Name of God

The name of God in Scripture is not merely a label for identification. It is the revelation of who God is and the expression of his nature, character, and authority. When Yahweh reveals his name, he is making himself known in a specific way: giving his people a basis for calling on him and a foundation for their trust. To know the name of God is to know the God who bears it.

The revelation of the divine name reaches its most explicit moment in Exodus 3, when Yahweh tells Moses: “I AM WHO I AM.” The name YHWH, rendered “Yahweh” in the LSB, is the covenant name that Israel will use for their God from this point forward. It points to his absolute existence, his self-sufficiency, and his permanent faithfulness: the one who was, and is, and always will be. The specific occasions when Yahweh reveals a new dimension of his name, Yahweh-Jireh, Yahweh-Nissi, and others, are each moments when he is making a covenant commitment visible through action.

In the New Testament, Jesus declares “I AM” with the same weight the phrase carried in the Old Testament. He prays that the Father would glorify his name and keep his disciples in the Father’s name. The name of God is the foundation of prayer, the content of proclamation, and the ground of the confidence that sinners can approach God through Christ. The articles below trace this theme through several key passages.

Also covers this theme

Exodus 3: The Burning Bush and the Name of God Exodus 3 Exodus 6: Yahweh Declares His Name and Reaffirms His Covenant Exodus 6 Exodus 7: Yahweh Confronts Pharaoh and Reveals His Power Exodus 7 Exodus 9: Yahweh Unleashes His Judgment on Egypt Exodus 9 David walking outside his palace at night beneath the moon and stars Psalm 8