Class Lesson December 2, 2012

Begin this Christmas season savoring every precious moment as you are introduced to the NAMES of GOD.

What’s in a Name?

You were created with unique facets and attributes. You have special ways of showing care, clever ways of solving problems, and effective ways of getting things done. You may very well agonize over what barely bothers someone else. You have a special heart for certain people. You may contradict what you say from time to time, but that’s because you can’t respond to every question in the exact same way. Your titles change depending on your responsibilities and circumstance. You may be a parent, associate, boss, son/daughter, caretaker, dependent, and decision-maker all in the same day. One person will call you friend, while another may see you as a rival. You are appreciated by some and maligned by others in one decision.

Now think about this - If you, as cosmically insignificant as you are, have so many descriptors and names, how many descriptors and names must God have? And what does each name teach us about His character?

If you had to finish this statement with one word - what would it be?

God is _____________.

• Difficult to do, isn’t it? He is separate yet near, loving yet just, knowable yet mysterious.
• What other characteristics describe Him?
• It seems the more we know God, the more we want to know about Him. God is far too much for our limited, earthly minds to grasp. Still, we can grasp enough to know how to follow Him. He has come to us and reveals Himself to us. Yahweh, the name He gave to Moses, reveals God to be personal, powerful, and sovereign.

The Bible reveals over 100 different names and titles given to God and Jesus. We’ll study five of these names this December. 

Ever Feel Like No One Understands?

 YAHWEH DOES!

This is the first name of God we will study this December. Do you know anything about the name?

Who Is YAHWEH?

• This name was first revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14.
• The name Yahweh appears more than 6,800 times in the Old Testament.
• Yahweh is transliterated in English letters as YHWH. This is called tetragrammaton - 4 letters. Vowels were not added in Hebrew scrolls until A.D. 600-700. They would have pronounced Yod Heh Vav Heh or Yehova - Adonai meaning My Lord.
• In English, the word is usually printed as “Yahweh” or “Lord.”
• Sometimes, the consonants from YHWH are combined with the vowels from the word Adonai (also translated “Lord”) to get the pronunciation we use today.
• After the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, the Jews did not pronounce YHWH so they could be certain they would avoid taking the Lord’s name in vain.
• It is frequently translated “I AM WHO I AM” but can also be translated as, “I will continue to be who I always have been.”
• Yahweh is the name that is most closely linked to God’s redeeming acts in the history of His chosen people.

The Book of Exodus opens with the Israelites in crushing bondage in Egypt. God providentially rescued the Israelite infant Moses from death and equipped him for his role in His purpose. When Moses was an adult, he killed an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite, and fled to Midian, where he married a Midianite woman and tended his father-in-law’s flock. Once Moses led the flock to an area at “the mountain of God” (3:1). There, God spoke to Moses from a burning bush and called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.  Remember the story?

I. GOD IS PERSONAL – EXODUS 6:2-8

God Promises Freedom

2 Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, “I am Yahweh. 3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not reveal My name Yahweh to them. 4 I also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land they lived in as foreigners. 5 Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are forcing to work as slaves, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 “Therefore tell the Israelites: I am Yahweh, and I will deliver you from the forced labor of the Egyptians and free you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am Yahweh your God, who delivered you from the forced labor of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you to the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am Yahweh.

Where are we in the story?
Now we all remember that Moses reluctantly accepted the commission to lead the Israelites out from their bondage in Egypt. He shared with the people and Pharaoh what the Lord had called him to do. Pharaoh ordered the taskmasters to make it more difficult on the people through beatings and by denying them access to straw, which was essential to make bricks. So the people complained to Moses saying, “You came with a promise of freedom. Since you arrived, things have only gotten worse!” Moses in turn went before the Lord and complained and God gave the reason Moses could trust Him: “I am Yahweh.” The name indicates God is personal and He cares.



What else does God’s personal name, Yahweh, reveal about Him? What promises did the Lord reaffirm to Moses and the people?

• The Lord desires to make Himself known and for us to know Him personally. His name includes God’s personal and consistent nature. God always has been and always will be.
• The Lord promises to care for His people, to be faithful in His actions toward them, and to bring blessing to their lives. His name includes His power – He was not created, nor does He answer to any other power or force.
• We can know the Lord as Liberator, Redeemer, and the Faithful One.
• The name Yahweh communicates consistency. He is foundational. We can build our lives on Him. This includes letting Him show us how to solve the smallest problems and making the simplest decisions. He might point us toward a certain person to talk to or help us think through applying a specific principle. How will you make the next decision in honor of your trustworthy God? How will you show He is your Lord even in how you drive, joke, or eat?

NAMES FOR GOD

How does each of these names for God enhance the other four?

What does each teach?


Yahweh – God is Lord

Father – God is Reliable

Righteousness – God knows the right thing to do

Immanuel – God is with us

Shepherd – God cares

What other names for God do you appreciate?



What gift from God would you think each name gives?


Yahweh – ________________

Father – ________________

Righteousness – ___________

Immanuel – _______________

Shepherd – _______________




Yahweh – also shows the strength of God and this was seen in the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea! Remember?

Parting of the Red Sea 

Click Here

 
II. GOD IS OUR STRENGTH – EXODUS 15:1-3

Israel’s Song

15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. They said: I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. 3 The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is His name.

Why did Moses and the people burst out in song following the crossing of the sea? What words are included in these introductory lines of the song to describe the nature of God?

• The Lord keeps His promises.
• We should praise God for keeping His promises.
• The Lord is our strength, our song, and our salvation.
• God kept His promise. He freed the Israelites from slavery to the Egyptians. He did it like this: He sent devastation to the Egyptians through plagues (Ex. 7-12). After each plague, Pharaoh defied Moses and God. Finally Pharaoh could bear no more – he sent the Israelites away. Even then, upon realizing he’d freed the entire nation’s workforce, Pharaoh determined to undo his mistake. God was not taken by surprise. He parted the Red Sea just long enough for the Israelites to walk through on dry land. The water crushed the Egyptians when they tried to follow. What a way to fulfill a promise!

When was the last time you marveled at the way God came through for you?  Has He helped you cross a Red Sea?

Music helps truth stay in our heads and hearts. Which is your favorite hymn of these below? What truth does it teach about God?

__ Amazing Grace __ Rock of Ages __ What a Friend We have in Jesus

__ It is Well with My Soul __ In the Garden __ The Old Rugged Cross

__ Holy Holy Holy __ Onward Christian Soldiers __ Victory in Jesus

__ Because He Lives __ Great is Thy Faithfulness


There wasn’t a soul in the midst of the Israelites who didn’t witness every detail of God’s miraculous demonstration. Every person saw His power. But not too long after this, many of the people started to grumble.  Why?

What are actions that keep us loyal to God – that keep us from whining, and instead focus us on doing what we can do? How can we be loving rather than cruel?

III. GOD STANDS ALONE – EXODUS 15:11-13

11 Lord, who is like You among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders? 12 You stretched out Your right hand, and the earth swallowed them. 13 You will lead the people You have redeemed with Your faithful love; You will guide them to Your holy dwelling
with Your strength.


The culture around us embraces the notion that there are many gods or that there are many expressions of God. Such is not the case. There is only one true and living God, and His name is Yahweh.



How does knowing God personally help you trust Him more?

• Knowing God personally opens us up to His Almighty power. As we focus on God’s miraculous victory over oppressors, we begin to realize the lasting impact of who God is. God is “I AM WHO I AM,” God is unlike any god. Since the Israelites had been in slavery for 400 years, the primary power they knew was Pharaoh. So when God tossed Pharaoh’s chariots into the sea, they witnessed an even greater power.

Who is the most powerful person in your life? Do you realize the power of God in your life?



You might say that you don’t worship another god. But whose advice do you take? What motivates you? Who do you want to please? Who do you fear offending?

• None other is like Yahweh, the Lord.
• Because none other is like Him, He alone is worthy of our worship.
• The blessed Redeemer becomes our Shepherd in life leading us unto His “holy habitation” in the eternity of heaven, which is ultimately fulfilled through Jesus.

 

How do we give God attention in ways that truly please Him or that help others know His real character?

• The way we treat people.
• The honesty with which we do business dealings, character, and more.

As you listen to Advent and Christmas music, be attentive to the various names for the Lord that are used in the lyrics. Praise the Lord for what His names represent of who He is.

Prayer of Commitment

Thank You, Lord, for making Yourself known so powerfully and personally. Help me to learn even more about You that I may live more faithfully for You. Amen.

This is our opening lesson to the names of God and YHWH - JEHOVAH is an important name of God for you to understand!

See you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan