Yahweh

Sometimes this name is spelt as Jehovah. There are two reasons for the alternatives. One is that Hebrew words only contain consonants and the vowel sounds are provided by the speaker. The consonants are YHWH. In Yahweh, two vowels have been inserted and in Jehovah three vowels have been inserted. For many centuries, the Jews refused to pronounce this name, usually substituting another word for Lord in its place. This has resulted in no one knowing for certain how to pronounce this divine name, although scholars believe that Yahweh is the most likely.

What does this name mean? It points to God as the self-existent Lord who brings everything else into existence. So he is the source of life. In addition, this name focuses on his transcendence, the fact that he is infinitely above his creation. It was by this name that he introduced himself to Moses in Exodus 3:15. Yet although he is so great, he informed Moses that he intended to be with his people, to have an ongoing relationship with them. Yahweh is therefore the God of the covenant who makes demands of his people and makes promises to them.

Connected to those details about Yahweh is that he does not change in his character. He is the same constantly. This is not surprising because he cannot improve. He is completely perfect, unable to increase in his infinite attributes. If he could do so, it would mean that he is not perfect at the moment. This is why we know that he is totally faithful to his promises, each of which is located within his covenant arrangement. But he is also faithful to his warnings.

The name Jesus is the English rendering of the Greek translation of Yeshua, which means Yahweh the Saviour. Jesus is Yahweh, the self-existent Creator, the Source of life, the transcendent Son, the One who will be with his people forever. He became a man in order to bring salvation to us. As our Saviour and Lord, he requires us to trust in him, obey his commands and experience his promises. 

 

Names of God (3) – El Shaddai.

This divine name occurs in the books of Genesis and Job, where it is usually translated as God Almighty. According to Exodus 6:3, God said to Moses: ‘I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.’ It was better for them to know him through this name because of the seemingly impossible situations they faced. 

There is some disagreement about how this title should be translated. The reason for this is that the title El itself means powerful, so if Shaddai is translated as Almighty, the name seems to say the same thing twice. Such a practice is not unusual. We can say in the same phrase that a person is learned and clever, although we don’t mean exactly the same thing with each word. But the fact remains that everything about God is powerful. 

So can Shaddai mean something else? Some scholars say that the word is connected to the Hebrew word for breast (shad) and points to the fact that God is the one who nourishes his people. When his nourishment is combined with his power, it indicates that he can take care of his people in every situation. A suggested alternative translation is God All-sufficient or God Self-sufficient. In other words, if God is with you, you will always have what you need.  

One writer described the name El Shaddai in this way: ‘the One who is strong enough to help and sensitive enough to care.’ This twofold feature of God occurs in several ways in the Bible. He is the good Shepherd, strong yet tender. He is the patient Potter, able to remake gently damaged goods. He is the kind Physician, able to heal our souls, and ultimately our bodies. The psalmist once said to God, ‘Your gentleness made me great’ (Ps. 18:35). 

Spurgeon, when referring to this divine name in a sermon, reminded his hearers that ‘Strong faith realizes the all-sufficiency of God and that is the secret of its strength, the hidden manna on which it feeds and becomes vigorous.’ We need to remind ourselves who God is – he is the one who can meet all our needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 4:19). 

A rich man may give a pound to a beggar, but he is merely giving out of his riches, not according to his riches. In contrast, the all-sufficient God always gives according to his infinite resources.

Watching what happened

Sometimes, when people move to another location, they send a video home to let family and friends see where they are now living. They could have sent a letter, but seeing something provides information more vividly.

 

In Revelation 4 and 5, we have the equivalent of a video of the arrival of Jesus in heaven at his ascension. In fact, its details are more defined and clearer than any video yet produced on earth. We see the heavenly court, its sense of anticipation, the joy of the gathering, as the moment draws near for the Arrival. Many a destination has been reached before by gifted people, but this Arrival is a unique destination for a unique person. Many a believer had arrived in heaven before, but none had arrived there in the way that Jesus did. Millions of angels have returned from missions, but none entered in the manner that Jesus did.

 

How did Jesus arrive? What was his appearance? He entered the august assembly as a lamb that had been slain. Martyrs had reached heaven before this, but Jesus did not enter there as a martyr. Instead, he entered as the accepted Sacrifice, the living Proof that atonement had been made. His achievements fitted his abilities because he had performed the most amazing of activities when he endured the wrath of God on the cross and paid the penalty for our sins. 

 

Where will Jesus go when he arrives? Will he join the group of elders overseeing the occasion? Will he take a place in the throng of angels round the throne? No, he goes far higher, indeed he goes to the pinnacle, to the throne of God. As we look, we see that each step he takes towards his destination is watched with admiration by the gathered crowd. And watched with appreciation by the One on the throne as he cries, ‘Sit at my right hand,’ words that he never said to anyone else.

 

That is where Jesus has been since then. Highly exalted. Given the name that is above every name. Entitled to be acknowledged as Lord by the whole of creation. And the gathered assembly has not ceased to sing about it, and they never will, even although their ranks are swelling as more and more of his people reach their destination.

Unexpected joy

If there were places on earth that Jesus liked most, we suspect that Bethany was one of them. We know that he had close friends there. It was the location where he raised one of them from the dead. It was the last place he was in before he ascended to heaven. Luke tells us some details of what happened on that occasion (Luke 24:50-53).

First, Jesus blessed his disciples by lifting up his hands. The hands they saw were pierced hands, a reminder to them of the reality of the crucifixion, but also a reminder that blessings only come to his disciples because he went to the cross. His posture was that of a priest, but he was a different kind of priest because he could actually provide the blessing.

Second, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven. What does Luke mean when he says Jesus was carried up into heaven? Is this a reference to angelic activity, a heavenly conveyance to bear him to the throne? It was common for earthly rulers to sit on carriages as they entered places of importance. What would be a suitable vehicle for the King of heaven? Perhaps a clue is given in Acts 1 where Luke says that the disciples could not see Jesus ascending further because of a cloud, maybe something like the shekinah glory that once was in the temple. Did a sample of glory come out of heaven to escort the Conqueror in?

The initial response of the disciples to the One who so left them was to worship him. What they had experienced was further evidence that he was divine, and the only proper response to a divine being is worship. The man who had been walking and talking with them a few minutes before is also the God who would bless them from heaven. 

Although Jesus had left them, the disciples of Jesus were not sad. Usually, a separation does not result in great joy. But it did on this occasion. What the disciples had witnessed happening to Jesus made them the happiest people in the world. The joy they had was the first blessing received from his uplifted hands, a vivid sign that he had reached his rightful place. 

We can share that joy today as we think of Jesus, where he is, and what he is doing.