What is the True Meaning of God’s Name, Jehovah?

Posted on Jul 25, 2017 Topic : Inspirational/Devotional, Men's Christian Living, Women's Christian Living

God's many names hold powerful promises for believers of all ages. Consider his name Jehovah and what it reveals about his love for you and your kids. May your family encounter the many blessings of Jehovah, the Relational God, today.

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From The Power of God's Names

One day a little boy in school was drawing a picture. When the teacher asked, “What’s that you’re drawing?” the boy answered without a moment’s hesitation, “I’m drawing a picture of God.” “A picture of God?” she said. “You can’t draw a picture of God. No one knows what God looks like.” To which the little boy replied, “Well, they will when I’m done.”

“I Am Who I Am”

If Elohim is God’s creative and powerful name, Jehovah is God’s personal name. It’s the self-revealing name God gave when Moses asked, “What is [Your] name?”

When we study the name Elohim, we study the God who is the Creator, and we can talk about His power, presence, and prowess. When we talk about Jehovah, we’re talking about His person, His character.

Elohim is the side of God who created the heavens and the earth. Jehovah is the side of God who relates to His creation personally. A person can believe in Elohim without knowing Jehovah. In fact, plenty of people believe in God (Elohim) but don’t know the God in whom they believe ( Jehovah). Jehovah is the God who personally reveals Himself to us, often through the trials and struggles we face.

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From A Kid's Guide to the Names of God

When God says, “I am who I am,” that’s the same thing as the name Jehovah. Originally, the name was spelled YHWH, or Yahweh. (It’s a little more complicated than that, but this is a good start for now.) When it was translated into English, it became the name Jehovah. So when you hear the name Jehovah, keep in mind that this is the Hebrew name Yahweh, which means “I am the existing one.”

God has so many names, and each one reflects specific things about Him. It’s impossible for us to comprehend everything about God—He’s just too big and amazing and beyond our imagination—but we can learn more about Him through the names He has revealed to us. And Jehovah is an important one.

One of the main things we learn about God through His name Jehovah is that He is personal. He is the I Am. God isn’t just an idea or an influence or a feeling. He is a living and very personal God who has emotions, intellect, and will. He feels, He thinks, and He makes things happen. He hears us and speaks to us. He is Someone we can get to know.

Think about your best friend. What are your favorite characteristics about him or her?

Look again at the list you just made. Do you see some things that would also be true of God? Maybe you wrote down words like “encouraging” or “likes me no matter what.” Those things definitely apply to God! Isn’t it amazing that the Creator of the universe can have some of the same characteristics as your best friend? This means you can relate to God personally as you would relate to your friend.

How cool is that?