SERMON 176: GOD’S NAME IS YAHWEH
Germaine Charles Lockwood

When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush, God told Moses that He was sending him to Egypt in order to lead the people out of Egyptian slavery, and to lead them to the promised land.

Exodus 3:13: Then Moses said to God, “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?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘YAHWEH, God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:13. (YAHWEH supplied.)

The name of God in the Hebrew original is hwhy, YHWH. Vowels were added at a later time.

Hugo McCord, retired professor of Bible and Biblical Languages transliterated the name of God: YAHWEH in THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL PLUS GENESIS, THE PSALMS AND PROVERBS, (Freed-Hardeman University, Henderson, TN, 2000). Hugo McCord explained: YAHWEH has the meaning, “he causes to be.” This declares God’s creative power. We could not be in existence without His creative power, “for in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28). The name of the one living God is YAHWEH. YAHWEH created the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them in six days. (Exodus 20:11). 

In the Bible, the Hebrew original gives the name of God as YHWH. The vowel points were not originally written in the text. The vowel points were added later. Petrus Galatinus in A.D.1518 put in the vowel points from the Hebrew word adonai, meaning lord, which resulted in YA-HO-WAH. From this, the American Standard Bible of 1901 used JEHOVAH for translating God’s name. However, that is not quite right. 
 Most English translations have represented the name of God with LORD in capital letters. However, LORD is not the name of God. The name of God is YAHWEH.

The English word God is Elohim in Hebrew, a plural word that takes singular verbs. Allah in the Arabic language means the God. It is singular. Allah is not the name of God, but means in English the God. The name of Allah is YAHWEH, the one and only living God.

The Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek by Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt beginning about 280 B.C. Their Greek translation is called the Septuagint or LXX. They translated the name of God, YHWH, with the Greek word meaning LORD, which is kurios. 

The Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament is quoted in the New Testament. So then, the name of God is given as KURIOS, in the Greek New Testament, which is translated into English by the word LORD. Therefore, the name of God, YAHWEH, does not appear in the Greek New Testament. For example, the name of God, YAHWEH, in Isaiah 8:13 is quoted in 1 Peter 3:15 as KURIOS in Greek. The same is true in Luke 3:4, when quoting Isaiah 40:3.

So in the New Testament, the name of God is represented by the word, LORD. However, the name of God is YAHWEH. But the New Testament uses the word LORD, so we can also.

Dr. McCord wrote: “Our grandmother Eve did not think that God’s name is too sacred for human lips, saying as Cain was born: ‘With the help of Yahweh, I have a male child.’”(Gen.4:1).

However, we must consider the name of God, YAHWEH, as holy for we read in:

Exodus 20:7: “You shall not take the name of YAHWEH your God in vain, for YAHWEH will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Exodus 20:7.

 Messiah is called Yahweh. The prophet Jeremiah recorded the word of God.

Jeremiah 23:5, 6: “Behold, the days are coming,” says YAHWEH, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth, . . . Now this is His name by which He will be called: YAHWEH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Jeremiah 23:5, 6.

Messiah is called YAHWEH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Messiah is Deity

In Zechariah chapter 12, the words of YAHWEH are recorded by the prophet Zechariah.

Zechariah 12:1: The burden of the word of YAHWEH against Israel. Thus says YAHWEH, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth . . . Zechariah 12:1.

YAHWEH went on to say in:

Zechariah 12:10: “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; . . . Zechariah 12:10.

YAHWEH prophesied that the inhabitants of Jerusalem would pierce Him. When they pierced Messiah Jesus in Jerusalem, they pierced YAHWEH. Messiah the Son is one with the Father.

Messiah Jesus is the Savior, the Son of God. You can put your trust and faith in Him.

Only Jesus the Messiah died for our sins, according to the scriptures. He was buried. He rose the third day, according to the scriptures. There is salvation from sin and hell in no one else.

The word of Yahweh came to Joel and foretold in:

Joel 2:32: And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of Yahweh shall be saved. Joel 2:32.

On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter quoted this prophecy in Joel from:

Acts 2:21: And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. Acts 2:21.	

The Apostle Paul also quoted Joel 2:32 in:

Romans 10:13: or “whoever calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved.” Romans 10:13.

What does it mean to call upon the name of Yahweh? How do we call upon the name of the LORD? First of all, remember that Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in:

Matthew 7:21: Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Matthew 7:21.

Calling on the name of the LORD involves more than prayer. Calling on the name of Yahweh involves doing the will of God. Yes, it does, even to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said so.

Saul of Tarsus saw Jesus on the road to Damascus. Jesus spoke to Saul in:

Acts 9:6: So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” And the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:6.

Then Saul went to Damascus. Saul prayed and fasted for three days. Acts 9:9-11. Was he saved? No! He was still in his sins. He believed in Jesus. He repented. He called on the Lord in prayer. But Saul was still in his sins. A Jewish Christian named Ananias was sent to Saul. We read what Ananias said to Saul in:

Acts 22:16: ‘And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Acts 22:16.

So Saul was still in his sins even though he had been fasting and praying to three days. He believed in Jesus, he repented, and he prayed for three days, but he was still in his sins.

What else is involved? Ananias told Saul that Saul needed to be baptized and wash away his sins. (Acts 22:16). Saul was immersed, baptized into Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of sins. (Acts 9:18). And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Amen.