A SHORT NAME STUDY
In order to lay a foundation for this study, take a look at these Scriptures. There are many verses in Scripture that echo these, but these are sufficient for now:
Acts
4:12:
“Neither
is there salvation in any other: for there is none other
Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved.”
Philippians
2:9-11:
“Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted Him, and given him a Name
which is above every name: That at the Name
of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in
earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.”
1
John 3:23:
“This
is his commandment, That we should believe on the Name
of his Son Jesus Christ.”
In light of the scriptures revealing that His Name is important, the answer is a resounding, “YES He would mind! Brian isn't the name of our Saviour!”
Here's the fact…Our Messiah's Name isn't Brian, and it isn't Jesus either! Think about it…If the Messiah was born a Hebrew with a Hebrew mother then He would have a Hebrew name! Is “Jesus” a Hebrew name? No. Ask any Israeli or Hebrew linguist. The closest to Hebrew you can find is the Spanish “H'soos” which in Hebrew means “the horse”!!! “Jesus” is the English version of the Greek transliteration of the Messiah’s name: “Iesous”. Is it just merely coincidence that “Ieso” is the Greek goddess of healing, daughter of the chief deity Zeus?
The Name given by the Almighty to His Son is actually “Yahushua” meaning Yah is Salvation. That's powerful!
Who is Yah? HalleluYah means praise Yah. He must be important and He is! Yah is the short form of the Name of “Yahweh” the one and only Creator. Look at these Scriptures and ask yourself, “What Name do I use for my Creator?”
(Psalm
7:17)
“I
will praise “the LORD” according to His
righteousness:
and will sing praise to the Name of “the
LORD” most
high.”
(Psalm
113:1,2)
“Praise
ye “the LORD”. Praise, O ye servants of “the
LORD”,
praise the Name of “the LORD”. Blessed
be the
Name of “the LORD” from this time forth and for
evermore.”
(Joel
2:32)
“And
it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Name of
“the LORD” shall be delivered: for in mount Zion
and in
Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as “the LORD” hath said,
and in
the remnant whom “the LORD” shall call.”
These are a tiny sample of the references to “the name of “the LORD”. Here's the magnitude of the crime!
The Name of “the LORD” is NOT “the LORD!”
The Name of our Creator is named nearly 7000 times in the Old Testament alone yet in nearly every case appears as “the LORD!” Remember the third commandment:
Exodus
20:7
“Thou
shalt not take the Name of “the LORD”
(Yahweh) thy
God in vain; for “the LORD” (Yahweh) will not hold him
guiltless
that taketh his Name in vain.”
In “vain” is the Hebrew word “shav” and literally means “nothingness!”
H7723 from the same as 7722 in the sense of desolating; Shav'; Shawv; Noun; Masculine:To obliterate the personal Name of our Almighty Creator, Yahweh and mask it with a title of “the LORD” or “God” is utter blasphemy!
The
title of 'the Lord' is derived from old English, being one who had
aristocratic rank and had control over a portion of land granted from a
king. The 'land-lord' was subject to that king and as believers, we
know that the Almighty Creator of all things is subject to no one!
The title of 'the Lord', by it's origin and implication is totally
blasphemous.
The whole of Christianity is guilty through the lack of use of bringing the Name of YAHWEH to nothingness.
Not only that but if you look up “Baal” in a good dictionary you will find that it is Hebrew and means “Lord”.
Websters: Ba'al (Ba'al; Heb, ba'al, Lord, possessor)This is startling to say the least and in light of Jeremiah 23:27 is shocking!
Jeremiah
23:26,27
“How
long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies?
yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; Which think
to cause my people to forget my Name by their dreams
which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have
forgotten my Name for Baal.”
Just in case you thought His Name was “Jehovah”, do a little history search on the letter “J”. You will find that it is a little over 500 years old and even many early Bibles do not contain the letter “J”.
Aside from the “J”, the suffix "hovah" is No. 1943 in Strong's Hebrew Dictionary and has the meaning of "ruin: mischief." It is another form of No. 1942, havvah, which is translated "calamity, iniquity, mischief, mischievous (thing), naughtiness, naughty, noisome, perverse thing, substance, very wickedness.”
Satan must be laughing!
Even
In the Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, the
Jehovah's Witnesses, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New
York, Inc., admit in their Foreword (pp. 23) that:
'While inclining to view the
pronunciation 'Yahweh' as the
more CORRECT WAY, we have
retained the form 'Jehovah' because of people's familiarity with it
since the 14th Century.'
Steven T. Byington, The Bible in Living English published by the
Jehovah's Witnesses Watchtower Bible & Tract Society in the preface
states that the pronunciation Jehovah is "A
BLUNDER".
Watchtower literature states information about the word Jehovah, but
elaborates as to its Catholic origin in 1270:
"By combining the vowel signs of
Adhonay and Elohim with the four consonants of the Tetragrammaton the
pronunciations Yehowah and Yehowih were formed. The first of these
provided the basis for the Latinized form "Jehova(h)." The first recorded use of this form
dates from the thirteenth century
C.E. Raymundus Martini, a Spanish
monk of the Dominican Order, used it in his book Pugeo Fidei of the year 1270. Hebrew scholars
generally favor "Yahweh" as the most likely pronunciation."
Aid to Bible Understanding, Watchtower Bible And Tract Society, 1971,
pp. 884, 885.
Proverbs
30:4
“Who
hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the
wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath
established all the ends of the earth? What is His Name,
and what is His Son's Name, if thou canst tell?”
Seriously. Who do we think we are that we can change the Name of our Creator or His Son? While it is certainly true that He has many descriptive titles e.g. Father, Adonai, Almighty, YahwehYireh, etc. But He has one personal Name. The Name YAHWEH.
Yahushua said that He came in His Father's Name:The Name of the Almighty has been known for a long, long time, so why do Bible translators continue to substitute His name for Baal? Could it be something to do with money?!!$
The
Secretary of the Management Committee of the NIV, Edwin H. Palmer,
Th.D., gave an interesting reason when he was asked why the name
"Yahweh" was omitted from this translation. He explained:
"Here
is the reason why we didn't use it. You've got it right when you said
that "Yahweh" is the distinctive Name for God, and that we
actually should use it. But this translation cost us $2.5Million, and
a sure way to throw it in the water is to translate Psalm 23 to:
Yahweh is my Shepherd" Immediately our translation would be in
vain. Nobody would use it.”
(Mark
7:8,9)
“For
laying aside the commandment of Elohim, ye hold the tradition
of men… And he said unto them, Full well ye reject
the commandment of Elohim, that ye may keep your own
tradition.”
Many who have lived their lives Honouring “the LORD” and calling on the name of “Jesus” may respond, “He knows our hearts.” This is true, and He knows those who obey His Commandments and are searching for truth and will reveal it to them, but to refuse to obey the Truth is willful sin and will result in a delusion.
(2
Thessalonians 2:10,11)
“Because
they received not the love of the truth, that they
might be saved. And for this cause Elohim shall send them strong
delusion, that they should believe a lie.”
Have you noticed that a large number of Prophets and Soveriegns in Scripture have a name that ends with the three letters “iah”, e.g. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Obadaiah, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Nehemiah, Zedekiah, Hezekiah, Zeruiah, Uriah, Benaiah, Gemariah, Hilkiah, etc. to name but a few.
The names when spoken clearly contain the short-form of the Name Yah (See Ps: 68:4) and indeed, the above Hebrew names all have meanings i.e Isaiah: Yah has saved, Jeremiah: Yah has appointed, Obadiah: Servant of Yah. Zedekiah: Yah is righteous... Etc.
Look them up in a Hebrew dictionary yourself. Just another testimony to the Name of Yahweh!
This is by no means an exhaustive study. Please look into this important issue for yourself. “Study to show thyself approved” (2 Timothy 2:15) There are many comprehensive studies accessible on the internet and through the links provided on this site. www.2besaved.com
“O Yahweh, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come to thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, “Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.” Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods? Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know Mine hand and My might; and they shall know that My Name is Yahweh.”If you have read thus far and are thinking that all this name stuff is simply semantics and are excusing yourself with the age-old reasoning that, "He knows my heart", then read the following testimony and Scriptures below...
HE KNOWS MY HEART
I was taught, however subtly, that it does not matter to Yahweh what day you worship, how you worship or what name you call Him, etc. as long as your heart was sincere for it is your heart he sees and judges.
But
I saw how he dealt with Cain when he brought the improper offering.
(Genesis 4)
Some speculate that his offering was not accepted because his heart
was not right but that is a given, when we are disobedient our hearts
are NOT right.
Yahweh answers to Cain, “If
you do well, is there not acceptance?”
I
saw how Mosheh was deprived of entering the Promised land just
because he struck the rock twice instead of speaking to it as
instructed (Numbers
20)
Yahweh's answer to
Mosheh “Because you did not believe Me, to
set Me apart in the eyes of the children of Yisra’ĕl”
I
saw Uzzah who reached out to steady the Ark of The Covenant and died
for his best and sincere intentions. (1
Chronicles 13)
Then David realizes “Because
you did not do it the first time, יהוה
our
Elohim broke out against us, because we did not ask Him about the
right-ruling.”
(1
Chronicles 15:13)
“No one is to lift the ark of Elohim but the Lĕwites, for YHWH
has
chosen them to lift the ark of Elohim and to serve Him forever.” (1
Chronicles 15:2)
Saul's
intentions were well when he disobeyed Yahweh and took Agag, King of
Amelikites, alive along with the best sheep and cattle for an
offering (1
Samuel 15)
but was dethroned because of it.
Yahweh's answer through Samuel
the prophet was, “Does
YHWH
delight
in burnt offerings and slaughterings, as in obeying the voice of
YHWH?
Look, to obey is
better
than
an offering, to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23
For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as
wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of YHWH,
He also does reject you as sovereign.”
Now all these and more displays of Yahweh's UNCHANGING (Malachi 3:6) character lead me to ponder that He is WHAT?... Mean? Tough? Strict? Harsh? Just? Meticulous? Detailed? Orderly? You can come to your own conclusion but remember in the parable of the talents:
“And the one who had received the one talent also came and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed, 25 and being afraid, I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 “And his master answering, said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 ‘Then you should have put my silver with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 ‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to him who possesses ten talents.” (Matthew 25:14-28)
Again not knowing all. If I err, I prefer to err in favor of Yahweh If those who believe you can do whatever your heart sees fit are correct, then I am safe for my heart does see fit to obey His word according to the Scriptures and cast off all man-made traditions that do not coincide with His word. But if those who believe that you must worship according to Scripture are correct, then a lot of people are in trouble with Sun-day worship , pagan rituals and celebrations, and Pagan names for The Most High.
A final thought for those who defend their practises with, “He knows my heart”... “The heart is crooked above all, and desperately sick – who shall know it?” (Jer 17:9)
A PARTIAL LIST OF SCRIPTURE DRAWING ATTENTION TO THE NAME OF YAHWEH
HIS NAME: YHWH:
Psalm 83:18 And let them know that You, Whose Name is יהוה, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.
Psalm 68:4 Sing to Elohim, sing praises to His Name. Raise up a highway for Him Who rides through the deserts, By His Name Yah, And exult before Him.
Jeremiah 16:21 “Therefore see, I am causing them to know, this time I cause them to know My hand and My might. And they shall know that My Name is יהוה!”
Jeremiah 33:2 “Thus said יהוה who made it, יהוה who formed it to establish it, יהוה is His Name,
Isaiah 47:4 Our Redeemer, יהוה of hosts is His Name, the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl.
Isaiah 51:15 “But I am יהוה your Elohim, stirring up the sea, and its waves roar. יהוה of hosts is His Name.
Isaiah 54:5 “For your Maker is your husband, יהוה of hosts is His Name, and the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl is your Redeemer. He is called the Elohim of all the earth.
EVERLASTING:
Micah 4:5 For all the peoples walk, each one in the name of his mighty one, but we walk in the Name of יהוה our Elohim forever and ever.
Exodus 3:15 And Elohim said further to Mosheh, “Thus you are to say to the children of Yisra’ĕl, ‘יהוה Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Yitshaq, and the Elohim of Yaʽaqob, has sent me to you. This is My Name forever, and this is My remembrance to all generations.’
Psalm 135:13 O יהוה, Your Name is forever, O יהוה, Your remembrance to all generations,
2Kings 21:7 And he placed a carved image of Ashĕrah that he had made in the House of which יהוה had said to Dawid and to Shelomoh his son, “In this house and in Yerushalayim, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, I put My Name forever,
2Chronicles 7:16 “And now, I have chosen and set this house apart for My Name to be there forever. And My eyes and My heart shall always be there.
2Chronicles 33:4 And he built altars in the House of יהוה, of which יהוה had said, “In Yerushalayim is My Name, forever.”
2Chronicles 33:7 And he placed a carved image of the idol which he had made, in the House of Elohim, of which Elohim had said to Dawid and to Shelomoh his son, “In this house and in Yerushalayim, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, I put My Name forever,
EXCELLENT:
Psalm 8:1 O יהוה, our Master, how excellent is Your Name in all the earth, You who set Your splendour above the heavens!
Psalm 8:9 O יהוה, our Master, How excellent is Your Name in all the earth!
REMEMBERED:
Ezekiel 36:23 “And I shall set apart My great Name, which has been profaned among the gentiles, which you have profaned in their midst. And the gentiles shall know that I am יהוה,” declares the Master יהוה, “when I am set-apart in you before their eyes.
Malachi 1:11 “For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My Name is great among nations. And in every place incense is presented to My Name, and a clean offering. For My Name is great among nations,” said יהוה of hosts.
Zechariah 10:12 “And I shall make them mighty in יהוה, so that they walk up and down in His Name,” declares יהוה.
SAVED:
Joel 2:32 “And it shall be that everyone who calls on the Name of יהוה shall be delivered. For on Mount Tsiyon and in Yerushalayim there shall be an escape as יהוה has said, and among the survivors whom יהוה calls.
Acts 2:21 ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the Name of יהוה shall be saved.’
Romans 10:13 For “everyone who calls on the Name of יהוה shall be saved.”
Psalm 124:8 Our help is in the Name of יהוה, Maker of the heavens and earth.
FORGOTTEN:
Jeremiah 23:27 who try to make My people forget My Name by their dreams which everyone relates to his neighbour, as their fathers forgot My Name for Baʽal.
Proverbs 30:4 Who has gone up to the heavens and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who established all the ends of the earth? What is His Name, And what is His Son’s Name, If you know it?
A CURSE!
Malachi 2:2 “If
you do not hear, and if you do not take it to heart, to give esteem to
My Name,” said יהוה of hosts, “I shall
send a curse upon
you, and I shall curse your blessings. And indeed, I have cursed them,
because you do not take it to heart.”
A PARTIAL LIST OF SCRIPTURE DRAWING ATTENTION TO THE NAME OF YAHUSHUA
NO OTHER NAME
Acts 4:12 “And there is no deliverance in anyone else, for there is no other Name under the heaven given among men by which we need to be saved.”
Ephesians 1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and mastery, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
Philippians 2:9 -11 Elohim, therefore, has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Yahushua every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth,
and of those under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Yahushua Messiah is Master, to the esteem of Elohim the Father.
NAMED BY YAHWEH:
Matthew 1:21 “And she shall give birth to a Son, and you shall call His Name Yahushua for He shall save1 His people from their sins.”
Luke 1:31 “And see, you shall conceive in your womb, and shall give birth to a Son, and call His Name Yahushua.
CAME IN THE FATHER'S NAME
John 5:43 “I have come in My Father’s Name and you do not receive Me, if another comes in his own name, him you would receive.”
SAVED:
John 20:31 but these have been written so that you believe that Yahushua is the Messiah, the Son of Elohim, and that, believing, you might possess life in His Name.
Acts 10:43 “To this One all the prophets bear witness, that through His Name, everyone believing in Him does receive forgiveness of sins.”
1John 5:13 I have written this to you who believe in the Name of the Son of Elohim, so that you know that you possess everlasting life, and so that you believe in the Name of the Son of Elohim.
BELIEVE:
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of Elohim, to those believing in His Name,
John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not judged, but he who does not believe is judged already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only brought-forth Son of Elohim.
1John 3:23 And this is His command, that we should believe in the Name of His Son Yahushua Messiah and love one another, as He gave us command.
Revelation 2:13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is. And you hold fast to My Name, and did not deny the belief in Me,
REVEALED THE FATHER'S NAME:
John 17:26 “And I have made Your Name known to them, and shall make it known,1 so that the love with which You loved Me might be in them, and I in them.”
SIGNS:
Mark 16:17 “And these signs shall accompany the ones who believe: In My Name they shall cast out demons, they shall speak with renewed tongues,
Luke 10:17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Master, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name.”
DO ALL:
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Master Yahushua, giving thanks to Elohim the Father through Him.
Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there I am in their midst.”
GIVE THANKS:
Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks always for all to Elohim the Father, in the Name of our Master Yahushua Messiah.
ASK:
John 14:13-14 “And whatever you ask in My Name, that I shall do, in order that the Father might be esteemed in the Son. “If you ask whatever in My Name, I shall do it.
John 15:16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name He might give you.
John 16:23 “And in that day you shall ask Me none at all. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My Name He shall give you.
HATED FOR HIS NAME:
Matthew 10:22 “And you shall be hated by all for My Name’s sake. But he who shall have endured to the end shall be saved.
Matthew 19:29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Matthew 24:9 “Then they shall deliver you up to affliction and kill you, and you shall be hated by all nations for My Name’s sake.
Mark 13:13 “And you shall be hated by all because of My Name. But he who shall have endured to the end, he shall be saved.”
Luke 21:12 “But before all this, they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the congregations and prisons, and be brought before sovereigns and rulers for My Name’s sake.
Luke 21:17 “And you shall be hated by all because of My Name.
John 15:21 “But all this they shall do to you because of My Name, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
Acts 9:16 “For I shall show him how much he has to suffer for My Name.”
After reading through all these Scriptures, ask yourself if you will have a good reason for using any other "name" or "title" when you stand before the throne of judgement and He asks you why you didn't call upon His Name...THIS
IS A SALVATIONAL ISSUE!
As quoted earlier:
Joel
2:32
“And it shall be that everyone who calls on the Name of יהוה
shall
be delivered. For on Mount Tsiyon and in Yerushalayim there shall be
an escape as יהוה
has
said, and among the remnant whom יהוה
calls. This
is a prophecy of the end times and will be your only means of help
during 'the great tribulation'. You need to KNOW whom you are calling
on for deliverance.
COMMON EXCUSES ANSWERED
If a person told you his name, would you argue with him about it? Would you tell him, "No, I don’t think so. I’ll call you something else instead"? Of course not, that would be absurd! You have no right to do such a thing and you would certainly not make him too pleased if you did.Yet when it comes to the personal Name of the Father in Heaven, many believe that they have the prerogative to decide what they will call the One they worship. They will go to great lengths to avoid using the revealed Name of the Heavenly Father - YAHWEH. The most creative mental gymnastics are performed in an effort to justify the continued use of common titles over the personal Name Yahweh, which Scripture says is a Name above every name.
In an effort to quiet their consciences, some will argue, "He has many names." Many will rationalize, "He knows who I mean no matter what I call Him," while others will postulate, "His ‘name’ just means His authority." Anyone looking into this important matter from the Scriptures, however, soon discovers that Yahweh Himself rejects all of these arguments, as well as other common assumptions about His Name.
Examining
the Scriptures above shows that the issue of Yahweh’s Name is of
paramount importance to Him - just as your name is important to you.
He thunders:
“I
am YAHWEH, that
is My Name, and My esteem I do not give to another, nor My
praise to idols.” (Isaiah 42:8)
The Hebrew original of this passage contains the Tetragrammaton YHWH, or Yahweh.
Yahweh
is resolute about His Name. He is adamant that His people call on Him
by the only Name that ensures salvation. The New Covenant Book of
Acts tells us:
“And
there is no deliverance in anyone else, for there is no other
Name under the heaven given among men by which we need
to be saved.”
(Acts 4:12)
He
even wrote the Third Commandment specifically to address the neglect
of His Name:
Deuteronomy
5:11 “You do not bring the Name of יהוה
your Elohim to naught, for יהוה
does not leave him unpunished who brings His Name to naught.”
The Hebrew behind that commandment says "bring to deso-lation and ruin," which is exactly what will happen if you substitute other names and titles for the one true Name.
Following are the most familiar arguments given to justify the use of substitute titles like "GOD" and "LORD" in place of the true Name Yahweh. We will examine each in light of the Bible to see whether they have any validity.
• HE
HAS MANY NAMES
This
is one of the most popular justifications advanced to avoid using the
Name Yahweh. If He has many names then it is implied that no single
name stands out as His one, special, personal Name. Or in other
words, He has many names but no name. The problem with this argument
is the failure to recognize that generic titles are not names.
Take "Mr. Sam Jones," for instance. "Mister" is not the name of "Sam Jones." Mister is only a title for him. Sam Jones cannot sign a document with only the word "Mister" and expect anyone to accept it as his authentic endorsement. One is a generic term that applies to any man, the other is his real name.
The same goes for the various descriptive titles for Yahweh that some erroneously think are names, like eloah ("mighty one"), el shaddai ("the all-powerful") and adon/adonai ("sovereign"). Others are confused by attributions that are sometimes used in connection with His Name, like Yahweh-Yireh ("Yahweh provides"), Yahweh-Zidkenu ("Yahweh our righteousness") and Yahweh-Rapha ("Yahweh our healer").
Regardless
of certain titles and attributions, He still has only one Name -
Yahweh. He inspired the prophet Isaiah
in 42:8 to write:
“I
am YAHWEH, that
is My Name, and My esteem I do not give to another, nor My
praise to idols.”
Psalm 83:18 confirms that He
has but one Name:
“And
let them know that You, Whose Name is יהוה,
You alone are the Most High over all the earth.”
Nowhere in the pages of Scripture can we find a statement saying He has many names. But we can find many passages attesting to His one true Name.
• HE
KNOWS WHO I MEAN NO MATTER WHAT I CHOOSE TO CALL HIM.
You
cannot find such a statement expressed or implied anywhere in
Scripture! Nowhere are we given the right to rename our Heavenly
Father. To bestow a name is the sole prerogative of a superior, as
when a parent names his child and as when Adam named the animals
under his dominion. Since when does the one created have the right to
address his Creator by any name he pleases?
To
use this argument for the One who made us is the height of insolence
and is utterly offensive to Yahweh. Notice His warning about such
obstinacy:
“If
you do not hear, and if you do not take it to heart, to give
esteem to My Name,” said יהוה
of hosts, “I shall send a curse upon you, and I
shall
curse your blessings. And indeed, I have cursed them, because you do
not take it to heart.” (Malachi 2:2)
Yahweh’s
Name is bound up in proper worship and in Psalm 68:4 He
commands His people to praise Him by His Name. John 4:24
reminds us:
“Elohim
is Spirit, and those who worship Him need to worship in spirit and truth.”
To deliberately ignore the Truth of His Name in favor of what pleases us as His worshipers is nothing less than vain arrogance deserving of rebuke. We cannot reverse the flow of authority - Yahweh our Creator tells us how to worship Him, not the other way around. Even beyond this, His knowing "who you mean" makes no difference to Him if you refuse to honor and glorify Him as He demands, which includes using the right Name. His Name represents Him and His Truths, something no other name does.
• THE
PRONUNCIATION OF THE NAME HAS BEEN LOST AND WE DON’T KNOW HOW HIS
NAME WAS SPOKEN.
Besides
being false, this argument amounts to no more than an excuse - that
because of supposed uncertainty we should not even try to pronounce
His Name. The fact is, the Name is given us in the Hebrew in the form
of the Tetragrammaton or "four letters," which is יהוה
(Yod, Hay, Waw, Hay).
Jewish scribes went to great lengths to ensure the accuracy of this
Name in the Hebrew, while the Masoretes or text guardians
vowel-pointed the Hebrew letters to preserve the pronunciation.
It is not true that the pronunciation of the Hebrew Name was lost. If it were then the pronunciation of the entire Hebrew First Covenant was lost as well. It would also mean that in the passing-down process of the Hebrew tongue from one generation to another, that at some point all Yehudim (Jews) suddenly woke up and forgot how to speak their own language! If we can read the Old Covenant out loud in the Hebrew, then we can also read the Name Yahweh accurately in the same Hebrew. Today the Jews read Hebrew every Sabbath in their synagogues. They have no problem pronouncing it.
Here is what the noted Encyclopaedia Judaica says about this issue: "The true pronunciation of the name YHWH was never lost. Several early Greek writers of the Christian Church testify that the name was pronounced ‘Yahweh.’ This is confirmed, at least for the vowels of the first syllable of the name, by the shorter form Yah, which is sometimes used in poetry (e.g., Ex. 15:2) and the –yahu or –yah that serves as the final syllable in very many Hebrew names," Vol. 7, p. 680.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica comments: "Early Christian writers, such as Clement of Alexandria in the 2nd century, had used the form Yahweh, thus this pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton was never really lost. Greek transcriptions also indicated that YHWH should be pronounced Yahweh," 15th Edition, Vol. X, p. 786.
The Catholic Encyclopedia notes: "The saying of God, ‘I am who I am,’ is surely connected with His name that is written in the Hebrew consonantal text as Yhwh, the original pronunciation of which is well attested as Yahweh," 1967, Vol. 5, p. 74