Yahweh
Yahweh occurs approximately 6500 times in the Old Testament. Yahweh is first used in Genesis 2:4.
The correct pronunciation of this name of God is unknown to our modern ears. Depending upon which scholar is invoked, this name stopped being spoken in as early as the second century B.C. or as late as the second century A.D out of fear of breaking the commandment found in Exodus 20:7. So, Yahweh is an assumed or probable pronunciation of the Hebrew consonants YHWY or YHVY (יהוה), or "Tetragrammaton" (meaning "The Four Letters"). The vowels ("a" and "e") are added for the purposes of aiding pronunciation. The pronunciation, however, is not imperative for our purposes.
Simply stated, Yahweh means "He who is." This is, perhaps, the most fundamental presupposition of Christianity. "He who is" implies eternality. See Exodus 3:13-16; cf. Exodus 6:3. The entire notion of truth requires an eternal source, and only an eternal being can provide such a source. "He who is" also implies independence from space and time. As its Creator, God transcends such boundaries and, thus, He is omnipotent. The concept of Yahweh also brings comfort, as we can be confident that "He who is" is in control of the events of history, and that He has an active role in shaping and directing human events (history) including present and future events.
Everything we know and love, apart from God Himself, must have a source (although not necessarily a beginning). God, then, being the only eternal One, is the source of all that is good and true.
Ultimately, it is the concept of "He who is" that makes God most worthy of admiration, emulation, and worship. Thus, Yahweh tops my list of words.
Soli Deo Gloria
Yahweh occurs approximately 6500 times in the Old Testament. Yahweh is first used in Genesis 2:4.
The correct pronunciation of this name of God is unknown to our modern ears. Depending upon which scholar is invoked, this name stopped being spoken in as early as the second century B.C. or as late as the second century A.D out of fear of breaking the commandment found in Exodus 20:7. So, Yahweh is an assumed or probable pronunciation of the Hebrew consonants YHWY or YHVY (יהוה), or "Tetragrammaton" (meaning "The Four Letters"). The vowels ("a" and "e") are added for the purposes of aiding pronunciation. The pronunciation, however, is not imperative for our purposes.
Simply stated, Yahweh means "He who is." This is, perhaps, the most fundamental presupposition of Christianity. "He who is" implies eternality. See Exodus 3:13-16; cf. Exodus 6:3. The entire notion of truth requires an eternal source, and only an eternal being can provide such a source. "He who is" also implies independence from space and time. As its Creator, God transcends such boundaries and, thus, He is omnipotent. The concept of Yahweh also brings comfort, as we can be confident that "He who is" is in control of the events of history, and that He has an active role in shaping and directing human events (history) including present and future events.
Everything we know and love, apart from God Himself, must have a source (although not necessarily a beginning). God, then, being the only eternal One, is the source of all that is good and true.
Ultimately, it is the concept of "He who is" that makes God most worthy of admiration, emulation, and worship. Thus, Yahweh tops my list of words.
Soli Deo Gloria
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