Keeps His Promises

In the Hebrew language Jehovah is spelled with four consonant characters, JHVH, or is it YHWH?  I don’t want you to get lost in the weeds, but some of you may find this interesting. This gets technical, so hang with me. When translating from one alphabet to another, the translator must use his judgment to chose the letter or character that best correlates to the sound of the letter or character being translated.  When translating from Hebrew to English some translators choose a J while others chose a Y for the same sound.  Some chose a V  while others chose a W for the same sound. Add to this the fact that the Hebrew language doesn’t have vowels. Our translators add them to “help” with the pronunciation. This is how you can start with the same four Hebrew characters and get two very different English words,  Jehovah and Yahweh. Actually Yahweh is probably closer to the way this name was originally spoken. However because Jehovah is used by the King James translators it has become more accepted, therefore we will use the name Jehovah for this study.

What Does Jehovah Mean?

However you spell it or pronounce it, whether you say it or don’t say it, the name Jehovah is very significant.  This fact is not debatable. The name Jehovah relates to the Hebrew verb havah which means to be, being, essence, permanent existence.  I AM.  The root letters of Jehovah contain every tense of the verb to be,  I was, I am, I will be.  I AM is the one who stands outside of time, he is the self-existent one without ending or beginning.  He is living, in fact, living is never used as an adjective connected to Jehovah, that would be redundant.  This name, unlike most of the other names for God, is not associated with his works, but with his being. Jehovah refers to his essence, his substance, he always was, he always is and he is ever to come.  Jehovah is consistent and constant.  He is absolute and unchangeable, immutable.  In the words of Malachi 3:6 where Jehovah describes himself, “I change not.” In the words of James 1:17 there is no shadow of shifting with him, no variation.  He is dependable. Jehovah means I am who I am.  He doesn’t need help from anyone.

The name Jehovah is first introduced in Genesis 2 and used several more times in the book of Genesis. However, it is not until the time of Moses that the meaning of the name Jehovah is revealed to man.  We learn about the meaning in Exodus 3 when Moses had a life changing encounter with God in the burning bush. After God got his attention through a burning bush, God declared that Moses must remove his sandals from his feet because the very ground he was standing upon was holy ground. That would get your attention!

God went on to declare that he is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  At this point Moses hid his face because he was too afraid to look. Over a millennium later when Stephen was retelling the history of Israel he added this detail, and Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. Acts 7:32.

God told Moses he had seen the suffering of his people in Egypt and heard their cry. He promised Moses that he would bring them up to a land flowing with milk and honey. This is exactly what God had promised Abraham some 400 years earlier in Genesis 15:13-16.  Jehovah the self existent One who stands outside of time keeps His covenant.

As God called Moses to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Moses had some questions and insecurities.  He was worried that the Israelites would not believe him, unsure they would follow him. Moses wondered how he would answer their inevitable question, “Who sent you to us, what is His name?”

And God said to Moses, I AM who I AM.  Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. Jehovah the 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 name to all generations. Exodus 3:14-15

God revealed his memorial name to Moses because Moses could look back to the promises God made to Abraham four hundred years earlier and understand that God was keeping his promises.  Abraham received the covenant and believed it, but he never lived to see much of it fulfilled.  Moses would live out the fulfillment of a larger portion of the covenant.  He experience God’s faithfulness and power.  As God delivered His people from the hand of pharaoh, Moses learned that  Jehovah, I am who I am, the living God who stands outside of time makes promises and keeps them.  His purposes will not be thwarted.  In the words of Hebrews 13:8 He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  In the words of Revelation 1, He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.  He doesn’t change, his covenant doesn’t change. His word doesn’t change. What he has promised, he will perform.

He waited over 400 years to fulfill this promise to Abraham about his family being rescued out of Egypt and brought back to the Promised Land. I know God was doing a lot of things on many levels and that His timing is always perfect.  I know that he is never late.  But 400 years?  That is almost twice as long as the United States has been in existence.

I said, reverently but honestly, something like, “Maybe you don’t understand what it is like to be under the restraints of time since you stand outside of time.  Do you understand how hard it is to wait so long and keep praying with no answer?”  My philosophy is that I might as well tell God my thoughts since he knows them anyway.

That very day in my normal reading through the Bible this is what I read from I Samuel 7:2, And it came about from that day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim that the time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

I cannot explain my reaction to reading these words.  All at once I knew that God heard my cry.  God understood what it was like to wait on him.  God knew that twenty years is a long time. He  encouraged me to keep on praying even though I did’t see an answer.  God loves me! God’s word really is living and active and meets me right where I am in the struggles of life. Jehovah meeting me through his word brought new fervor to my prayers. So I want to encourage you with this story.  Jehovah hears the cry of his people even when we are asked to wait.

Jehovah, this is his memorial name, this is how he wants us to remember him, to think of him, to relate to him.  He is the self-existent autonomous alive Being.  He stoops to bind himself in blood covenant with lowly man because of his compassion.  He sees our suffering.  He stands outside of time but steps into our world and into time and binds himself in covenant to his people.  Jehovah hears, Jehovah remembers, He is the great I AM.

Let’s pray,  Jehovah, when we behold you we are on holy ground. You are the great I AM, the one who stands outside of time.  You were, you are and you will be.  You hear the cry of your people and you keep your covenant.  We wait on you. Your word is true and unchangeable. We bow in adoration before you. Amen

Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel who alone works wonders and blessed be His glorious name forever.