(Part 9 of a Series)

This series explores two essential topics: God and people. When children know who God really is and what He says about who they really are, they can confidently navigate faith and life. Kids must know both the Lord and themselves intimately—not superficially.

God matters most. Learning about the Lord is more important (and more rewarding) than anything else we can do!

People matter to God. People who truly grasp what God says about their identity finally understand who they are and how to live.

We all have personal names. Names keep us from confusing one person with another; names identify us as individuals. Many people also enjoy a well-known “nickname” or an affectionate name that only a few people know about.

Names are intertwined with our identity and integrity. That’s why names are so very important—both to God and to people. We want other people to respect and to remember our name. It’s the same with God. The next two articles take a look at personal names—God’s name and your name. This article focuses on God’s special, sacred name. Next time we will find out about a surprising name that God uses to identify His children.

“What Is God’s Name?”

Short Answer
Yahweh Is the Lord. God proclaims His sacred Name; He’s the great “I AM.”

God wants people to know who He is and what He is like. That is why the Lord reveals His personal name—Yahweh (pronounced: Yá-way).

Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. ⁶The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:5-6, NLT)

The Lord identifies Himself as Yahweh—Creator and Sustainer of all things. Yahweh is God’s personal name. In the New Testament, Jesus reveals that He existed before creation itself; He is the eternal “I Am.” Jesus Christ is Yahweh.

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” (John 8:58)

Expanded Answer

Yahweh literally means “I Am” or “He Who Is” indicating that God is self-existent, self-sufficient, and self-sustaining—the God who always Is. Amazingly, Yahweh also reveals that He is knowable, approachable, and lovable. He remains actively involved in every aspect of human endeavor. God deeply cares about people and He desires to enter into a personal relationship with each person!

“I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.” (Jeremiah 24:7)

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)

Most English Bibles translate the Hebrew word Yahweh as “Lord” (note the use of small capital letters). Yahweh is often joined with other Old Testament words to form compound names of God: Yahweh-Sabbaoth = the Lord of Armies, Yahweh-Jireh = the Lord who Provides, and Yahweh-Raah = the Lord our Shepherd. The familiar word Hallelujah means “Praise Yahweh.”

Appearing nearly 6,000 times, Yahweh is arguably the most important and most revered word in the Bible. To avoid breaking the third commandment—using the name Yahweh disrespectfully or flippantly—ancient Hebrews chose to never speak this word (Exodus 20:7). When copying God’s sacred name, scribes combined consonants from Yahweh (Y-H-W-H) with vowels from Adonai (a-o-a) to create the word YaHoWaH or Jehovah. Even today, instead of reading or speaking the divine name, Yahweh, devout Jews substitute the title Adonai, “my Lord.” (To distinguish these two names, most English Bibles translate Adonai by capitalizing only the first letter, “Lord.”)

Old Testament Example: Moses Meets Yahweh (Exodus 3:1-15)

For forty years, Moses had cared for sheep and goats—a simple shepherd. One day, God got Moses’ attention in a unique way—and for a very important reason.

Moses fixed his gaze on the fiery bush in the distance and watched the flame burn brightly—and unquenchably. As he approached, a Voice spoke directly to him from the bush. Moses soon realized that he stood on holy soil—in the very presence of God! During that divine encounter, Yahweh, the God of his ancestor Abraham, called Moses to free God’s people from slavery in Egypt.

Kneeling before the blazing bush, Moses boldly asked God to reveal His name, His personal identity:

God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” ¹⁵God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations. ¹⁶Now go and call together all the elders of Israel. Tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me. He told me, “I have been watching closely, and I see how the Egyptians are treating you.” ’ ” (Exodus 3:14-16, NLT)

That simple conversation changed everything—first for Moses, then for the Hebrew slaves, and ultimately for humankind. In an unforgettable dialogue, God identified Himself as “I Am,” or Yahweh.

New Testament Example: Christ Identifies Himself as Yahweh (John 8:48-59)

As Jesus taught in the Jerusalem Temple, He noticed that Jewish religious leaders had infiltrated the crowd. Christ challenged their claim of being children of Abraham. Soon they were embroiled in a heated argument. To gain the upper hand, these men (likely Pharisees) decided to air some “dirty laundry”—attempting to undermine Christ’s credibility.

The authorities had evidently interviewed people from Nazareth who recounted persistent rumors regarding Mary’s “surprise” pregnancy thirty years previously. The Pharisees doubted that Christ could identify His “real” father, so they accused Jesus of being born out of wedlock (John 8:41). Jesus responded by identifying His opponents’ true father—Satan. These men were children of the devil.

Emotions quickly escalated. The Jewish leaders promptly denounced Jesus as a demon-possessed, mixed-breed Samaritan. The Lord denied their charge. Christ then surprised everyone by revealing that He predated the patriarch Abraham, who had died twenty centuries previously! Jesus disclosed that He was indeed “I Am”—Yahweh, the eternal God.

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” (John 8:58)

Those words incensed the Pharisees; they reached for stones to kill Jesus. To them, His statement was overtly blasphemous. Jesus had declared Himself to be “I Am”—God, Himself!

———–

“What Is God’s Name?” The Lord identifies Himself as Yahweh— the great “I AM”—Creator and Sustainer of all things.

Application

God disclosed His personal name to Moses. Just as Yahweh arrested Moses’ attention in the desert, God wants to connect personally with you. Yahweh wants you to know who He is and what He is like. To do this, begin a list of Biblical names for God; add other names as you think of them later.
Jesus spoke openly and often about His divine identity. Many first-century followers recognized Him as the Messiah—rightful Heir to David’s throne—the One God had sent to deliver the Jewish people. They sought relief from Roman oppression, just as Moses had freed the Hebrews from Egypt slavery. Christ, however, had come to free people from foes much more fearsome—Satan, sin, and death. Tell two people who you believe Jesus Christ is.
Remove your shoes and get on your knees. Tell Yahweh that He is your Lord. Someday, perhaps very soon, every knee will bow and every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is Lord.