To say or not to say YAHWEH

To say or not to say YAHWEH  

Have you noticed an increased desire within people to learn Hebrew?  We have, and it seems as the days pass by more and more people from all backgrounds are seeking to learn Hebrew, the Holy Tongue.  Why is our heavenly Father restoring the Hebrew Language, and why is there a desire in believers of all backgrounds to learn to speak Hebrew. 

Zep 3:9 "For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language that they all may call on the name of the LORD (Yahweh), to serve Him with one accord.

 

According to this scripture the purpose of God restoring “Lashon Kodesh” (the Holy Tongue) Hebrew to us, is so we may all call on the name of the LORD (Yahweh).  In our bible when we read the words “the LORD,” these two words are a translation of a Hebrew Name יהוה.  This name is pronounced as Yahweh.  The exact pronunciation of this Name is a hot topic at the present time and is causing great division within the body of Messiah.  In this teaching it is not my intention to discuss the various ways to pronounce His name or explain why I choose to say Yahweh.  Instead we will explore the scripture to gain the understanding that our Heavenly Father wants us to call on His name, however one may feel called to pronounce it.  Yahweh, Yahveh, Yaho’vah, Yahu’ah however you choose to pronounce His Name is between you and your Father, the key is that we are saying His Name and not calling Him a title. 

Psa 14:4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call on Yahweh?  

People who are workers of iniquity have no knowledge and do not call on the Name of Yahweh.  There is a distinction made between those who walk in righteousness and those who walk in in iniquity.  Those who have Knowledge and walk in righteousness will call upon the name of Yahweh.

Pro 18:10 The name of Yahweh is a strong tower: the righteous run into it, and are safe. 

The righteous run to the name of Yahweh like a strong tower and in His name is protection for us as believers.

Psa 91:14 "Because he has set his love upon me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My Name.

Those of us who call on the Name of our Heavenly Father will be delivered and set on high. The righteous know and use His name and receive Safety and Deliverance. 

Jona 1:14 Therefore they cried out to Yahweh and said, We pray, O Yahweh, please do not let us perish for this man's life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Yahweh, have done as it pleased You.

  In this passage Jonah is getting ready to be thrown overboard and the men on the boat are asking Yahweh not to punish them for what they are about to do. These unbelievers who were probably worshipers of false gods are using the Name of Yahweh.  If these unbelievers are using His name, shouldn’t  we who are “called by His name”, also be speaking His name.

2Ki 5:11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, "Indeed, I said to myself, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.

 Again in this text we see that an unbeliever is using the Holy Name of Yahweh in common speech.  This was before Naaman was converted and put his faith in the God of Israel. 

Ruth 2:4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, Yahweh be with you. And they answered him, Yahweh bless you.

 In this passage we see that a common greeting in this time was “Yahweh be with you” and the response was “Yahweh bless you”.  Boaz and his “servants” are using Yahweh’s name.

 Ruth 2:20 And Naomi said to her daughter in law, Blessed be Yahweh, who has not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said to her, The man is near of kin to us, one of our next kinsmen. 

 Naomi is seen here using the name of Yahweh, men, women, servants and pagans all are seen in the scripture using the Holy Name of Yahweh.

 Psa 99:5-6 Exalt Yahweh our God, And worship at His footstool--He is holy.  Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called upon His name; They called upon Yahweh, and He answered them.   

 Moses, Aaron & Samuel all called upon Yahweh.  Let’s dig a little more into scripture to find out who else spoke the Name of our Heavenly Father.

 1Ki 18:24 "Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of Yahweh; and the God who answers by fire, He is God." So all the people answered and said, "It is well spoken."

  This is Elijah, Eli’Yahu in Hebrew. Elijah’s name in Hebrew means “my God is Yah”. During the battle on Mount Carmel Elijah called upon the Name of Yahweh.

  

1Sa 17:45 Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of Yahweh of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

In this passage we have King David one of the greatest heroes of the TNK, the “Old Testament”, coming into battle in the Power of “the Name of Yahweh”. 

2Sa 6:18 And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of hosts.

Here we see King David giving the blessing that Yahweh told Moses to tell Aaron, how to Bless the people and place His name upon the People.  (see Num 6;22-27)

Psa 116:17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of Yahweh.

 Here we have David in the Psalms telling us to worship God using His Name.  Scripture is clear that we are to use His name  in worship.

Psa 105:1 Oh, give thanks to Yahweh! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples (nations, unbelievers)

 Isa 12:4 And in that day you will say: "Praise Yahweh, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted.

Psa 7:17 I will praise Yahweh according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of Yahweh Most High.

Psa 30:4 Sing praise to Yahweh, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

Psa 92:1 It is good to give thanks to Yahweh, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.

2Sa 22:50 Therefore I will give thanks to You, Yahweh, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name.

 

In these passages we are told that even among unbelievers we are to proclaim the name of Yahweh.  All the Patriarchs used Yahweh’s Name, Abraham in Gen 12:8, Isaac in Gen 26:23, and Jacob in Gen 28:16.  Let’s look at the Prophets; Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, and Amos all of these men spoke the name Yahweh and proclaimed the message in His Name. “Thus says Yahweh”, “The Word of Yahweh came to me”, and “Hear the Word of Yahweh” were the phrases these men used to convey the message to the people. 

Mic 4:5  For all people will walk everyone in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of Yahweh our God for ever and ever.

In Rev 13, the beast seals and marks people on the hand and forehead.  In Rev 7:3, 144,000 are sealed with the Father’s name on the forehead.  In Rev 9:4, we have others sealed with our Father’s name on their forehead.  Then in Rev 22:1-4, the servants of God have the Fathers name on their forehead. 

Mar 11:9-10 Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of Yahweh!' Blessed is the kingdom of our father David, That comes in the name of Yahweh! Hosanna in the highest!“

In this passage we have people in the New Testament calling on the Name of Yahweh.   

This is not evident in the English versions of the Bible but the quote is from Psalm 118:26.  In this Psalm the name Yahweh is clearly used and this is how it would have been spoken in Mark 11. 

Did Yeshua use Yahweh’s Name?

Psa 22:22 I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. 

 Psalms 22 is a messianic Psalm and we see the fulfillment of it in;

 Jhn 17:26 "And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

Jhn 17:11-12 "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your Name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.  "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your Name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 

Mat 26:64-64 Yeshua said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 

Here Yeshua is quoting from Psalm 110; Yeshua would have quoted this correctly in Hebrew.  In the New Testament the scripture says Power, but in the 110^th Psalm, the Hebrew says Yahweh.  According to the Mishnah, “The blasphemer is not considered culpable unless he exactly pronounces the Name,” (Sanhedrin 7: 5) and violating the ban against saying the Name “Yahweh” was considered a capital offense—i.e., punishable by death.   The prescribed manner of death for people committing “blasphemy” was a combination of stoning and being hung on a tree. (Sanhedrin7:5) One of the Main reasons the Jewish spiritual authorities wanted Yeshua crucified was for violating this prohibition, for simply saying the Name “Yahweh.”  In (Sanhedrin 7:5) the Mishnah says the one who hears someone say the name (Yahweh) is to tear the garment in such a way that it cannot be fixed.  This explains why the high Priest tore His garment and said “He has blasphemed”.  Let us follow the example of Yeshua and all the people in the scripture from Gen to Rev, and let us call upon the Name of Yahweh.

Mal 3:16-17 Then they that feared Yahweh spoke often one to another: and Yahweh listened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared Yahweh, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, says Yahweh of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son that serves him.

This scripture tells us that as we call upon His name, and think about the beauty and wonder of His name, we are included in a special group of people whose names are put into a book called “the book of remembrance”.   Yahweh is restoring His name to us, let us join together with Him as He restores His name.  Let us begin praying and singing in His name.  Let us follow the example set forth in Scripture, and join all those who used His name.  Most importantly let us follow the pattern set by our Master Yeshua who according to John 17:26, declared His name among the people.