The Challenge of Knowing God by Name

THERE is someone who wants to prevent you from knowing Jehovah's  name and enjoying a close relationship with Him. Who is this evil foe?  The Bible explains:  "The god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers." The god of this present  ungodly world is Satan the Devil. He wants to keep you in the darkness so that your heart will not be illuminated with  "the glorious knowledge of God."  Satan does not want you to know Jehovah by name. How, though, does Satan blind people's minds?  -2 Corinthians 4:4-6.

Satan has used  false religion to hinder people from coming to know God by name.  For example, in ancient times, some Jews chose to ignore the inspired Scriptures  in favor of tradition that called for avoiding the use of God's name.  By the first centuries of our Common Era, Jewish public readers had evidently been instructed, not to read God's name as it appeared in their Holy Scriptures, but to substitute  the word 'Adho-nai', meaning  "Lord."  Doubtless, this practice contributed to a tragic decline in spirituality.  Many lost out on the benefits of a close personal relationship with God. What, though, about Jesus?  What was his attitude toward Jehovah's name?

Next time: Jesus and His Followers Made God's Name Known 

From the Watchtower magazine, 2010