And God said to Moses, “I AM Yahweh—‘the Lord.’ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai— ‘God Almighty’—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them.
Exodus 6:2-3 NLT
What’s in a name?
Do you know what your name means? Or why your parents gave you your name?
My name is easy, Carol. The reason my parents named me Carol was because of my dad. My older sister’s name is Dorothy. My dad was a good old farm boy and spelling was not his strong suit. When I came into being, my dad told my mom that he didn’t care what she named me, just a name he could spell. So it was Carol. It’s meaning is ‘music or song’. My sister’s name, Dorothy, means ‘God’s Gift’.
My husband’s mother considered his name and wanted something that would sound good with the last name, Donald Willhoit. She wanted something that would be smooth to pronounce. Donald means ‘Great chief, mighty warrior’.
In our society, parents usually name their babies on what they like, what sounds good or making sure they can spell it. Many of us don’t even know what the meaning of our name is and it’s really not all that important to us. If you want something fun to do, go on-line and search for the meaning of your name.
However, to the people of Israel, a name was the description of the person, their personality, their calling. So when God told Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that He was El-Shaddai, He was telling them that He was God Almighty.
When Moses was told to go to Egypt to convey God’s words to Pharaoh, He told Moses He was Yahweh, I AM. This name for God came to be regarded as the most special of His names to the Israeli nation.
Three centuries before Christ, the Jewish nation considered this name, Yahweh, so sacred they never spoke it. When the people were writing out the scriptures and they wrote the name of God, they would then throw away their quill as they felt it was not worthy enough to continue using. They honored His name.
So today we are unsure of how it was said. The original letters were YHWH, no vowels. Though we might not be able to say it correctly, do you realize how blessed you are to even be aware of it? You have been given the knowledge of God’s precious attribute, the name above all names. Yahweh, as you say His name out loud there is the sound of a gentle breath, His breath of life.
So as the cross comes closer, I ask this question: How do you honor our LORD’s name? Is it special to you or do you slip now and then and use it in vain? How many of His names do you know?
We are all guilty of using His name in vain from time to time. We are all guilty of not knowing many of His names. So today I encourage you to use your journal and write down some of the names you know. Search your Bible and see what you might be missing and then think about what each name can bring to your relationship with Him. There are many great Hebrew names that most of us can’t pronounce let alone spell. So try some of the more common ones: Giver of Peace, Compassion, Strong Tower.
Know that His names are special and you are blessed to know them!
Yahweh,
how precious is Your name. I praise You and thank You for being my LORD. For being the very reason I move and live and exist. You are my God and I am Your child. How can I thank You?
Help me to think on Your Name today, show me new ones that I may have missed and, please give me insights on what You proclaim through Your Names. I ask for Your strength so I may live my life for You!
Amen
With The Savior 