God has a name.
Did you know that God has a name other than “God”, “Lord”, “Father”, “Almighty”, or “I Am”? Jesus Christ declared His Father’s, Almighty God’s name to his disciples. He said, “And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26).
King Solomon mentioned that God has a name in a Proverb by asking, “What is His name and what is His Son’s name, if you can tell?” See Proverbs 30:4.
God’s name frequently occurs in the Bible as YHWH. The original Hebrew letters, יהוה, form a Tetragrammaton that appears approximately 5,410 times according to the Jewish Encyclopedia. The exact pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton has been debated by scholars. The actual sounding of YHWH might have been lost after the Jewish people stopped saying God’s name out loud because of their superstition associated with the commandment given to Moses, which is recorded in Exodus 20:7, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD (YHWH/יהוה) thy God in vain”.
According to the Encyclopedia Americana, because the form of the letter “J” was not known in any alphabet until the 14th century, the letter “I” was used in its place. However, over time the adopted use and pronunciation of God’s name in the English language became Jehovah.
Why then is the true name of God so important to know? Joel 2:32 explains that “All who call upon the name of the LORD will be saved”. Jesus Christ, when explaining to his disciples how to pray, begins the prayer by saying, “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name” (Matthew 6:9 KJV). God’s name is not “Father”, “Lord”, “Almighty”, or “I Am”, and Jesus Christ did not ask for those titles to be “hallowed”. He asks for God’s name to be honored.
Study 05: God’s Name
Exodus 3:13-14
The Almighty God first revealed Himself to Moses as “I AM”, which is a title and not an actual name.
John 10:32-38
God and Lord are only titles. Men have made up names for gods, which exist in the history of various cultures. Jesus Christ quoted the verse from Psalm 82:6 to explain to the Jewish leaders that he did not call himself the Almighty God. This helps to prove the concept that “god” is a term used to describe something different than the Creator who made all things, and who does have a name.
Exodus 6:2-3
God’s name is revealed to Moses as YHWH/יהוה. Read other translations, such as the King James Version, the Interlinear Version, and the Tanakh. The English rendering of the name “Jehovah” is mentioned in some Bible versions, but many versions do not mention His true name.
John 17:6, 25-26
Jesus declared the name of God, and prayed to his Father. When you have a relationship with someone, you know their name. Similarly, when you pray to God, you would call upon Him by His name.
1 Corinthians 8:5-6
As this verse says, although many so-called gods have been named by mankind, there is only one true God who has a Son named Jesus who is the Christ. You have just learned that Almighty God also has a name. Now you know that the titles of Lord, Father, El Shaddai, and God are only titles and are not actual names. Also know that “YHWH” is the Hebrew name for God, while “Allah” is the Arabic word for God, which translates to “The God” in Arabic, which is used by Muslims to refer to their deity. In other religions and mythologies, names for gods can include Buddha, Zeus, and more. Names also have significance in their meaning.
Psalm 83:16-18
Eventually, all men will know the one true God. Where “LORD” appears in all capital letters, it means that in the original Hebrew text the name (YHWH/יהוה) of God was written.
Malachi 3:16
It is imperative to know the name of Almighty God. After you have learned His name, use it. Think on it. Revere it.
To view a more exhaustive explanation about God’s name, visit: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H03068&t=KJV
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