As we step into the first full week of this blog, I want to lay some framework for where we’re heading.
Too often, people shy away from the Old Testament. They’ll say, “I’m under the New Covenant” as if that means the first half of God’s Word no longer matters. But I believe with everything in me that the Bible is God-breathed from Genesis to Revelation. The whole book matters. The whole book points us to Him.
That’s why we’ll spend a lot of time moving in and out of the entire story. And what better place to begin than with the name of God—Yahweh—and then the Ten Commandments?
Over the next 10 blog days (remember, I observe the Sabbath, so you won’t see a post then), we’re going to dig deep into the hidden insights of the very first set of laws God gave. The first tablets weren’t carved by human hands—they were written by the very finger of God.
So keep checking back, and don’t miss a single post. If you haven’t signed up for the newsletter yet, this is the best way to stay connected and follow along.
Yahweh: The Covenant Name of God
When we open our Bibles, we often see the word LORD in all capital letters. But hidden behind that English translation is something far more personal, ancient, and powerful: the name Yahweh.
1. The Origin of the Name
The divine name of God appears in Hebrew as יהוה (YHWH), known as the Tetragrammaton — literally, “the four letters.”
It’s first revealed in Exodus 3:14, when God speaks to Moses through the burning bush:
“I AM WHO I AM… tell them ‘I AM’ has sent you.”
This moment wasn’t just an introduction — it was God anchoring His people to His eternal identity.
2. What Does Yahweh Mean?
Most scholars connect Yahweh to the Hebrew verb hayah (“to be”). That makes the name rich with meaning:
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He is
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He causes to be
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The Ever-Existent One
In short: God simply IS. He depends on nothing, yet everything depends on Him.
3. How Do We Say It?
The truth is — we’re not 100% sure. Ancient Hebrew didn’t write vowels. Out of deep reverence, Jewish tradition avoided saying the name at all, substituting Adonai (“Lord”) instead.
That’s why many English Bibles print LORD in all caps.
Later, Christian scribes mixed the consonants of YHWH with the vowels of Adonai, creating the form Jehovah. Most scholars today lean toward Yahweh as the closest pronunciation.
4. Why Does It Matter?
Yahweh isn’t just another title for God — it’s His covenant name. Titles like Elohim (God) or El Shaddai (God Almighty) show His power and majesty, but Yahweh reveals His relationship.
This is the God who makes promises and keeps them. The God who says, “I AM with you.”
5. What It Means for Us
When we call Him Yahweh, we’re remembering:
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He is unchanging when our world is unstable.
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He is self-existent when we feel insufficient.
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He is present when we feel alone.
Yahweh isn’t distant. He is the great I AM — always present, always faithful.
💬 “For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that He swore to them.” — Deuteronomy 4:31
🌿 Final Thought
In a culture where names can be forgotten or replaced in an instant, Yahweh stands eternal. He is the same God who called Moses, who carried Israel, who walked among us in Christ, and who still whispers, “I AM with you.”
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