THE REVELATION OF GOD SERIES II: YHWH

One of the unique names of God we would be studying today and by far the most personal is YAHWEH. YHWH is a Hebrew word meaning I AM THAT I AM as seen in the Torah.

And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

[Exodus 3:13-15]

The name YAHWEH occurs more than 6,800 times in the Old Testament. It appears in every book but Esther, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. We are made to understand from Jewish theology that the name YAHWEH was considered a very sacred name for God, carrying ineffable magnificence and as such could not be uttered by just anybody but the priests especially when they are ministering to the LORD in the inner courts. What we know as the ‘HOLIES of Holies.’ YAHWEH could be written as YHWH. In other translations, YAHWEH is written as JEHOVAH, JHVH carrying the same ineffability.

The dimension or character of God in YHWH is portrayed to us as ‘The One who brings into existence what exists.’ We see this play out in Gen 1:1-3 which is regarded as ‘The Crux of Creation.’ YHWH calls forth those things that are not as though they were! Why? This is because they truly are but have not yet come to reality.

Also Read: THE REVELATION OF GOD SERIES: ELOHIM

Ezekiel 37 shows us YHWH in action because truly, an ‘IMPOSSIBLE’ event was staring right in the face of the prophet Ezekiel but then he was able to acknowledge that YHWH operates in a higher reality of ‘POSSIBILITY’.

It is crucial to note that when the Israelites considered themselves unworthy to use the name ‘YAHWEH’, they substituted it for LORD. If you are using some translations of the Bible like the King James Version, you will most likely see the use of LORD instead of YAHWEH. Knowledge of the character of God as expressed in His unique name helps us to differentiate his peculiar manifestation.

When God told Abraham that he would be the Father of Many Nations, fully aware of the state he and his wife were in, it was YHWH that was speaking in that context because He’s the God that calls forth those things that be because, from His point of view, they be. YAHWEH speaks according to the integrity of His Word and not according to the impossibilities that surround us.

One of the significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection is coming into His presence without fear as seen in Mark 15:38 – “At that moment the veil in the Holy of Holies was torn in two from the top to the bottom.” The veil that separated us from the love of Abba was torn open so that we may boldly approach the throne of grace which was before time inaccessible to us due to our sinful state. Through Jesus, we can now use the name YAHWEH in reverence of God for we have now been bought out from the former sinful state into being ‘the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.’

Dearly beloved, since God has made all things that pertain to life and godliness available for us in Christ Jesus, it is high time you aligned with the One that calls those things that be not as though they are. Life truly may throw at you a lot of hurdles but until you come into YAHWEH’s point of view, there will be no fulfilment. Now is the time to let go and let YAHWEH – for all things are possible to those who believe in Him!