What [is] His name? What shall I say unto them?

God tells Moses in Exodus 3:14,  “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. ”  YHWH is the promised name of God. This name of God which (by Jewish tradition) is too holy to voice, is actually spelled “YHWH” without vowels. YHWH is referred to as the Tetragrammaton (which simply means “the four letters”). YHWH comes from the Hebrew letters: Yud, Hay, Vav, Hay. While YHWH is first used in Genesis 2, God did not reveal Himself as YHWH until Exodus 3.  The modern spelling as “Yahweh” includes vowels to assist in pronunciation.  Many pronounce YHWH as “Yahweh” or “Jehovah.”  We no longer know for certain the exact pronunciation.  During the third century A.D., the Jewish people stopped saying this name in fear of contravening the commandment “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain” (Exd 20:7).    As a result of this, Adonai is occasionally a substitute for YHWH.

As we investigate further into the nature of God, we see His omnipotence in this name He gives Himself.   ”I AM THAT I AM” reflects God’s eternalness.  He has always been and will always be.  As we spend time in prayer this week, let’s think about God’s eternalness and how we share this as adopted children.