“I am the Lord (Yahweh) your God…” Exodus 20:2
A name declares the character of the one called by it, but the name Yahweh or Jehovah is a name that God called Himself. Many believe that the name came from another Hebrew word hayah (1961) used in Exodus 3:14 when God told Moses to say, “I am that I am” has sent you, meaning “to be or to become or to cause to be.” He is an unchanging, eternal, self-existing God. He is who He is.
Yahweh (3068) was originally a name with all consonants, YHWH. To keep from mispronouncing the word and risking blasphemy of God’s holy name, the Hebrew scribes combined Yahweh with the vowels from another name for God, Adonai, the plural of Adon. Adon means, “master or lord,” describing a loving personal relationship with the person in subjection. Adonai was only used in reference to the glorious Lord in all His powers and attributes. After combining Adonai with YHWH, the name became Jehovah, and it means “the existing one.” Jehovah is used 6519 times in the Old Testament, and it is usually translated the “LORD.”
The Hebrew word for name is shem (8034), which often denoted character or renown of a person or place. The word may have come from a root meaning “marking” or “branding.” Thus a person was often named because of something that marked him or her. It could have been a physical feature, an accomplishment, or something he or she was expected to do. When the Hebrews used a name, it was not only used to identify a person, but it also gave them their identity. Their name tells us who they are.
When we see the names of God in the Bible, we are seeing the character of our God. When God called Himself Yahweh, He was revealing Himself to us as our loving Lord, our caring authority, our creator, our life source, the One who exists and causes us to exist – not only to live, but to live abundantly by His glorious power and attributes. When we call Him Lord, we are declaring who God is in character and in position in the earth. We also are declaring who He is to us personally. We are claiming Him to be the One who is in control of our situation. We are proclaiming our trust in Him to care for us. When we are in need, and we cry out, “Lord!” We are calling on our loving authority to come in His strength to help. When we say, “I love you, Lord,” we are saying that we love Him, the One we are submitted to. He wants us to call His name personally, from our heart.
Application: God’s name is the Lord, but your neighbor might not call Him their Lord. Remember to share the love of God with the people around you, so they can hear about Him and possibly make Him their Lord too.