Yahweh.
Every time I hear this name I instantly start whistling, humming, or singing one of my favorite tunes – “Yahweh” by Elevation Worship.
“He who was and is to come is the One who lives in us, the great I am, YAHWEH.”
That song soothes my soul in a special way. Of course, the words and the melody of the song contribute to this feeling, but I firmly believe that the name alone, Yahweh, speaks directly to my heart.
What is it about this name that so easily sets my soul ablaze and alleviates every ache?
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:9-11
We’ve heard it before; there is incredible power in the name of Jesus. What I tend to forget is just how multifaceted our God is, and how each one of His names holds power and each name reflects a gift; rather a promise to us. Each name is a reminder of all He has done and will do for us regardless of the fact that we do not deserve any of it. Each name is a reminder of His love.
So what is the promise of Yahweh?
In the book of Exodus, God appears before Moses in the form of a burning bush. Within the discourse between Moses and God, God makes himself known answering Moses’ question, “Whom should I say has sent me?” with “I AM that I AM…you must say this to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'”
Now this may seem just a bit confusing (at least it was to me!) but here’s why this is powerful.
I AM is what God called himself; He made himself known, giving us bold evidence of His presence. The Israelites heard this name and in agreement called him the Hebrew equivalent to “I AM,” or “He is.” Yahweh.
This exchange between Moses and God was not meant to sit simply as a polite conversation. This experience was meant to rattle the world, to make it known to the nations at the time and to nations yet to come that GOD EXISTS. That He is real, He is present and He lives in us.
So back to my original question: What is it about the name Yahweh that so easily sets my soul ablaze and alleviates every ache?
It is the reminder that He is constant, He is here and He is in me. “He who was and is to come is the One who lives in us, the great I am, YAHWEH.”
He is there in the moments of happiness, the times of rejoicing. He is there in the times of sorrow, within the tragedies of broken homes and families, within the torment of hurricane devastation, earthquakes and the silence brought upon us by the heavy weight of anger and confusion of lives lost in incomprehensible shootings.
Because when I scream out, “God, who is there for these people!?” He bellows, “I AM.”
When I wrestle with the demons in my soul and cry, “But Lord, who is taking care of me; who is loving me?” He whispers, “I AM.”
“Lord, who is big enough, strong enough, loving enough, to give up everything, their only son, to heal, forgive, redeem, sanctify souls so warped, so undeserving as us…as me??”
“I AM.”
And when I see His love pouring over this broken land, and when I feel the pieces of my heart stitching back together, I know when people ask me who has done this for us, who is giving me this joy, I can point to the pages of my weathered bible; I can point to the skies and boast, “He is.”
