing about the hebrew culture that I've learned while learning some of the language. Names are a big deal with them. And Yah's Name is no exception. The jewish culture will tend to use God (or G-d) rather than His Name, even though they know it. That's because the don't want to make it 'common', or 'brought to vein' (that would actually brake commandment #4 in the basic 10).
Now... you'll notice there are probably as many hebrew 'labels' for the Father as there are christian ones. The ones mentioned here, and several others, I'll do my best to mention for future reference.
Elohim - Mighty One. This is actually the plural form. El is singular, and used a lot. But there's a lot of discussion about it having been used for another deity. Kinda like Ba'al, which means lord in hebrew... another title, so not really His Name.
Jehovah Jireh, Yahweh-yireh, יְהוָה יִרְאֶה - is actually a place name, but is YHVH provides. See Genesis 22:14.
Quote:
And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
KJV
Quote:
So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."
NIV
El-Shaddai, אל שדי - God Almighty
Jehovah Rapha, Yähwè rapha, יָהוֶה רָפָא our healer God
Quote:
...for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
Exodus 15:26King James Version (KJV)
Jehovah Shalom, YHVH Shalom, יְהוָה שָׁלוֹם - our God of peace. In this case, it's another place name.
Quote:
24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Judges 6:24King James Version (KJV)
Quote:
24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Judges 6:24New International Version (NIV)
Shalom means peace. But also used for hello and good-bye, and I've seen it used in midrash (scriptural discussion) to seem to mean, "hey, not tryin' ta mess with ya, but I'm seeing something else...", as a formal greeting.
Jehovah Shamma, יְהוָה שָׁמָּה - our God who is present. This is another place name, to symbolize Jerusalem. YHVH is there.
Quote:
סָבִיב שְׁמֹנָה עָשָׂר אָלֶף וְשֵׁם־הָעִיר מִיּוֹם יְהוָה שָׁמָּה
48:35 šäviyv sh'monäh äsär älef w'shëm-häiyr miYôm y'hwäh shäMäh
48:35 [It was] round about 5439 eighteen 8083 6240 thousand 505 [measures]: and the name 8034 of the city 5892 from [that] day 3117 x4480 [shall be], Yähwè יָהוֶה x3068 Šämmà שָׁמָּה. y3074 x8033
48:35 šäviyv sh'monäh äsär älef w'shëm-häiyr miYôm y'hwäh shäMäh
48:35 [It was] round about 5439 eighteen 8083 6240 thousand 505 [measures]: and the name 8034 of the city 5892 from [that] day 3117 x4480 [shall be], Yähwè יָהוֶה x3068 Šämmà שָׁמָּה. y3074 x8033
http://qbible.com/hebrew-old-testament/ezekiel/48.html#35
Quote:
35 It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.
Ezekiel 48:35King James Version (KJV)
Jehovah Yahweh, our loving, covenant-keeping God
That last one I couldn't begin to tell you what's up with that... Jehovah, Yahovah, Yahuwah, Yahweh, and a few others are how I've seen His Name written in english, Jahovah is prevalent in many christian bibles, including the old KJV. Yahweh is popular in hebrew roots. Yahuwah and Yahweh are used a lot on the sacred namer groups. Yahovah is what I hear a lot in messianics, especially jewish converts. From the looks of things, it's like any language - depending on the dialect is what you may or may not come up with. And considering much of the old texts were lost or destroyed, nevermind the written language didn't have vowels to speak of (vowel points came up around the 1st century, I think, by the masoretes), there's no telling. The argument is probably as old as the land wars in the middle east.
And, yes, before we go any farther, I have seen Yahweh used in that video game, as the boss in the end. Needless to say, I was a little hot under the collar when this was mentioned, mostly because I was told I couldn't use it because that name was used for evil. My thinking is, there are many names and things that are used for wrong intent, doesn't make the person or thing evil. Just the idiot that used it that way. lol I think that thread was deleted though, but it doesn't make my actions any better than the person who said it.
Some more...
YHVH, יהוה - known as the tetragrammaton
HaShem, השם - The Name. Also Had’var, or הדבר. A lot of orthodox jews use this, reserving YHVH for temple readings.
Adonai, אֲדֹנָי - Lord, or Master. Another one that's used in judaism.
Yah, Jah, or Yaw, is used on occasion, even in scripture. This is actually a suffix, like in halleluyah, Elijah, Yeremiyahu, etc... a lot of messianic christians use this.
El Elohe Yisra'el - God of Israel
Quote:
4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him.
Psalm 68:4King James Version (KJV)
Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh, אהיה אשר אהיה - I Am that I Am.
Quote:
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”[a] And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
Exodus 3:14English Standard Version (ESV)
I've seen some sacred namers use this instead of YHVH.
Adoshem - an old school name for HaShem/Adonai. I have yet to see it used, even in the old texts. But that doesn't mean I didn't miss it...
El Hai - Living God
El Ro’i - God of Seeing
Yahweh Tzevaot (Shavuot), צבאות - YHVH of Hosts. Also YHWH Elohe (Elohim, Eloheh) Tzevaot, or Adonai YHWH Tzevaot.
Quote:
Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
1 Samuel 17:45 KJV
El `Elyon - Most High God
El `Olam - Everlasting God
El Gibbor - God of Strength
A bit on Yahushua (Jesus), before I go... Yahushua, Yeshua, Y'shua, and many who believe in the trinity will make this interchangeable with the Names of YHVH.
There are many others, but I rarely see them. These are actually used in conversation, many only among scholars, but most are commonly used among believers in many denominations. Just depends on what part of the world you're standing in at the time, though I'm sure that I'll get quite a bit of flack for saying that (hehe). As my friend often says, I've been down the rabbit hole, and need to behave.
Much to contemplate though, and as I said, pray about this before you jump. Always with Yah's guidance, and a grain of salt.
Your sister in Yahushuah HaMeshiach,
~MW
