What is Yahweh?
Yahweh, is the God of the Israelites referred to in the Old Testament. His name being revealed to Moses as four Hebrew consonants (YHWH) called the Tetragrammaton. Yahweh is the promised name of God. This name of God which (by Jewish tradition) is too holy to voice, is actually spelled "YHWH" without vowels. YHWH is referred to as the Tetragrammaton (which simply means "the four letters"). YHWH comes from the Hebrew letters: Yud, Hay, Vav, Hay. While YHWH is first used in Genesis 2, God did not reveal Himself as YHWH until Exodus 3. The modern spelling as "Yahweh" includes vowels to assist in pronunciation. Many pronounce YHWH as "Yahweh" or "Jehovah." We no longer know for certain the exact pronunciation. Jews started to vocally replace the name "Yahweh" with "Adonai" (Lord) for two reasons:
1. It was believed that His name was too sacred and holy to be uttered.
2. They preferred to simply call Him "Elohim" rather than "Yahweh" to demonstrate to the world that He is the only true Elohim.
Yahweh is best known from the “I AM” statement or interaction that God had with Moses (Exodus. 3). God has always and will always exist. The marvelous name of Yahweh is that it is confirming God’s existence but most importantly His presence. He is the Great I AM.
Despite the pronunciations of YHWH and Elohim, what matters at the end of the day in not how we pronounce HIS name. It matters that we have His name engraved on our hearts spiritually. We are to be children of God. We become children of God through the precious blood of Jesus. The way our children look at us, is the way God wants us to look at HIM. An unconditional, inseparable love is what matters. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God." And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1).
God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” (Exodus 3:15)
A Child of God:
The Bible tells us that all people are God’s creation (Colossians 1:16), and that God loves the entire world (John 3:16), but only those who are born again are children of God (John 1:12; 11:52; Romans 8:16; 1 John 3:1-10).
We become God’s children when we are saved because we are adopted into God’s family through our relationship with Jesus Christ (Galatians 4:5-6; Ephesians 1:5). In verses like Romans 8:14-17, it says, “…because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
Those who are saved by accepting Jesus into their hearts are children “of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26). God has “predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will” (Ephesians 1:5). Our sin has separated us from God because He is indescribably Holy. Jesus took all our sins upon him and paid the ransom. Through accepting Jesus we have bridged the gap to becoming a Child of God.
I have accepted the gift of salvation, I am a child of Yahweh.
Consider this article by John Piper:
The Hebrew Translation to Exodus 3:15 (Yahweh/ Lord), 11th row down.
