Knowing the Name of the LORD

I asked my mother why I was named, “John.” She told me that when she got married and came to this country, the president at the time was Johnson. She wanted to name me Johnson. But my Dad said that is not really a first name, but they could shorten to John. That is how I got my name. This story suggests that my parents had hopes and dreams for their first born son. The name was not chosen haphazardly. There was a story and meaning behind it.

One of the major themes in the Bible is the “name” of the LORD, which also has a story and meaning behind it. His name, “Yahweh” is translated by the word, LORD, with all uppercase letters. When God first revealed his name to Moses, he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM (EHYEH) has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD (YAHWEH), the 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 thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations” (Ex 3:14-15). 

Yahweh means, “He is,” which is another form of the words, “I am.” This raises the question, “He is what?”

When Moses told Pharaoh that Yahweh said to let his people go, Pharaoh replied, “Who is Yahweh that I should obey his voice? I don’t know Yahweh, and moreover, I will not let Israel go” (Ex 5:2). Even though Pharoah audibly heard the name, he did not know Yahweh. In a sense, Israel did not know yet either. The question, “He is what?” hung in the air. 

When God spoke, he gave this recurring refrain “…and you shall know that I am Yahweh…” (Ex 6:7; 7:5,17; 8:10,22; 9:16; 10:2; 14:4,18; 16:12; 29:46; 31:13). Very soon, the question “He is what?” would be answered not through a set of theological propositions, but through God’s actions. God will demonstrate that he is a God that does not forget his covenant with their ancestor, Abraham, and will therefore deliver his people from bondage by striking mighty Pharaoh and all of Egypt.

The answer to the question, “He is what?” is answered through God’s redemptive actions which leads them through the wilderness to Mount Sinai. At Mount Sinai, God bound himself by a covenant to Israel. This reminds us that a person only gives his name to another because they will be enacting some sort of relationship. This is exactly what God does at the base of Mount Sinai. This is why he begins his covenant not with the Ten Commandments, but with the words, “I am Yahweh…” (Ex 20:2).

In the wilderness, God goes on to demonstrate who he is not through passing down theological formulas, but through his actions. This is simply the way it is in a relationship. We know our children and our spouse not simply because we know their names or a list of propositions about them. We know them through their actions. It is the same with God. His name is attached to the accounts of his redemptive actions on behalf of his people. 

His name, “He is,” is not a stand-alone thought. His name is attached to his actions. The accounts and stories of the Bible are what answer the question, “He is what?” He is the living God. He is the God who provides. He is the God who sees. He is the God who hears. He is our redeemer. There are biblical stories and accounts for each of these statements. This is why it is important to remember and reflect on the stories of God in the whole Bible