The LORD, I AM
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ … ‘The LORD 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 to all generations.’” Exodus 3:14-15 KNJV
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/ By any other name would smell as sweet.” This is Juliet’s line in Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. Through Juliet, the Bard was telling audiences that a name is nothing but a name. Romeo is the same person Juliet would love if he didn’t have the dreaded Montague name that linked them to their families’ feud.
Despite Shakespeare’s claim, names are an important part of who we are. They connect us to family, culture, and to our own identity. Baby name books state the meanings behind names, which some people consider carefully. Actors have changed names to portray a different type of character; what type of parts may John Wayne have had if he was known by his birth name, Marion Robert Morrison?
Names of the LORD tell us about the character and attributes of God. There are many names for the Lord God in the Bible. In this nine-part series, we will explore some of the names of the LORD. His names reveal who He is. As we learn more about God through His names, my prayer is that we will know Him better and become closer to Him.
When reading the Bible, Lord and LORD are seen. What do these differences reveal?
LORD, or YHWH in Hebrew, means the self-existent One. The LORD always has been, He is, and He forever will be, therefore He is the eternal I AM. The name LORD is sometimes translated in English as Jehovah. GOD (all uppercase) also refers to YHWH. It is the name I AM that the LORD has Moses tell the Israelites is the God who sent Moses to them.
Just imagine, the self-existent One knows our future before we are even born! What confidence we can have in knowing that the LORD has no end, but that He will still be God in the future, and still hold us and our families in His hand.
Jews consider the name LORD or YHWH too holy to say, nor do they want to misuse His name. They refer to God as Adonai, translated as the Lord (partly lower case). Sometimes Lord is rendered “Almighty.”
This form of the name Lord is derived from sovereignty. The name Lord was also used as a name for people to show that someone was the head or master over them. David used it when he called to King Saul (I Samuel 24:8). Sarah used it referring to her husband Abraham (I Peter 3:6). The Lord Jesus Christ is sovereign over us. He is the head of the Church, and believers are the body.
What’s in a name? In the names LORD God and I AM, we learn that our God is the Self-existent One, the eternal I AM, and the Almighty God.
If we really consider who the LORD God is, how will that change the way we relate to Him?
Dear LORD God, thank you for being eternal. We can serve You, because death has no hold on You. Lord, please be the master of my life. There is no God like You. Amen.
Resources:
- The New Scofield Study Bible- New King James Version, 1989 Edition. (Thomas Nelson Publishers Nashville TN), Notes for Genesis 34:6, p.121.
- Thomas Carroll, “The Difference Between GOD, God and god in the King James Bible.”https://www.againstspiritualwickedness.com/2019/12/01/the-difference-between-god-god-and-god-in-the-king-james-bible/ (posted 01/12/2019, accessed 08/01/2022)
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Thank you for joining me and for reading my devotional blogs. I hope and pray that you will be touched by God in a special way each time you visit. Blogs usually post every other Thursday. Past devotionals are archived for your convenience.
Kathryn Breckenridge 