Yahweh, the Ineluctable
April 16th, 2009 by Sean
by Dr. Joe Martin, Academic Dean of Atlanta Bible College
I confess. I had to look up “ineluctable” when I first read it in an article about Yahweh. It means “not to be avoided, resisted or changed.” Well, if that’s the case, I’m a little “ticked,” perturbed, bothered. We’re losing God’s identity, my Abba, my Father by hiding him with another tradition. In a letter from the “Congregation for Divine Worship,” dated June 29, 2008 and signed by Cardinal Francis Arinze and Archbishop Malcom Ranjith, the Vatican no longer wants the name of God, Yahweh used in liturgy, that is songs, preaching, or other parts of formal service. As Charlie Brown would say, “Good grief, whose idea was that!”
In II Chronicles 7:14 God says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” How can we be called by a name if it’s not used? Exodus 3:15 God tells Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh), 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, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.” How can it be remembered from generation to generation unless we use it?
The Tetragrammaton, four letter name of God given by God, YHWH, is used some 6,828 times in the Bible. Two hundred times God says, “I am Yahweh.” Sixty-eight times God says, you will “know that I am the LORD (YHWH). “The form ‘Yahweh’ is now accepted almost universally.” However, tradition has become the enemy again! The Bible says for the third commandment “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain!” (Ex. 20:7) The N.I.V. says “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.” It DOES NOT SAY you shall not use the name of the LORD thy God!
Jesus was a little perturbed at tradition as well. They had taken the sixth commandment, “Honor your father and mother…” and twisted it also. He says “Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down.” (Mk. 7:13) Some took the money to help their parents in their old age and put it in a fund “for God.” (or so they said!) Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 4:6 “I have applied these things … so that you may learn …do not go beyond what is written.” In two MAJOR (the Big TEN!) commandments we’ve gone from what is written to tradition!
Where did the idea of not EVER speaking the name of God come from? The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament says “Use of the name disclosed…an ineluctable demonstration of divine reality.” In the context of the Vatican letter, and the Jewish tradition of not using the name of God, why are many submitting to tradition rather than the word of God? If ineluctable means “NOT TO BE AVOIDED, CHANGED, OR RESISTED,” why are some proposing that we avoid, change and resist the use of the proper name. As they say in the south, “that’s a crying shame!” Jesus used the phrase “Lord our God” and the “Lord your God” several times that go back to the name of God. Nine times the “Lord God” is referred to in Revelation.
Evidently as Hellenism, Greek influence, was growing between the testaments, 400 b.c. until Jesus, some Jewish religious folk, decided that since the name could not be well translated into Greek (note Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament), and possibly abused, it should not be used at all. It does not say that in the Torah/Pentateuch, or the Tanakh/entire Old Testament. It became part of a tradition! Evidently, tradition becomes more important than the WORD! This is also part of the problem with Catholic/catholic traditions. We let tradition overrule the Word of God. Good examples of this are the illogical, unbiblical, unreasonable points in the Creeds of Christianity. Many feel they must be accepted because church tradition to them is just as valid as the Word of God. I’m a “Bibletarian,” if it’s not in the Bible lighten up. If it is in the Bible, tighten up. Why not just quote scripture on what we believe? For example, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God!” (Mt. 16:16, Peter speaking)
If Jesus says “You nullify the word of God by your tradition,” shouldn’t we be very careful obeying the rules, laws or traditions of man rather than God? Check out Peter and John in Acts, “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29) In the transition from the WORD to TRADITION, the Jews came up with a “novel” idea, Qere and Ketib. Ketib is what is written, such as the name of the LORD/YHWH/Yahweh. Since they didn’t want the name said, they would put a “Q” in the margin and have different vowels surrounding the tetragrammaton and as they were reading would say a different word such as Adonay (the Lord) or HaShem (meaning “the name”). This “Q” or Qere, became WHAT IS SAID. Afterward, in some cases, they just wrote the Qere, what was to be said, instead of the actual word! It also seems we are cautioned against that in Revelation 22:18,19 “If anyone adds… or if anyone takes words away… .”
A prime example of this is in the “Shema” of Israel, Deut. 6:4. It is the foundational verse of both Judaism and Christianity according to Jesus in Mark 12:29 and following. In Hebrew there are only 6 words: Shema Yisrael YHWH Elohinu, YHWH Echad or Hear Israel, YHWH OurGod, YHWH One. In English, it is, “Hear O Israel, The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” However, Jews say, “Shema Yisrael Adonay Elohinu, Adonay Echad.” They substitute the Qere: Adonay, for the Ketib: YHWH. Now it is mostly WRITTEN, Adonay!
SO… what’s the point!! We’re losing God, THE God, Greek o theos. Of course Jesus teaches and stresses God/YHWH as FATHER. One hundred and seventy times he tells of his and our father’s nature. His prayer, our prayer, “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…” is our standard. He also said in Matthew 23:39 (from Psa. 118:26) “For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Hebrew, BeShem YHWH) Jesus will return in the name of the LORD/Yahweh, his Father and hopefully our Father, HIS God, and hopefully our God. Later, the Arabic al Lah originally “…simply meant ‘the God,’ [and] was identical to the God worshipped by the Jews and the Christians.” This statement by Karen Armstong would be hotly contested today.
If the LORD/Yahweh is the ineluctable God, not to be avoided, resisted or changed, let’s continue to fight against “tradition” when it goes against the word of God whether we find this in the Jewish traditions, the Catholic/catholic traditions, in our creeds and traditions, or in MY traditions. Hallelujah! Hallel-U-Yah! Praise the LORD! Praise Yahweh the ineluctable God of heaven and earth, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father!
by Dr. Joe Martin, Academic Dean of Atlanta Bible College
Thanks Sean. That’s a nice article from Joe.
I absolutely agree that we should use God’s actual name when appropriate. There’s nothing wrong in calling Yahweh by the name He Himself said to use & be remembered – FOREVER.
I’m a far cry for any kind of “sacred name” fanatic, but I personally prefer using “Yahweh” when praying to God our Father. And though I use Jesus as the traditional name of our Messiah (especially for ease of communication), I tend to gravitate a little more towards using “Yahshua” or “Yeshua” just because I myself would prefer someone to use my real name and not a translation of it when possible/practicle.
Speaking of the Jewish “over-reverence” in protecting God’s name, over the years I have had quite a few online discussions with various Jewish Rabbi’s and in emails or chat sessions they would not even write/type out the word “God”. Instead they would use “G-d” (or as Joe mentioned “Ha-shem”).
Ron,
I’m glad you liked the article. I frequently substitute Yahweh for LORD when reading the Bible. It really adds clarity to the text. Just for clarification, Yahshua is a fictitious name invented by the sacred name people. The long form of Y’shua is Y’hoshua (where the ‘ represents the vowel sheva which is like a shortened “uh” sound).
Sean,
how do you know that the correct pronunciation is “Yahweh?”
I believe the standard understanding amongst the Jews in Israel today leans toward “Yehovah” as the correct pronunciation, although good luck getting anyone to say the name.
The sheva (vowel composed of two dots directly beneath the letter) is not a “uh” sound but rather a quick “eh” sound.
When Hebrew gets brought up I have to say something, as you know those who came up with the sacred name doctrine (Yah’shua) have hacked the Hebrew language. Another one they commonly misinterpret is “elohim.”
Thank you Sean for bringing this to light
I don’t know what an “eh” sound is…and my Hebrew teacher told me it is an “uh” sound. Sorry, but that’s how I learned it.
The consensus is Yahweh not Yehovah…owing to the presence of Yah in so many names, not the least of which is Hallelujah.
Sean,
Joseph is correct regarding the pronunciation of the sheva. It is pronounced “e” as in “men”. (Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shva)
Josephus commented that the name of God consisted of four vowels. The letters yod, he and vav can function either as vowels or consonants. If Josephus was correct then the Name would probably have been pronounced as:
i – ah – oo- eh
The Jewish Temple in Elephantine, Egypt, was for their God Yaho.
I think the jury is still out about whether or not Yahweh is the best pronunciation.
I think it’s “Yahoo.”
(Seek and ye shall find?)
Yahweh is the consensus among people these days. There are few frindge groups that use Yahowa or whatever. but I think the Yah is pretty well established from the many names that include that syllable in them Isaiah, Jeremiah, Azariah, etc.
On the sheva….it is not the “e” as in men…that is the vowel with three dots (according to the Wiki link you dropped). Sheva looks like this : and it is a very short vowel often transliterated by an apostrophe
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