Namesake Week 2 Day 5: The Unspeakable Name

Today's Scripture: Genesis 32:29-30, and Exodus 3:13-15

You know the expression "First impressions are everything."? At the moment we meet people and exchange names we are setting up our roles in the relationship. The way that we say each other's names is a defining part of the connection between us. God does the same thing, we see that in Genesis when God and Jacob are wrestling with each other and Jacob asks what his opponent's name is. It was not asked in a introductory way, but more of a way to have power over the opponent. In Exodus when God tells Moses to take his people out of Egypt Moses asks for God's name so he can tell the people who gave the orders to go to the Promised Land. God said to Moses "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelite's."
A name contains the essence of the person it belongs too, so when we tell someone our name we are giving away a little part of us. When someone calls out our name they have a slight measure of control / authority over us.

The Hebrew name "I AM" is made of four consonants YHWH. This ancient name for God is know as the tetragrammaton and is a verb meaning "to be". Because of the thought that saying someone's name aloud can exert a measure of power or control over the person the name YHWH was decided to be to sacred to say. If anyone said the name aloud they would be put to death. To avoid saying God's name out loud the people changed YHWH to Yahweh or Jehovah meaning "My Lord". Still today there are many Hebrew texts that refer to God as G*D or G_D so that it can not be accidentally pronounced. But God never intended any of this.

God is both immanent (close) and transcendent (apart). How do you think of God when you pray? Do you think of God as accessible and friendly or more  divine and holy?

Here are some verses about the holiness of God and how He is set apart from us.

Exodus 15:11
Isaiah 6:1-3
Revelation 1:12-19

And here are some verses about the personality traits that we see as approachable and close to us.

Genesis 3:8
John 1:14

God is constantly revealing Himself to us through His word and more importantly through His actions in our lives. "What's better, a God who tells you that He's powerful, loving, patient and good, or a God who shows you these traits in every interaction.?" "God will never separate words and actions."

"The Character of God shows us that we can trust Him. He will never act in ways that are not established in Scripture."

I hope through my actions to be God's namesake. To act and live in a way that makes God proud of me. God speaks in so many different ways, but most important is the way He can speak through us and the works that He does in you and me.

Tonight when you are in quiet prayer think back to a time when you wondered if you could trust God. Talk to God about this time in your life and how you struggled to trust Him. Spend some time in praise of the unchanging I AM and blessings of I WILL.