Here are a podcast and notes on The Name of God (18 minutes).

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Introduction

  • Context of Exodus: Redemption, Law, Mission, Name.
  • We are to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17) -- prayer, baptism, etc.
  • Is there a special "formula"?
    • This is the wrong question: "Do you pronounce God's name correctly?"
    • YAHWEH, ELOHIM, YESHUA?
    • Tuhan, Allah, Iddio, Deus, Bog
  • The point is to know God, not to know how to pronounce his name!
  • Interestingly, some Jews taught that one forfeits his share in the world to come if he mispronounces the name of God -- or denies the resurrection, reads the heretical books, or fails to show mercy (m.Sanh. 10.1; b. 'Erub. 19a; Lev. Rab. 9.1; Exod. Rab. 19.14).
  • Note: In English Bibles, Lord normally renders 'Adonai, while LORD renders YHWH (Yahweh), also called the Tetragrammaton (the four letters).
  • When we speak of someone in court having a “good name,” we mean his or her “reputation,” not simply something that sounds nice when we pronounce "Maurice" or "Annette."

Insight from Exodus

  • Exodus 3:13-15 -- Not really a "name" at all!
  • Exodus 6:2-3 -- Clue to nature of YHWH.
  • Exodus 9:16 -- Just a word we proclaim, or who God truly is?
  • Exodus 20:7 -- Oaths and witchcraft.
  • Exodus 23:21 -- God's "name" placed in the angel.
  • Exodus 33:18-19 -- God is about to reveal his nature to Moses. Then in the next chapter he reveals his nature; he proclaims his name (which includes his attributes).
  • Exodus 34:5-8 -- The name is clearly not a word.

Further

  • Yahweh appears come 6800 times in the O.T. When the Jews translated the Septuagint (from Hebrew into Koine Greek, c.250 BC), they consistently rendered YHWH as God or Lord.
  • In the entire N.T. (also written in Koine Greek), as far as we know, Jesus doesn't pronounce God's name as Yahweh, Jehovah, or anything else, but rather seems to go along with the custom of replacing YHWH with a title of God.
  • This is may be a clue that we are to approach God using one of his titles (God, Lord, Father, Creator, etc), rather than using a name, like Yahweh.
  • At any rate, Jesus never taught his followers who to pronounce God's name.

Conclusions

  • Name = God's identity, presence, authority, nature. John 17:6 --we need teaching in order to learn his name (and even then we sometimes forget).
  • There is no formula!
    • Every true baptism is de facto done in name of Jesus -- regardless of what is said (whether the words of Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:38, or any other passage).
    • Whenever we pray on the basis of Christ's atoning work, we automatically pray in the name of Christ, even if we don't "sign off" the prayer ("in Jesus' name," "in the name of Christ," etc). There is no formula; that is tradition.
  • The name of God isn't magical -- that's paganism! No one can manipulate God.
  • What is of greatest value are God and his word (Psalm 138:2). Therefore, let's strive to learn his name and share his name with others!

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