God Has A Unique Name

The Bible writer augur asked: "Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of both hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in a mantle? Who has made all the ends of the earth to rise? What is his name and what is the name of his son?" (Proverbs 30:4) In effect, augur was asking, 'Do you know the name or family line of any man who has done these things?' Only God has the power to control natural forces. While the creation provides powerful proof that God exists, it is silent about the name of God. In fact, we should never know God's name unless God himself revealed it to us. And he has. "I am Jehovah," says the Creator, "that is my name." - Isaiah 42:8.

God's unique name, Jehovah, occurs nearly 7,000 times in the Hebrew Scriptures alone. Jesus Christ made that name known to others and praised it before them. (John 17:6, 26) That name is found in the last book of the Bible as a part of the expression "Hallelujah," meaning "praise Jah." And "Jah" is the shortened form of "Jehovah." (Revelation 19:1-6,footnote) Yet, many modern Bibles seldom use that name. They often use the word "Lord" or "God," written in all capital letters to set it apart from the common titles "Lord" and "God." Some scholars suggest that the divine name may have been pronounced Yahweh.

Why such differing views about the name of the greatest Personage in the universe? The problem began centuries ago when the Jews superstitiously ceased to pronounce the divine name and started to substitute the Hebrew word for "Sovereign Lord" whenever they came to the divine name as they read the Scriptures. Since Biblical Hebrew was written without vowels, there is no way to know precisely how Moses, David and others of ancient times pronounced the letters that make up the divine name. However, the English pronunciation, Jehovah, has been in use for centuries, and its equivalent in many languages is widely accepted today. - Exodus 6:3;Isaiah:4,King James Version.

Though there is uncertainty about how God's name was pronounced in ancient Hebrew, its meaning is not a complete mystery. His name means "He Causes To Become." Jehovah God thereby identifies himself as the Great Purposer. He always causes his purposes to become reality. Only the true God, who has the power to do this, can rightfully bear that name. - Isaiah 55:11.

Unquestionably, the name Jehovah serves to distinguish Almighty God from all other gods. That is why that name appears so often in the Bible. While many translations fail to use the divine name, Psalm 83:18 clearly states: "You whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth." During his ministry, Jesus Christ taught his followers" "You must pray, then, this way: ' Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.'" (Matthew 6:9) We should, then, use God's name when we pray, speak of him, and praise him before others.

Next time: Is Jesus God?