When God was asked His name, He said, “Yahweh.” What does that mean? Most Bibles translate as “I am What I Am.” It is said that a more literal translation is “I Will Be Who I Will Be.” Kind of cryptic, huh? By what I have read, this is saying that He is the self-existent one. He is the eternal God and not a created being, which separate Him from all other gods. He always was and always will be. It sounds very similar to how the angels describe God in Revelation 4:8: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
Exodus 3:13-15
Then Moses said to God [Elohim], “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God [Elohe] of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God [Elohim] said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM [Ehyeh aser Ehyeh].” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM [Ehyeh] has sent me to you.’ ” Moreover God [Elohim] said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD [Yahweh] God [Elohe] of your fathers, the God [Elohe] of Abraham, the God [Elohe] of Isaac, and the God [Elohe] of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’
The name Yahweh (or more accurately is YHWH) represents a self-existing God who is not dependent upon anything or anyone. Jehovah would be another form of the same name. The Jews considered this name so sacred they could not utter it. He is the God who created the universe and everything in it. He is the God who created you and me.
Genesis 2:4-9
This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD [Yahweh] God [Elohim] made the earth and the heavens, before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the LORD [Yahweh] God [Elohim] had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. And the LORD [Yahweh] God [Elohim]formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The LORD [Yahweh] God [Elohim] planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD [Yahweh] God [Elohim] made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Throughout scripture, different names of God are used together to describe some of His attributes. Here it is LORD God, Yahweh Elohim. He is the powerful and strong self existent, eternal God. He is God Almighty [El Shadday].
Isaiah 40:28-31
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God [Elohe], the LORD [Yahweh], the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD [Yahweh]shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
How else do you describe such a great and awesome God, who always hears our prayers and guides us to the path of righteousness? When we pray we need to remember Him and just dwell on Who He is and what He has done for us. Think about His goodness and grace. We are always so quick to ask Him to help us and provide for us (I know I too often do) and those around us. As Jesus said in the sermon on the Mount, that He already knows what we need and He always wants what is best for us. He will take care of us. He has given us all that we need and has saved us from our sins if we believe. Trust in Him.
Psalms 25:4-11
Show me Your ways, O LORD [Yahweh]; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God [Elohe] of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. Remember, O LORD [Yahweh], Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O LORD [Yahweh]. Good and upright is the LORD [Yahweh]; therefore He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the LORD [Yahweh] are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O LORD [Yahweh], pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
God has showed us His ways, through His word, and through The Word, Jesus Christ, His Son. Jesus is Emmanuel, God With Us. I wonder how the words in the New Testament translate to the Hebrew words. I imagine they are the same or similar, which is why the religious leaders were so angry with Jesus when He said, “before Abraham was, I AM.” So often in the Old and New Testament, Jesus is described with the same attribute as God the Father, Yahweh, was described. He is the God of our salvation, He teaches us with mercy and love, and leads us in the truth. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus said, “I and the Father are One.”
John 8:56-59
“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM .” Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
In the Book of Revelation, also called the Revelation of Jesus Christ, John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, writes of his vision and message from Jesus, who describes Himself as the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and end, who was and is and is to come, same as the Father is described. In other words, the Eternal One, the I AM, perhaps translated to Hebrew as Yahweh.
Revelation 1:4-8
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 22:12-16
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
Jesus is God. He is God the Son. He and the Father are One. Everything He has done is according to the Father’s will. He was there during creation, He was here on this earth to rescue us from our sin and death, He will return to this earth to take His people home and to judge the world and to reward His children, and He will be there for all eternity.
Revelation 4:8-11
The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”
What a way to worship God! Praising Him and declaring glory to the eternal creator, who by His will, all things were created and all things exist! That’s our God.
My Daily Scriptures 