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God of Israel

YAHWEH, The Personal Name Of The God Of Israel

by Christa May 31, 2021

written by Christa

The Bible has offered many names to refer to God – Yahweh, Jehovah, Adonai, LORD. But, in the Hebrew Bible, the word YAHWEH is the revealed personal name of the God of Israel.

YAHWEH

Yahweh’s first meaning is found during Moses’ encounter with the burning bush (Exodus 3). Here, God appeared to Moses and commissioned him to free the Israelites from slavery. When Moses asked His name so that he can tell it to the people, God told him, “Tell them, ‘EHYE has sent me to you.'”

The Hebrew word, EHYE, means “I WILL BE.” God is the One who is and who will be. His Being does not depend on anyone or anything, but simply He is.

Since God is the only One who can use the word “EHYE,” He then reconstructed His sentence so that Moses can deliver the message clearly to God’s people. He told Moses to tell them, “Yahweh, the God of our ancestors, He has sent me to you.”

Personal Name of the God of Israel

YAHWEH is the Hebrew form of the verb “HE WILL BE.” This then became the personal name of the God of Israel. It appears over 6,500 times in the Old Testament.

Over the next years, Israelites so honored the sacred name of God that they stopped saying “YAHWEH.” Instead, they replaced it with the Hebrew word for Lord, which is Adonai.

So, for the next centuries, the practice has passed down even to the Bible translators. Scholars would translate God’s divine name into Adonai but spell it with capital letters, LORD.

Furthermore, ancient Jewish scribes wanted to prevent readers of the Hebrew Bible from accidentally saying aloud the sacred name. So, they created a method to remind its readers to replace the name with Adonai.

They took the four consonant letters of YAHWEH, Y, H, W, H, and the three vowels of ADONAY, A, O, and A. They inserted the vowels in between the consonants, resulting in a new word, YAHOWAH.

No Israelite would say, YAHOWAH, but this is only a visual reminder for the readers to prevent mentioning God’s name and only say Adonai.

Love God With All Of Your ‘Meod’ Or ‘Strength’; But In Hebrew, Meod Does Not Mean Strength

Later, Christian scribes who did not know the meaning behind the new word would actually use YAHOWAH to address God and include it in their writings. Eventually, it became the basis of the word, Jehovah, that entered in English translations.

Ultimately, the word LORD found in the Bible is translated from God’s personal name. We should not confuse it from the word Lord with small letters. Lord is the actual translated word of the Hebrew, “adon,” which means master or lord.

Yahweh - LORD

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Reference: Youtube | Bible Project

May 31, 2021 0 comment

Faith

“Until I Deborah, Arose.”

by Corine Channell August 24, 2020

written by Corine Channell

Deborah

I really never studied about Deborah of the Bible. But I knew her name meant “bee”. I knew this because of a little girl named Maren Deborah and all the bee tokens I have bought her mama in her memory since she passed away 17 years ago. Funny, I just realized that the tiny bee has been waiting for me to notice its silent significance, or maybe it is just time. Sometimes it is the tiny things that will stand out the most – like a flicker of candlelight in the darkness. It is time to meet Deborah.

Deborah was a judge and the ONLY female judge mentioned in the Bible. She was also a prophetess. And, (are you ready for this) – a military leader. So, a judge, a prophetess, and a future military leader. Talk about Wonder Woman!

Here is a quick rundown of some Deborah moments. At the beginning of Judges chapter 5, it describes a time when fearful Israelites stayed in their houses and there was no one out in the streets. They were hiding from their Canaanite enemies, held captive by their fear. Judges 5:7 says, “Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until…”

Until.

I love that ONE word here. Until. It is a transition word. And it means something changed – something happened! It is followed by only THREE words, so a total of four words that changed that whole scenario. Ready? “Until I, Deborah arose.” Wait. What? That was THE change? Yes. ONE woman’s fearlessness to stand in the face of fear and an impossible situation; to be willing to make a difference – alone. (Insert YOUR name. “Until I ______ arose.” And see if YOUR situation could change because of YOU. Just sayin’.)

Mother In Israel

Let’s finish that verse – “Until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.”(Judges 5:7) Did she arise a mother? The term “mother in Israel” means – “Restoration of motherhood.” At the beginning of a war, the first thing to be awakened in her was MOTHERHOOD?

In Hebrew, the word for “mother in Israel” is ‘Shakamti’, which means “healing and mending.” (And THAT beautifully sums up motherhood.) So in her ONE statement, she presents herself as the mother of ISRAEL and announces the restoration and liberating power of MOTHERHOOD.

Mothers heal and mend. We all are mothers whether to natural-born children or to others who need a mother very badly. Get this right here – Women ARE all mothers – we are equipped by God to be powerful and courageous – we blaze new trails, we save lives, we fill in the blank spaces, we love fiercely, and it ALL makes us WARRIORS like Deborah.

The Song Of Deborah

Deborah was ready when her day of destiny showed up. This is key. Remember, she was already a judge, a prophetess, and an awakened mother to her country. So, all of Deborah’s ready skills prepared her for her NEXT task which was to become a military leader! I love everything about this. Come on! Look at her resume – talk about HERO status.

The one thing that stood out to me in this story is that she sang. No really, she SANG. “Awake, awake Deborah; awake, awake, utter a song… “ (Judges 5:12) She was awakened to then go PROCLAIM! When a sleeping lion is awakened what does it do? The Bible says she broke out in song – a song of victory BEFORE the victory. Judges chapter 5 has even been called “The Song of Deborah” down through the ages. She made the roll call of heroes of history!

This song in and of itself was the beginning of the victory the Israelites had over their Canaanite enemies. She enlisted the help of a general named Barak and all the Israelites followed their lead. Oh yeah, and they WON! I doubt there is anything that makes our enemies madder than us singing a song of victory in their faces.

The Deborah Calling

I just want to make a list of Deborah’s attributes that I believe we each can have. She was apparently a worship leader, motherly, empathetic, humble, a wise leader, trustworthy, knowledgeable,
trusted, faithful, fair, had a servant’s heart, direct, brave, did NOT micro-manage, had organizational skills, and was a woman who loved and honored God day after day after day. These attributes of character then enabled her to be a judge, prophetess, mother, and military leader. I also just learned she was a keeper of tabernacle lights. She kept the lanterns lit in the tabernacle. So cool. (and symbolic and rather deep, if you think about it.)

So I hear you – you’re saying I am NONE of those things. Ah, but you are. Maybe not officially with working papers, but by character – yes, yes you are. And in this day and hour, we desperately need all of the above, in one way or another, and no matter how small of a part you may play.

Deborah’s role was to lead people out of their houses to fight their OWN enemies. People always need a leader at the helm. Why not Deborah? Why not YOU? Because of her leadership and courage and heart, the land of Israel not only won the battle but it was followed by 40 years of peace. 40 years. One woman. The math only makes sense with God in the mix.

Deborah. My hero. I would have loved to have been friends with her. And I think she would have been on the front line of the 2020 Jesus movement with her ONE WAY JESUS button and her BIBLE, singing with the thousands on the beaches of California. I think her favorite song would have been I RAISE A HALLELUJAH and her favorite line in that song would have been SING A LITTLE LOUDER. And she would have! Let us do likewise!

August 24, 2020 0 comment

Articles Israel

Israel: The Apple of God’s Eye

by Henrietta Decruz October 28, 2019

written by Henrietta Decruz

Israel. One name that stands out amidst all the names of nations around the world. One land that is at the centre of a whole lot of events that changed the history of mankind. What is so special about this land of Israel, you may ask?

On the one side, there are people who pledge their love for it, and on the other there are those who hate it with all their hearts. The truth it – love it or hate it, you just cannot ignore Israel! You may wonder ‘Why?’ The answer is simple. The God who created the earth and the heavens decided that He would be known as ‘The God of Israel’!

Israel, God's beloved land. [pic courtesy: https://www.needpix.com]

The land of Israel

God’s relationship with Israel

God chose this land, and He Himself named it ‘Israel.’ He led the descendants of Abraham, a man He called ‘friend’, out of captivity into freedom. When they betrayed Him going after ‘other gods’, He scattered them around the world. Though He was angry with them, He promised that He would bring them back home after a long period of time. The Lord said in Ezekiel 11:17, “Therefore say, Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give back to you the land of Israel.” Fulfilling this prophecy, the Jewish people returned to their homeland.

This God of Israel said through His prophet Isaiah in chapter 66:8, “Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Or shall a nation be brought forth in a moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she brought forth her children.” This prophecy was fulfilled on 14 May 1948, when the State of Israel was established. Israel has a population of approximately 9,078,000 as of August 2019.

The lion of Judah

Israel’s enemies have an adversary

Israel haters do not know that when they hate Israel, they are taking on an adversary they cannot win against. In Isaiah 27:2-3, it says, “In that day [it will be said of the redeemed nation of Israel], A vineyard beloved and lovely; sing a responsive song to it and about it! I, the Lord, am its Keeper; I water it every moment; lest anyone harm it, I guard and keep it night and day.” (AMP)

History is full of examples when God intervened and saved the people of Israel. 2 Samuel 7:23 says, “What [other] one nation on earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be a people for Himself and to make for Himself a name? You have done great and terrible things for Yourself and for Your land, before Your people, whom You redeemed and delivered for Yourself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods.” (AMP)

In Jeremiah 31:36 God Himself says, “If these ordinances [of fixed order] depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the posterity of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me throughout the ages.”

The Church and Israel

Some believers like to believe that the church has replaced Israel. They do not ascribe any importance to the land of Israel. However the Word of God speaks otherwise. In Jeremiah 31:36 God Himself says, “If these ordinances [of fixed order] depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the posterity of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me throughout the ages.” Note the use of the word ‘nation’ in this verse.

The sea view from Mount Carmel [pic courtesy: https://pxhere.com]

God’s forever-love for Israel

God hasn’t finished with Israel. In Ezekiel 37:26- 28, He says, “I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will give blessings to them and multiply them and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them forevermore. My tabernacle or dwelling place also shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Then the nations shall know, understand, and realize that I the Lord do set apart and consecrate Israel for holy use, when My sanctuary shall be in their midst forevermore.”

Please note the use of the words ‘everlasting’ and ‘forevermore.’ In Malachi 3:6 God says, “For I am the Lord, I do not change.” The God who changes not is saying that His love for Israel is everlasting! In Romans 11:1-2 Paul writes, “I ask then: Has God totally rejected and disowned His people? Of course not! Why, I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin! No, God has not rejected and disowned His people [whose destiny] He had marked out and appointed and foreknown from the beginning.” (AMP)

God’s call is irrevocable

Paul writes, “From the point of view of the Gospel (good news), they [the Jews, at present] are enemies [of God], which is for your advantage and benefit. But from the point of view of God’s choice (of election, of divine selection), they are still the beloved (dear to Him) for the sake of their forefathers. For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.] Romans 11:28,29 (AMP).

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God always means every word of what He says. He says in Genesis 12:3, “And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves].” (AMP)

Believers and Israel

God chose the land of Israel for Jesus Christ His Son to be born in. He could have chosen any other nation but He didn’t! Through Jesus, the whole world and all generations have indeed been blessed, fulfilling God’s word that through Israel “all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed.”

What is the best thing that we can do as believers and followers of Jesus Christ? Psalms 122:6 instructs us and tells us what to do. It says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they prosper who love you [the Holy City]!”

In Zechariah 2: 8,9 it says, “For thus said the Lord of hosts, after [His] glory had sent me [His messenger] to the nations who plundered you—for he who touches you touches the apple or pupil of His eye.”

If we say we love the LORD GOD, we would care about what He cares, we would love what He loves. God loves Israel, His first born. He cannot despise them, they are beloved to Him. How can we who love our Lord, look down on those He loves?

October 28, 2019 0 comment