Having served on mission trips to Mexico and Brazil, I’ve had the privilege of interacting with native tribes who speak unique languages, only using Spanish or Portuguese for practical interactions with outsiders. My curiosity always centers on how people refer to God in their languages, whether in Tzotzil (the Mayan language spoken in Chiapas, where they say “Jtotik” meaning “Our Father”), or in other cultures around the world.
In a global context, here are a few ways people say “God”:
- German: Gott
- Russian: Бог (pronounced “Bog”)
- French: Dieu
- Spanish: Dios
- Romanian: Dumnezeu
- Urdu (Pakistan): Khuda
- Chinese: Shén
These words represent a category—terms used to describe the divine. However, they are not God’s Name. The distinction becomes clear in the story of Moses on Mount Sinai, where God reveals His Name for the first time. Before this encounter, if you had asked a Hebrew whom they worshiped, they might have said, “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”—their God was identified by relationship to their ancestors.
A Sacred Moment at the Burning Bush
In Egypt, the Israelites were enslaved under harsh conditions. Then God reached out to Moses, calling him from within a burning bush, with a mission to set His people free. Moses asked a crucial question: “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” (Exodus 3:13, NLT).
Moses wasn’t asking for a label; he sought to understand God’s essence. This was not about a title or a distant label; it was about intimacy and identity. Just as God had changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Jacob’s to Israel, names signified a person’s true identity and calling. In this moment, Moses wanted to know who God was on the inside.
Then came the divine revelation. God responded to Moses with “I AM THAT I AM” (Hebrew: אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה, transliterated as Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh). This name is profound, encompassing self-existence, eternal constancy, and unchanging character. In essence, God was saying, “Whatever I am, I always will be.” His qualities are not conditional or momentary; they are eternal.
The Power of “I AM”
“Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” captures God’s unchanging nature:
- If He is compassionate, He is compassionate all the time.
- If He is slow to anger, He remains slow to anger always.
God’s integrity means there is no double life, no facade. He is true to His nature, dependable beyond human comprehension. When God directed Moses to introduce Him to Israel as “Yahweh” (the God of their ancestors), He was declaring a name to be remembered for all generations—one tied to His promises, identity, and covenant with His people.
From “Yahweh” to “Adonai”: Protecting the Sacred Name
To honor the commandment “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God”, the Israelites stopped using “Yahweh” out of reverence, using instead terms like:
- HaShem (“The Name”)
- Adonai (meaning “Lord” or “Master”), much like calling a doctor “Doctor” rather than by their first name. While Adonai is reverent, it is still a title, not the intimate language God desires from us.
The relationship language that names express is vital. Just as we call a spouse “my love” rather than “The Spouse,” God’s name invites intimacy and connection. God intended for His people to know and call Him by His Name, Yahweh—a name that speaks to closeness rather than mere titles.
The Significance of Exodus 34:6-7
God’s name reveals His character in Exodus 34:6-7: “The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out, ‘Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty.’”
Through this, Moses not only received the name Yahweh but also gained insight into God’s essence:
- Compassion and Mercy: God is filled with empathy and actively seeks to forgive.
- Patience and Unfailing Love: He is dependable, unfailingly committed to His people.
- Justice: While forgiving, God does not ignore injustice or wrongdoing.
Jesus: The Embodiment of Yahweh’s Character
In the New Testament, Jesus embodies Yahweh’s nature. In John 17:6, He prays, “I spelled out your character in detail to the men and women you gave me” (The Message). Jesus brought Yahweh’s character to life, exemplifying compassion, mercy, and justice in His actions.
In one instance, Jesus encountered a widow mourning her only son’s death (Luke 7:11-17). Seeing her, “his heart overflowed with compassion” (Luke 7:13). Without prompting, Jesus raised her son, demonstrating the essence of Yahweh—compassionate, life-giving, and merciful. He not only restored physical life but also the woman’s hope and dignity.
The “I Am” Statements of Jesus: A Reflection of Yahweh’s Nature
Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus makes several statements beginning with “I am,” each reflecting His eternal and consistent nature:
- “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35)—He sustains us.
- “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12)—He guides us.
- “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11)—He protects us.
- “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25)—He conquers death.
- “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)—He is the path to God.
These declarations align with God’s description of Himself in Exodus 34. Jesus embodies Yahweh’s character, revealing a God who is trustworthy, just, compassionate, and constant.
