Seeds For Thinking

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* I Am
* Scripture: Moses asked, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?" Exodus 3:13, NKJV

If you recall the passage from Exodus where God calls to Moses from the burning bush, God concludes by instructing Moses to tell the people that "I AM sent you."
Later, on the mountain, Moses received the Commandments, beginning with the statement, "I am the Lord your God." These first commandments establish a relationship with God, one based on reverence, worship, and esteem. That includes a proper respect and understanding of HIS NAME.
Suppose that you are responsible for translating the ancient writings into a modern version of the English language. There is no one to speak those ancient words, no one still using those symbols that represent speech.
Now add the complexity that derives from a reluctance of those ancients to even speak or write that most righteous Name, and the the scholar is left searching. The scribes would write the letters YHWH instead of spelling out THE NAME. It is called a Tetragrammaton. From it, we get ‘Yahweh.’
About 300 B.C. the Jews began the custom of pronouncing the name 'adonay' (my Lord or LORD) or 'elohim.' Take the various spellings, run the Hebrew through Latin, and we get 'Jehovah.'
According to one of my references (The New Westminister Dictionary of the Bible) the word comes from a verb which means to befall, to come to pass, happen, become, be ; The name accordingly means "He who happens (upon us), he who befalls (upon us), he who in the absolute sense exists and who manifests his existence and his character." (Ex. 3:13-15) - "I AM."
The dictionary further gives these definitions:
'elohim, God, is the creator, upholder, and moral governor of the universe;
'el Shadday, God almighty, is the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, their present strength and future existence;
Yahweh (YHWH) is the God of revelation and grace, dwelling with his people, guiding and delivering them, and receiving their worship.
"Lord" in our Bibles came from Hebrew 'adon,' "Master," or 'adonay; "my master", (i.e., "my Lord.") When you see LORD the original was YHWH.
A name is a very personal thing; it identifies who we are. At least for the time being:

"There's a new name written down in Glory,
"And it's mine, O yes, it's mine!"
(C. Austin Miles)

To him who overcomes will be given a new name, according to Revelation 2:17 and 3:12. That will be an even more special name than the one we use now, because it will be given by THE ONE!
January 8, 2006