In May 2006 God told me, "Teach My name to the Church." I thought it was an odd request because at the time, I believed His name was Yahweh or Jehovah and that most Christians already knew those names, plus the compound names Yahweh-Jireh, El Elyon, Yahweh-Rophe, El Shaddai and a few others. I had no idea I was embarking on a journey of study and discovery that would take almost four years to research, write, edit, rewrite, and finally publish in this "Name & Attributes of God" teaching! I also had no idea how much more intimate Father's and my fellowship would become or how passionate and jealous I would become for His true name during the course of researching and writing this study.

The question has been asked, "What is God's name? Does He have a name?" But what HE is asking is who or what power or authority under Heaven gave us permission to change it?!

HE chose to reveal Himself in the Hebrew language as (YHWH or YHVH). And He told Moses, "This is My Name forever, and this is My remembrance to all generations." (Exodus 3:15) He never revoked that, He never changed it, and He never gave us permission to anglicize it for our convenience!

The Bible says that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved . . . that His name is excellent and majestic . . . that there is power in His name! It is only by His abundant grace and mercy that He honors our ignorant fumbling of His most-exalted name and our ascribing to Him the same titles given to the millions of pagan and false gods. YHWH alone is the God!

His name is not "God"! His name is not "Jehovah"! And as you prayerfully consider the evidences laid out in this study, I believe you will agree with me that His name is also not "Yahweh" (as I had thought prior to this) or "Jehovah"! At no time did He give us permission to change and pervert His holy (set-apart) name for our convenience in pronunciation or usage! The Psalmist asks, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" (Psalm 8:4 KJV) And YHWH now asks, "What is man, that you should disregard and discard the name of the Most High God for other names to accommodate your desires and comfort?!"

What arrogance and impudence on our part to believe He doesn't mind when we change His name for easier pronunciation or when we ascribe to Him the same titles ("Lord" and "God") that are assigned to the millions of pagan and false gods in the world!

While we must take every precaution to not use His name carelessly (in vain), my prayer is that through these studies, you'll also come to realize how passionate HE is for us to know His correct name as He revealed it to Isra'el, and how much more power and authority is available to us when we ascribe to Him all "the glory due His name!" (Psalm 96:8a)

As you study the name and titles of our Most High God, please remember that this is a continuing work in progress — primarily because it is difficult, if not impossible, to find agreement among Bible scholars and translators when it comes to the proper transliteration of a name that's not been used for 2000 years. Thus, the neutrality and factual accuracy of this study may be disputed. This teaching is a summation of those ideas and conclusions on which most sources agree. As I continue to study this topic, I may find, from time to time, a need to revisit and rewrite what I am presenting here.

What difference does it make what name I use?
A name is more than just a label; it is an identity. When people think of your specific name, they get a mental picture of you (of your face, your eyes, your smile) and of your attributes (the type of person you are — whether you're kind or mean-spirited, generous or stingy, encouraging or discouraging, arrogant or humble, polite or rude, strong or weak, able-bodied or disabled, whether you're helpful, boastful, bungling, loving, hateful....). And in the Bible, a name is more than an identity, it is the distinct personality of a person regarded as a persisting entity, an exactness, telling us everything we need to know about that person. For example...

• The name Jacob meant "over thrower" or "deceiver". Genesis 27:36a — "And he said, 'Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times:" (WEB)
• Later, God changed Jacob's name to Israel, which means "princely contender with God" or "God contended for". Genesis 32:28 — "And He said, 'Your name is no longer called Ya'aqob, but Yisra'el, because you have striven with Elohim and with men, and have overcome.'" (TS98)
• The name Nabal meant "fool". 1 Samuel 25:25 — "[Abigail...said...] 'For as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him.'" (WEB)
• And in 1 Chronicles 4:9, we read about the man Jabez whose name meant "pain" or "sorrowful" — "...his mother called his name Jabez, saying, 'Because I bare him with sorrow.'" (WEB)

As you get to know God by the actual name and titles He ascribes to Himself — not the names/titles we imperfect, iniquitous humans have substituted for His name — your view of Him will change. He will become bigger, more majestic, more holy, more able to meet every one of your deepest needs, and more worthy of your heartfelt devotion and worship.

• Nehemiah 9:5b — "Rise, bless your Elohim forever and ever! And let them bless Your esteemed Name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise!" (TS98)
• Exodus 20:7 — "You do not bring the Name of your Elohim to naught, for does not leave the one unpunished who brings His Name to naught." (TS98)
• Leviticus 22:32 — "And do not profane My set-apart [holy] Name, and I shall be set-apart among the children of Yisra'el. I am , who sets you apart." (TS98)

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