The Divine Name Jehovah. Pt. 1 A working definition of this great name of God

Good morning to each of you. I want to look at the name of God that is used more than any other name in the Bible, the name Jehovah. It is found almost 7,000 times in scripture! It is a powerful and wonderful name that teaches us a lot of truth about our God. 

Rather than tracing this beautiful name out by studying each place where the name is used, I would like to provide us with a good working definition of this name to think about together. Then, I would like to study through Psalm 34 because the name Jehovah figures so prominently in its text.



Jehovah is the Self Existent God

Exodus 3:13-15 ¹³And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? ¹⁴And 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.

The literal translation of the name Jehovah is "I AM THAT I AM." God exists independently of time, space and matter. Before anything was created He was. He is governing His universe today and He will do so into the future. He is eternal and had no beginning and has no ending. 

Moses rightly wondered how to answer the Hebrews in Egypt if they asked about the name of God when he told them that God sent him to deliver His people. This is the name God told Moses to use.

Below are just a few of many texts to illustrate the truth that Jehovah is self existent. No one made Him and no one can unmake Him. 

Deuteronomy 33:27  The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. 

Revelation 1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. 

Revelation 11:16-17  And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17  Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 

Revelation 4:8  And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 

Jehovah is the special name of God connected to our redemption

Exodus 6:1-4 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

God makes it clear that the covenant He made with Abraham is an everlasting promise. He tells Moses in this text that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did not know Him by the name Jehovah but the Hebrews would. This is the name God chose to exalt as He freed His people from Egyptian slavery. 

Isaiah 43:10-11 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

Isaiah reinforces this truth. Jehovah is the name of God connected to our salvation and redemption and we are to know and believe that Jehovah alone is mankind's only hope, mankind's only Savior. This is a good point to remind us that the name "Jesus" means Jehovah is savior" and that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He came to the cross to save us from our sins.

Jehovah is the unchanging God

Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

The writer of Hebrews puts it this way. 

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.

Why is it so important to know that Jehovah is the unchanging God? Because all man-made gods, false religions and paganism have deities that were mercurial, volatile gods who always changed. They would be nice one minute and hateful the next because they reflect the people who created them. 

James tells us they had a shadow of turning from one way to another and back again. God in contrast has no shadow of turning because His heart toward us never changes. His promises will never fail. His love and mercy will never run out. 

Jehovah is the God of lovingkindness.

Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

This aspect of the name Jehovah is near and dear to the hearts of all saved people. Lovingkindness of a very broad word that encompasses much of the heart of God toward man. Jehovah's lovingkindness includes His grace where He brings salvation to people who do not deserve salvation and who do not merit His favor. 

Jehovah's mercy is extended to all guilty sinners who turn to His in repentant faith. Mercy means that we are guilty of committing many sins and are worthy to be punished with His wrath. Yet, Jehovah's mercy is given to sinners who repent and turn to Him by faith in Christ and He withholds His wrath for our sins because it was poured out on His Son at the cross. 

Jehovah's lovingkindness includes His great love. It is a John 3:16 love. It is a love that is poured out on us while we were yet rebellious sinners, Jehovah in the flesh died for us. It is the kind of love that said "I will die in the place of sinful man in order that they might have abundant life through me" before the world was even created and before man had fallen into sin!

Romans 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

Jehovah's lovingkindness means that He is predisposed to do things that benefit us and is ready to be kind toward us. He will always seek what is best for us as He leads His sheep through this life. 

Jehovah is the God who inhabits eternity but cares about us

Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 

Jehovah is high and lofty. Words and phrases cannot describe Him or His wonderful works. He inhabits or dwells in eternity as the self existent God. His name is holy just like He is. His throne is in the high and holy place were there is light, truth and righteousness. 

Yet, this same high, holy, lofty God of eternity cares about you and me. He will dwell with those of a contrite and humble spirit. Contrite means crushed into dust and humble means confessing our utter unworthiness to God in heaven. 

What has Jehovah promised to do for those who have contrite hearts and humble spirits? He will revive us. This word means that Jehovah will put new life and fresh zeal into our broken hearts. He will pull us back from the crushing circumstances of life. 

He will lift us up in our brokenness before Him and restore us to fellowship. Jehovah will quicken us that is infuse us with spiritual life and renewed energy to serve Him.

Points to Ponder....

• Jehovah is the self existent God.

• Jehovah is God of redemption who keeps His covenant.

• Jehovah is the unchanging God who has a heart toward His children that will never change. 

• Jehovah is the God of lovingkindness who brings good things to us and whose thoughts toward us are good.

• Jehovah is the God who is high and lifted up living in eternity yet caring about each of us.

I believe that we could add to this definition but we can at least use it to help us remember these truths when we think about Jehovah. I need to let these truths settle into my soul as I seek Him in prayer and Bible study. I need to remember Jehovah when I am serving Him and seeking His ongoing transforming work in my own life. 

I will be refreshed, revived and filled with renewed passion for Christ when I remember this truth about Jehovah my savior.  

This is my prayer for each of you as well. That we will know Him more fully as we study this beautiful name Jehovah. 

Bob