The Truth About God: He Has A Name

YHWH - "Yahweh" - name above all names.

The Judeo-Christian God referred to in the Sacred Scriptures has a personal name... and it is very important to His spiritually minded and true followers! These are those, of whom it is written: "They worship Him, 'In Spirit and Truth....'" His name is: "YHWH," or "Yahweh" [as pronounced in English]. This is the name of God [The Father] and to whom both: Christians and Jews confer the scriptural deferential of, "I Am Who I Am." In fact, YHWH literally means [all of the following]: "I Am," "I Am He," "I Am He Who Exists," "I Am All That Exists," and "I Am Everything Existent."

For instance, we read:

•  "Then Moses said to God, 'Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they say to me, What is His name?' what shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, 'YHWH' [I Am Who I Am]. And He said, 'Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, YHWH has sent me to you." - Exodus 3:13-14.
• "Moreover God said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The Lord 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 to all generations.'" - Exodus 3:15.

In fact, it is the name of "Yahweh" [YHWH] - God's True and Personal Name - to which the Third Great Commandment refers, when it says:

• "You shall not take the name of "YHWH" your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes His Name in vain." - Exodus 20:7.

Like the majority of modern and spiritually minded Jews, the Earliest Christian Believers all knew and reverenced His Name. After all, for the first three and one half years - after Yahshua's ascension to Heaven -  The Gospel was being preached exclusively amongst the Jews of that time period... and, tens of thousands, had answered this spiritual calling. It wasn't without reason, that the Roman government referred to Early Christianity as: "That certain troublesome sect amongst the Jews..." for, wherever Christianity sprang up, the local Jewish: priesthoods, rabbinical councils, and elders expended great efforts to firmly stamp it out. Rightly understanding, that no one needs a priesthood - when they can all talk to Yahweh [God] directly.

With so many of the Early Believers of Jewish origin, and coming from all factual walks of Jewish life, it isn't surprising that many of them were even religious scribes and scholars. After all, someone would have to copy and/or translate the scriptures for this "New Messianic Movement" and who would be better to do so? Yahweh always provides His People a way to substantially move forward in doing His Work... and He didn't fail the Early Messianic Church, either! This is The Truth About God: In our time of need, He always provides us ample qualified individuals to do His spiritually directed work....

However, as Yahweh's message - of Undying Love, Blessed Hope, and Messianic Salvation - began to be spread among the gentiles, there were many in its Jewish communities who feared that these New Gentile Believers would ignorantly misuse His Sacred Name or even defile it. Thus, they began the process of eliminating Yahweh's Sacred Name from the scriptures and replacing it with: "Elohim" [which means Mighty One], "Lord" [which means Master], "God" [which refers to a Deity], etc.... Meanwhile, the Jewish Believers who knew His Sacred Name would mouth the word silently - while reading broadly from His Holy Scriptures. In this way, they hoped to prevent the inevitable consequences of allowing so many poorly educated pagans within their congregational midst.

Of course, The Third Commandment - as given by Yahweh in the original Hebrew language - holds more than just one spiritual meaning, or physical application. Let's consider a more accurate translation from the Hebrew:

• "You shall not make the Name of YHWH, your mighty one, to be of none effect; for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who effectually does so." - Exodus 20:7.

Cursing is only one way to break His commandment.

Contrary to popular belief, there are numerous ways to make the name of Yahweh honestly ineffectual! True, one of them is to use the name itself inappropriately. However, there are factually two other ways to do so. The second one is by merely failing to reverence it - through: learning it, memorizing it, knowing it, and utilizing it, in our ongoing spiritual lives. Which, of course, is impossible to do - when others have denied you that highly valuable privilege. The third one is by giving His justifiable worship, prayer, and credit to the name of some other falsified [or man made] deity. Which, of course, is assured - when certain generic cultural words used in our numerous translations are also the proper names of other pagan deities.

Meanwhile, by shrouding His Sacred Name of "YHWH" in relevant secrecy, the Third Commandment of Yahweh's Ten Commandment Moral Law is still being broken... just for entirely different reasons, than most of us would normally expect! It was because of foolish and short sighted judgments, like these, that Yahshua stated:

• "Why do you also transgress the commandment of Yahweh because of your tradition? For Yahweh commanded, saying: 'Honor your father and your mother, and 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say: 'Whoever says to his father or mother, 'Whatever profit you might have received from me has been dedicated to the temple' - is released from honoring his father or mother,' Thus you have made the commandment of Yahweh of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

Yahweh loves us at every stage of development.

Although we may have prevented a whole lot of, even less than appropriate, "G. D,'s" [over the last two thousand years], we have also prevented Yahweh's name from being glorified through spiritually knowledgeable and reverential prayer and its subsequent fulfillment in large measure! Although it is true, that Yahweh doesn't hold us accountable for what we do out of spiritual ignorance - His standards of acceptable sins are raised with each new generation of human beings that are dwelling upon the earth. Remember, Yahweh is an expectant and loving Father - who [over time] is raising His spiritual children into: "The Fullness And Stature Of Christ" [which is absolute perfection].

Consequently, we read of His Believers living through "The End Time" events arrayed in totally white robes and being clearly described as spiritual virgins! Meanwhile, the part about "Spiritual Virginity" refers to their now purified spiritual understanding and the part about "White Robes" refers to their conscientious and purified physical actions. And yet, how did they get there, from here? By following His Holy Spirit through His ongoing process of spiritual learning and development. Again, we can read:

• "To Him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear His voice; and He calls out His own sheep by name and leads them out. And when He brings out His own sheep, He goes before them; and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice." - John 10:3-4.
• "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep [Judah], and am known by My own. As The Father knows Me, even so I know The Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold [Israel]; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." - John 10:14-18.
• "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, The Spirit Of Truth, has come: He will guide you into All Truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that The Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you." - John 16:12-15.

Meanwhile, one of those spiritually inspired lessons is that Yahweh [God] has a name and we were always intended to utilize it appropriately. There is only "One Name Under Heaven" whereby a man must be saved, and that name is YHWH [Yahweh]... If any two of us, ask anything "In His Name" - it is promised us that it shall be effectually granted... and Yahshua, Himself, set the the proper example:

• "Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name [Yahweh]. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. On Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and glory forever. Amen." - Mathew 6:9-13.

The Dead Sea Scrolls use His Sacred Name.

There are over 8000 references to Yahweh's Sacred Name in The Old Testament scriptures alone. Many which include specific spiritual commandments, claims, and/or promises specifically relative to its proper use and ongoing application in our lives. Moreover, there are hundreds more of these references to it in The New Testament. While, the name itself has been largely expunged from the vast majority of these more numerous Biblical Translations. What a strange set of circumstances for us to find ourselves in? And yet, the Sacred Name has never been wholly eliminated from any of these biblical versions - if you only know where to look for it. After all, even the names of our inspired prophets are merely compound words of Hebrew construction.... This is Yahweh [God]'s Truth for today.