The Mysterious Name of God

Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor

It used to be that the meaning of names meant everything. That's not so much the case anymore in our culture, but a quick study of the Old Testament will show you the importance of names.

After Israel has been delivered from Egypt through the Red Sea they sing a song of deliverance called Israel's Song.

One verse in particular stuck out to me:

"The Lord is a warrior;
Yahweh is His name."

Earlier, when God spoke to Moses out of the burning bush, this is the name, Yahweh, that he gave to Moses when Moses questioned whom he should tell the Israelites had sent him.

Yahweh, the covenant name of God. Full of so much mystery we can't even come close to grasping its many meanings:

1. It literally means: I AM WHO I AM or I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE.
2. It means that God is the self-existent one.
3. He depends on nothing for his existence.
4. All things depend on him for their existence.
5. He has no beginning and no end.
6. He doesn't exist in any category; he is his own category.

N.T. Wright writes that by the time of Jesus Jews would not say this name of God out loud. There was only one exception, and that was by the High Priest, once a year, in the Holy of Holies.

Because the name Yahweh couldn't be spoken the Hebrews developed a way to avoid speaking it when they came to this name in the Scriptures. In its place they would say ADONAI, which means the LORD, a tradition that continues in most english translations to this day.

Regardless, it is the covenant name of God--special and sacred.

It's hardly surprising that in John 58 when Jesus said to the Jews, "I assure you; Before Abraham was, I am!" they immediately picked up stones to kill him. He was claiming to be the self-existent one, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!

It's no wonder that Israel's Song continues with these lines:

"You will lead the people
You have redeemed
with Your faithful love;
You will guide them
to Your holy dwelling
with Your strength."

If Yahweh, the one whom we can't define, who doesn't fit into any of our categories, who has no beginning and no end, decides to free his people and lead them with His faithful love who can stop Him? Could Egypt or Satan or the schemes of wicked men? No, nothing can thwart the purposes of God.

And that is just a part of the very definition of his Name.