The Name
Introduction
The usual idea is that the Name of God is never to be
spoken. We will explore that idea with
the view that the Name of God is never to be spoken in vain. Thus the Kethib, יהוה, is marked so that it will ordinarily be
read as Adonai, or Lord, which is
the Qere (what is to be read aloud), rather than Yahweh as it would normally sound
as written. Still, this is not some idle
Israelite superstition, it is a custom designed to guard against the flagrant abuse
of God’s sacred Name, so that it not be put to common use. God’s Name is not to be used unless
necessary, and then only with honor and respect. So we see the Qere, Adonai, not as a
prohibition; rather it is a protection.
That which is sacred must never be reduced to common use. Here is why we believe such a thing.
Exodus
3:1-15, KJV paraphrase
Now while
Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian, he led the
flock to the backside of the desert, coming to the mountain of God, Horeb. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the middle
of a bush; when he looked, behold, the bush burned with fire, yet the bush was not
consumed. Moses thought, “I will now turn
aside to see this great sight: Why is the
bush not burned?” So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to
him from the middle of the bush, saying, “Moses, Moses.” He replied, “Here I am.”[1]
He said,
“Do not come nearer until you take off your shoes from your feet: for the place
where you stand is holy ground. I am the
God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look
at God. The Lord continued,
“I have surely
seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry caused by their taskmasters:
for I know their sorrows. I have come down
to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians; to bring them up from that land
to a good and spacious land; to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place
of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. So, behold, the cry of the children of Israel
is come to me; I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress
them. Thus, I will send you to Pharaoh, so
that you may bring forth my people, the children of Israel, from Egypt.”
Then Moses
answered God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth
the children of Israel from Egypt?”
He responded,
“Certainly I will be with you; this shall be a token to you that I have sent
you: when you have brought forth the people from Egypt, you shall serve God on this
mountain.”
Moses
answered God again, “Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and I shall
say to them, ‘The God of your fathers hath sent me to you;’ and they shall say to
me, ‘What is His Name?’ what shall I say to them?”[2]
God responded
to Moses, “I Am That I Am:” 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, ‘the Lord God of your fathers, 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 My Memorial for all generations.’ ”
The
Name
Much to-do is made over the origination of this unspeakable
Name and its first revelation.
First of all, we are not sure that this is the first
revelation of the unspeakable Name: nothing in the text declares that with
certainty. This is, as much as all else,
the unspeakable Name: it is not to be blazed about in every common context; it
is sacred, it is holy, it is reserved for special use. That it is the unspeakable Name, does not
make it the unheard Name, or the unknown Name, or the unrecognizable Name, or
the that’s-never-been-used-before Name.
It is set apart for special occasions: which does not make this the
first such occasion in the history of mankind.[3]
More importantly, it makes no sense whatsoever in this
context, to have possession of the official unspeakable Name, if it has no
meaning or resonance with the hearers, for purposes of introduction. The very purpose of being granted permission
to use the unspeakable Name is to validate the message; this is futile if the
hearers cannot recognize the unspeakable Name for what it is.
This is the Hebrew equivalent of a king giving his seal ring
to the ambassador who acts in his authority and honor: it has no value if it is
not recognized by the king’s subjects and is not supported by the king’s power
and all his armies. It bluntly proclaims
that defiance of the message, as it is about to be declared, is an invitation
to police action or war.
Thus Moses is not asking to know the unspeakable Name, as
much as he is asking for authority to use the unspeakable Name. Moses immediately realizes the significance
of the unspeakable Name and bows before His authority. Moses is now assured that this is the real
deal, and he is now authorized to speak the unspeakable Name: he is not being
appointed to speak merely for himself, but for Yahweh.
This is an “AHA!” moment, a “WOW!” event for both Moses and
Israel. This is the real “Wakeup
Call.” This is the “Call to Arms.” This is the trumpet blast. It is the single most important event in
life. It is imperative that we respond
to it when it happens. A second call may
never come. We may never get a second
chance to respond. This is the Old
Testament equivalent of Paul’s, “Now is the day of salvation
(2 Corinthians 6:2).”
The
Documentary Hypothesis
Of all the inane outcomes that may be imagined from this
passage, the most absurd is that it should be used as the instrument to slice
and dice the Scripture into various source documents: J (950), E (850), D
(600), P (500), and the like. The
continuance in following this line of logic is without rationale.
Conclusion
It is highly unlikely that this is the first occurrence and
use of unspeakable Name in history. It
is probably not the first time Moses has heard the Name. Moses asks permission to introduce God
officially by Name, and he expects that Name to grab the attention of every
Israelite, and shake everyone to awestruck attention. The unspeakable Name introduces the
proclamation of the message. Everyone
expects powerful miracles to follow. We
do well to give it earnest heed.
[1]
Ironic words indicating the role that Moses is about to play. Much of Scripture cannot be understood until
it is viewed from the perspective of pageantry.
[2] This
is the next logical question: for, as we shall see, once the instruction to go
is given, the very next step is to receive the seal of affirmation: usually the
king’s seal ring, cylinder seal, or an article imprinted with either of
these. No legate ventures forth without
the signed and officially stamped documents of authority. God’s seal of authority is His unspeakable
Name.
[3] It
is bad enough when expressions like, G-- d--- it, escape our lips. It is beyond our wildest imagination that
Yahweh or Jesus should ever be used in such an expression. As it now is, Jesus! is exclaimed far too
gratuitously. The Qere safeguard is duly
warranted.
[4] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations,
please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish. No rights are reserved. They are designed and intended for your free
participation. They were freely
received, and are freely given. No other
permission is required for their use.
