Names of God: Jehovah
Jehovah speaks of God's very being or existence. He is "I AM." Without the "I AM" there is no life, there is nothing. While other names show attributes of His character, this is the name He uses to refer to Himself. It's probably the only name we can handle. We cannot with our limited understanding, even pretend to grasp the extent of who He is. He just IS. Therefore He calls Himself "I AM," not "I WAS" or "I WILL BE." HE IS, right now and always.
Jehovah is the same name as Yahweh. Yahweh (or YHWH), is interchangeable with Jehovah because in Latin there is no distinct letter to tell "Y" apart from "J" or "W" apart from "V." The original Hebrew does not include the vowels in order to make the name unpronounceable. This precludes any possibility of being able to take His name in vain. A Hebrew scholar in the 19th century proposed the use of Yahweh to pronounce YHWH. So therefore the vowels "e," "o," and "a" used in Jehovah, are no more or less correct then the vowels, "a" and "e" used in the rendering of Yahweh. Neither are from the original Hebrew. So it is the same name, and neither is really more correct then the other, though Yahweh maybe be closer to the original Hebrew.
In english translations the name is usually written as "the Lord" (in capitals). This comes from a Jewish tradition, where they read the name as "Adonai" (meaning "Lord" or "Master") as a sign of respect for God and His commandment not to take His name in vain.
Though obviously not to the same extent, its kind of like calling someone "Mr. President," instead of by their first name. Addressing them by their title, so as to avoid any possibility of offense. They called Him Lord because His real name was too personal, and in the case of God, His real name was too holy or set apart.
The fact that we can now call Jehovah by name is significant. It's not just about a different way of addressing Him. We can come boldly now to His throne, because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
We can stand in His presence. Romans 5:1-2a "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand."
We have access through Jesus Christ. John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'" Eph. 2:18 "for through Him," that is Jesus Christ, "we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father."
We can be confident before Him. Eph. 3:11-12 "This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him." Hebrews 10:19b-20a "We have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way." Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, to that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 "Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."
We now believe that we can utter the very name of the Lord Himself, because we know that we are covered with the blood of Jesus Christ. Romans 5:9 "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." It is no longer about following the letter of the Old Law. Christ fulfilled the old Law, and now we can come before God and use His very name. The name by which He calls Himself.
Jehovah is the name most frequently used in the Old Testament and it appears approximately 6,800 times.
The first usage is found in Genesis 2:4 where it is put together with Elohim (the creator). It reads: "This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven." In Hebrew this would read: Jehovah Elohim. Jehovah = "I AM" or the Existing One and Elohim = the Creator. So this verse could be expanded to read "This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the One who always has existed and always will exist, the Creator, made earth and heaven." That is Yahweh (or Jehovah) and Elohim together. The Existing Creator. He is the source of life.
The meaning of "I AM" is partially explained in Exodus 3:12-15. For context you can read later from the beginning of the chapter, as Jehovah meets with Moses at the burning bush. Verses 12-15: "And He said, 'Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.'
Then Moses said to God, 'Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, "the God of your fathers has sent me to you." Now they may say to me, "what is His name?" What shall I say to them?'
God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM'; and He said, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, "I AM has sent me to you."'
God furthermore, said to Moses, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, "The LORD (Jehovah), the God of your fathers, 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 is My memorial-name to all generations.'" The word "forever" is "olahm" which means "time out of mind, to eternity," or "from antiquity to future." There is no specific timetable. Time out of mind, means we cannot comprehend it. Jehovah is His name for time out of mind. We cannot comprehend His name or how long He has existed. He just exists.
This is God's name to all generations. For time out of mind. This speaks of His unchangeable nature and character. He is the existent one, "I AM" because He remains the same. If God is the unchangeable I AM then we can rest in His unchangeableness.
John 17:22 - 24 "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." Verse 23 says: "You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me." That's Christ speaking. God loves us as He loves Christ. How has God loved Christ? The end of verse 24: "You loved Me before the foundation of the world." Before the foundation of the world, His character was the same. He loved us.
Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." If Jesus is God then this is Jehovah. The same yesterday, today, and forever.
Isaiah 41:4 "Who has performed and accomplished it, Calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD (Jehovah), and the first, and with the last. I am He." Also Revelation 21:6
We can rest in His unchangeableness. Psalm 102:24b - 28 "Your years are throughout all generations. Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end. The children of Your servants will continue, And their descendants will be established before You."
To see elements of Jehovah, we can look to Jesus Christ, who is the exact representation of God's nature (Hebrews 1:1-3). Jehovah is the Existing One, life itself, just as Jesus Christ is life (John 14:6). We are given names of Christ but they only represent parts of His character. He is our Saviour, but that is only part of who He is. We cannot fully grasp who He is. Revelation 19:12 "His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself." We are not capable of knowing the entirety of who He is. He has a name which no one knows because we can't handle it. Christ has also always existed and always will exist. John 8:58 'Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."' John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." John 17:5 "Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."
Jesus is the I AM. In John chapter 18 Judas betrays Jesus to the Roman authorities. John 18:3 - 5 "Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them 'Whom do you seek?' They answered Him, 'Jesus the Nazarene.' He said to them, 'I am He.' And Judas also, who was betraying Him was standing with them."
Where it says "I am He," "He" is in italics which means it was added later. What it actually says is "I am." Now look at the response. John 18:6 "So when He said to them, 'I am,' they drew back and fell to the ground." Those two words "I am" spoken from the mouth of Jesus, caused them to draw back and fall to the ground. There are a few fishermen, of whom one had a small sword and was such bad aim that he went for someone's head and only managed to get an ear. In Matthew 14 it says that Judas was accompanied by a crowd. John 18:3 says "the Roman cohort and officers." There is note in my Bible that says a Roman cohort is usually about 600 men. There is 600 Roman soldiers against a few men. Jesus speaks "I am," and it says "they drew back and fell to the ground."
What then, should our response be to the Existing One (Jehovah)? Our response is meant to be praise. In the Psalms David pours his heart out to God. He does not always praise God for the situation, but He always praises God for who He is. Psalm 68 is a Psalm of David. Verse 4 says: "Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the Lord (Jehovah), and exult before Him." "A song" is in italics. That means its not in the original text. So actually it reads "Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up for Him..." Lift up not just a song. It's not specified what we are to lift up. We praise Him by lifting up everything. Psalm 25:1 "To You, O Lord (Jehovah), I lift up my soul." Romans 12:1 "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." We acknowledge that He is the only God. Psalm 83:18 "That they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord (Jehovah), Are the Most High over all the earth," then we lift up our souls to Him.
We praise Him not just for what He has done, but for who He is. The wise men worshipped Jesus when He was a baby. He had done no miracles on earth, and they had not had an "experience" of Jesus. They worshipped Him because of who He is. Even if we don't know all of who He is.
Job 11:7 - 10 says: "Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? They are high as the heavens, what can you do? Deeper then Sheol, what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader then the sea. If He passes by or shuts up, or calls an assembly, who can restrain Him?"
We are given a promise in Hosea 2:19-20 "I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you know the LORD (Jehovah)."
He is the I AM, the Existing One, unchangeable with no beginning and no end. But, we are betrothed to Him. And there is a promise: We will know Jehovah. The One who's name man was not allowed to utter because of its holiness. Now, because of Jesus' sacrifice, and because we are betrothed to be with Him as a bride to a groom, we can deeply know the I AM.
Psalm 9:10 "And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD (Jehovah), have not forsaken those who seek You."
Isaiah 44:6-8 "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me. Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, from the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming and the events that are going to take place. Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none."
