Since the times of ancient civilizations people had been worshipping gods, all of whom were known by name.
To Egyptians the most prominent god was Ra, the sun god. To Babylonians it was Bel, to Greeks there was Zeus, and to the Romans, Jupiter.
Yet, Jews and most professed Christians of today refer to God mainly as Father, Creator, Almighty God and Lord. Are they worshipping a God with no name? A name too sacred to utter?
The Hebrews, better known today as Jews or Israelis, were said to have a name for Almighty God. That unique name was written in their sacred scriptures later referred to as the Old Testament.
“Then God said once more to Moses: “This is what you are to say to the Israelites, ‘Jehovah the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered from generation to generation.” (Exodus 3:15)
God’s sacred name was said to be written in Hebrew in four consonants, the equivalent of YHWH or JHVH in English, from right to left. Hebrew words were mostly written in consonants; the reader would read out the vowels unwritten, resulting in a variety of pronunciations hardly remembered accurately today.
But somehow something unthinkable caused Hebrews to forget how God’s name was originally pronounced.
One of the Ten Commandments God handed to Moses on two tablets of stone stated, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord wilt not hold him guiltless that take his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7, King James Version)
Fearing that people might “take God’s name in vain”, misuse it even unknowingly, Jewish scribes, copyists of ancient manuscripts, decided to omit reading the name aloud but instead to use Adonai (Lord) whenever the name of God appeared in the scripture text.
In later time, copyists adopted the practice of completely omitting God’s name and instead substituted it with LORD (all in capital letters indicating it represented the sacred name in the original). Unwittingly, perhaps, those Jewish scribes and later, the religious leaders known as Pharisees, had invented and perpetuated a superstition that made it a sin to pronounce God’s name.
How God and His people regard His name
When sending ten plagues to Egypt, as related in the Bible, God told the arrogant Pharaoh, “But for this very reason I have kept you in existence: to show you my power and to have my name declared in all the earth.” (Exodus 9:16)
What an awesome way to make God’s name known to people throughout the earth!
Accordingly, one of the composers of Psalms wrote, “May people know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.” (Psalm 83:18)
And no less than Jesus the Messiah and Son of God prayed to his Father, “I have made your name known to them and will make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them.” (John 17:26)
In heaven itself, God’s multitude of spirit creatures were described as praising Him with united voices, saying “Alleluiah!” (Revelation 19: 1-3). The Hebrew rendition of “Hallelujah” actually means “Praise Jah” or “Praise Jehovah” (The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures).
Note: Scriptural evidence shows that verbalizing God’s name Jehovah (Yahweh in The Jerusalem Bible, a modern Catholic translation) had been a common practice among God’s faithful people. It is unthinkable, therefore, that others who profess Christianity would avoid using Jehovah’s name, even omitting it completely in most of their Bible translations!
It is well acknowledged among Christians that God is the author of the Bible, although he used humans to write it under divine inspiration. So how could some modern translators afford to omit his name in its pages? Since the divine name appeared more than 7,000 times in the original manuscripts, should it not be given that importance that it so rightfully deserves?
Ironically, while God’s name was left out in most modern Bible translations, names of false gods such as Dagon, Molech, Baal, and Greek deities Zeus and Hermes — and even Satan — were kept intact where they were mentioned in the scriptures!
Are those translators proving themselves worshippers of the true God — or are they His virtual enemies?
How God views those who forget His name
Back then in Israel, God had noted attempts to forget his name. He declared, “They are prophets of the deceit of their own heart. They intend to make my people forget my name by the dreams they relate to one another, just as their forefathers forgot my name because of Baal.” (Jeremiah 28: 26, 27)
Did not God consider them, in effect, deceivers, they who tried to make others forget his name?
A people for God’s name
On the other hand, not only did Jehovah God see to it that his name was preserved in writing; he was said to raise “a people for his name,” apparently a distinct group of worshippers who would give his name special prominence among the nations.
“Symeon has related thoroughly how God for the first time turned his attention to the nations to take out of them a people for his name . . . So that the men who remain may earnestly seek Jehovah, together with people of all the nations, people who are called by my name,” says Jehovah.” (Acts 15: 14, 17)
The name that saves
The true God has a warm assurance for anyone who would really cherish His divine name, who would live in harmony with God’s righteous standards and no other.
“God said, “Because he has affection for me, I will rescue him. I will protect him because he knows my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in distress. I will rescue him and glorify him.” (Psalm 91: 14, 15)
“For everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” (Romans 10: 13)
Proper attitude toward God’s name
While most worshippers are calling God “our Father,” how can they truly say so unless they proudly mention his name in prayer or in public, as true children should? Knowing someone’s name and addressing him so would show your intimate relations with him, wouldn’t it? Can you truly be somebody’s friend if you do not know or acknowledge his name? Can a child truly prove to be a man’s legitimate child if he refuses to recognize his father’s name?
That no one today can claim to know the original pronunciation of the Divine Name should be no big issue. Jesus’ original name in Hebrew is believed by most scholars as Yeshua or Yehoshua. Yet, is calling him “Jesus” or “Yesu” in Chinese something unacceptable to him?
On the other hand, God himself must be holding a special place in his heart for those who love his name and live up to it.
“For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name . . .” (Hebrews 6: 10)
Such people of faith can honestly and proudly declare to the world, “For all the peoples will walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God forever and ever.” (Micah 4:5)
(For your comments, e-mail mcsucquit@gmail.com)