My name is Jim. Actually, it’s James, but I’ve gone by Jim for as long as I can remember. The backs of a few old family photographs and the shoutouts of close friends would suggest there are other occasional nicknames, but Jim is the only name that has seen consistent use. 

Knowing this about me, it would be of no surprise that if asked my name on a Sunday morning, “Jim” would be the expected and appropriate response. Simply stated, this is the name by which I am most recognizably known.

My name says something to others about who I am. It gives me a relational identity that should be uniquely mine, yet it is not in and of itself entirely unique. The reason I say this is simple—it is a given name that is shared with others. My late grandfather’s name was James, though he went by Jimmy. My uncle’s name is James, though he goes by his middle name, Edwin. Even my oldest son shares in the family use, as James is his middle name. 

In fact, numerous people across history have shared my name.

The connotations that you associate with someone named Jim or James may not only come from direct or indirect interaction with me, but may also come from an experienced knowledge of the countless others who have shared the name. 

This pronounced guilt or given grace is a side effect of the associations of a name that is derived from and given to individuals prone to struggle with sin. We are imperfect in our ability to perfectly represent even the best intended names.

As a parent, choosing names for our children was always an interesting adventure. We wanted their names to have meaning and uniqueness. This was mostly the result of a desire to honor names that had positive affiliations and avoid those that were negative.

Clearly, names matter.

So let me ask, “If names matter, do the names of God matter?”

I’m sure we would all be quick to say yes, but have we really stopped to think about what we are agreeing to?

In reality, what do we think of when we encounter one of the names of God in scripture? Do we pause to consider the meaning? What attributes does the name represent? How do those attributes play out in other parts of scripture? Or do we see it as just a name?

If the names given to our imperfect earthly existence matter (we will save a discussion of Revelation 2:17 for some other time), how much more should the names of our God matter?

I want to take a brief look at the first time God reveals his name to creation in Exodus 3.

Though the account of Moses and the burning bush contains much more than a Sunday morning introduction, in Exodus 3:13 Moses asks God how he should respond if the people of Israel ask him God’s name:

       Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and
       say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and 
       they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What shall I say to them?”

Whereas my Sunday morning response would be to share the name passed on to me by my parents, God responds to Moses with a name that could not be given by man. In verses 14 and 15, God says the following: 

       God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to
       the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 

       God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD,
       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, and 
       thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

In responding to Moses in this way, God not only makes a statement about his unique identity, but also about his very presence (in this case with Moses and the people of Israel enslaved in Egypt). And he accomplishes this through nothing more than the sharing of his name.

To understand why I say this, let’s take a closer look at the wording used in these verses.

The transliteration of the Hebrew word used in verse 14 is the root verb hyh or hwh, which is translated as “to be,” “to exist,” or “to cause to become.” In using this word, God not only identifies himself as one who is uncreated and has no beginning, but also as one who is present in the here and now. 

Essentially, if we were to put it into terms we could more easily relate to, God is saying “I was,” “I am,” and “I will be.” There is both a referencing of his aseity (self-existence) and of his past, present, and future presence with and faithfulness to his people.

In verse 15, God shares the more formal name, “the LORD,” (in all capital letters) to Moses. The transliterated Hebrew in this case is the more familiar word yhwh (Yahweh). This too is often translated as “to be” or “I am,” as it is derived from the same root verb of hyh or hwh. 

This form of God’s name appears nearly 7,000 times in scripture, beginning in Genesis. That’s right, nearly 7,000 times!

In referring to himself as “I AM” and “the LORD,” God is telling Moses that he who was present with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is present with Israel in their captivity. 

Through this name, God provides a relational aspect, saying, “You know me, because you have seen my faithfulness.”

There is a power, presence, and purpose conveyed through this use of God’s name that we could easily overlook. It is too easy for us to look at a passage such as this and make far too little of who God is.

God IS. God is the great I AM. God is the LORD.

The use of the name “Yahweh” or “the LORD” and the meaning behind it makes it clear that there is a reverence to be associated with it. This is not a common name associated with God by man, but rather a name of God revealed to man by God himself. 

When we come across “the LORD” or “I AM” in scripture, it should cause us to pause and consider the uncreated one who was, is, and will be. It is without question that no other holds these attributes and no other can make claim to this name. We miss the opportunities to more deeply and intimately worship our living God when we dismiss the importance of the names he is referenced by in scripture.

Taking a quick aside, this one name of God permeates scripture. We see it from the onset of His word in Genesis 2, all the way through to Revelation 19, when we repeatedly see the word “hallelujah” (literally “praise Jah” or “praise Yahweh”).

Even though the Greek of the New Testament doesn’t directly use the name “Yahweh,” we still see the thread of reverence, presence, power, and purpose revealed through this name carried out through Jesus. We see Jesus refer to himself as “I am” in John 8. We see Paul and others refer to Jesus as “the Lord.” 

God’s word is so full of intricate and beautiful detail, that even the use of a name matters. There are layers upon layers of truth, breathed into life by his very hands. It is my prayer for us that we would be fascinated by God and his word. I pray that we would see glimpses of His depth, and that we would desire more and more to give Him the reverence that He alone is due.

I pray that we would look closely upon the name of God, and that we would find ourselves in awe.

Hallelujah!!