Names of God: YHWH

Have you ever heard the voice of God? I mean, not just a provoking, not just a feeling, but an actual, audible voice?

I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t. But I know people who say they have. Maybe some of you have as well. And I’ve often wondered, what would I do if I heard the voice of God? Would I panic? Would I question my sanity? Would I lean in… or run the other way?

One thing I know for certain is that it would be extraordinary.

And yet, if we’re honest, many of us long for that kind of interaction with God. We think, “God, if you would just sit down with me over a cup of coffee or tea and explain things, life would be a lot easier.” Or maybe you’ve said, “I just wish God would tell me exactly what to do, and I’ll do it.”

You may not have heard God's audible voice, but the good news is that we do have a way to communicate with God. Through prayer. Through His Word. Through the work of His Spirit in our lives. We serve a God who desires relationship, who speaks, who leads, and who draws near.

But there’s still something in us that wishes we could see Him, touch Him, or have a face-to-face conversation. It can sometimes feel like God was more visible, more tangible in biblical times than He is today.

But that’s not actually true. God is just as present. Just as active. Just as engaged today as He was then. And that brings us to our focus this morning.

This message is part of our series, “The Names of God,” and today we’re looking at a moment in Scripture where God reveals His personal name, His identity, to Moses. And in doing so, He reveals something about who He is, and what that means for us.

Exodus 3
This is one of the most fascinating scenes in the Book of Exodus. Moses is out in the wilderness, tending sheep; just another ordinary day. And then suddenly, he sees something that stops him in his tracks, a bush that is on fire, but not burning up. Now that alone would get your attention.
But the story takes a turn when the bush starts talking. Now we’ve moved from interesting to unforgettable.

The bush calls out, “Moses! Moses!” And instead of running, Moses responds. He starts to approach the bush. And the voice tells him to remove his sandals, because he is standing on holy ground. Think about that moment. Moses is in the presence of the holy, living God. God identifies Himself: “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And then God reveals His purpose.

He has seen the suffering of His people in Egypt. He has heard their cries. He knows their pain. And He is coming to rescue them. And here’s the key: He’s going to do it through Moses.

Naturally, Moses responds as most of us would: “You’ve got the wrong person.” He questions his ability. He doubts his worth. He fears Pharaoh. He feels completely inadequate. And God responds with one of the most comforting promises in all of Scripture: “I will be with you.”
But Moses still has one more question.

“If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”

 And this is where things get a bit complex.

 “I AM WHO I AM”
God responds to Moses’ question, “who are you?” God’s response has raised a lot of debate, because God’s response alludes to Him saying, “It doesn’t matter what my name is, I AM WHO I AM.”

In Hebrew, this corresponds to the name YHWH, often called the tetragrammaton (four letters). This name appears over 6,500 times in Scripture. A note, whenever you see LORD in all capital letters in your Bible, that’s YHWH or Yahweh.

Now here’s where it gets more complex: we don’t actually know how to pronounce His name. The ancient Israelites considered this name so holy that they would not say it out loud. Instead, they would substitute the word Adonai, meaning “Lord.”

To help readers remember this, they combined the consonants of YHWH with the vowels of Adonai, creating a hybrid form that later generations misread as “Jehovah.” (we’ll talk about this at a later date). But originally, it was never meant to be spoken. Because this name is sacred.
It’s not a title; it’s a revelation of who He is.

What Does the Name Mean?
When God says, “I AM WHO I AM,” or the more literal translation is, “I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE”. He is revealing something about His nature. This name carries some weight; at its core, it points to two primary truths:

1. God is Self-Existent: God is not dependent on anything or anyone. He does not need us. He does not rely on creation. He simply is.
   
   Everything else in existence is dependent. Everything else has a beginning. Everything else is sustained by something outside of itself. But not God.
   He is the eternal one. The one who has always been and always will be. He doesn’t become; He is.
   
   
2. God is Present and Personal: But here’s what makes this name even more powerful. Yahweh is not just a distant, abstract force. He is present. He is near. He is involved.
   
   When God reveals His name to Moses, He is not saying, “Stay back.” He is saying, “I am with you.” This name becomes deeply personal for Israel. It’s the name tied to covenant, relationship, rescue, and presence. Yahweh is not just the Creator; He is the God who walks with His people.
   
   

From Elohim to Yahweh
Earlier in Scripture, we see the name Elohim, which emphasizes God’s power as Creator. But here, in Exodus 3, God reveals something more intimate. Yahweh shows us that God is not just powerful, He is also personal, immanent, and with us.

Application: What Does This Mean for Us Today?
So what do we do with all of this? We know, for the most part, His name. We see His power. We understand the theology. But how does this change the way we live? Let me give you three takeaways.

1. God’s Name Describes Who He Is​: When God reveals His name, He is revealing His character. He is:

• ​​Self-sufficient – He needs nothing from us
• Creator – Everything exists because of Him
• All-powerful – Nothing is beyond His control
• Present and near – He is with us
  
  This means our view of God matters. If we see God as weak, distant, or uninvolved, we will live with fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. But when we understand who He truly is, we begin to trust Him more deeply. We realize that the same God who spoke from the burning bush is the same God who walks with us today.

2. God Is With Us When He Calls Us
Moses didn’t feel qualified. He didn’t feel ready. He didn’t feel capable. And neither do we.
When God calls us, whether it’s to lead, to serve, to speak, or to step out in faith, our first response is often, “I can’t.” But God never asks us to rely on our ability. He calls us to rely on His presence.

“I will be with you.” That’s the promise. You don’t need to have it all together. You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to trust the One who does.

3. God’s Name Is Unknowable… But He Is Not
This is where it gets really important. God’s name is mysterious. It’s complex. It’s beyond full human understanding. But that does not mean God is distant.

God is not unknowable. In fact, He has gone out of His way to make Himself known. Through His Word. Through His Spirit. And ultimately through Jesus Christ.

In John 8:58, Jesus says, “Before Abraham was even born, I AM.” He takes the very name of God… and applies it to Himself. Because He is God in the flesh. He is the invisible God made visible. The distant made near.

So yes, there are things about God we will never fully comprehend. But we can know Him. We can walk with Him. We can trust Him.

Closing Thought
This morning, we’ve only scratched the surface of the name YHWH. I’ll be honest—this is one of those studies where you can go down rabbit holes that never seem to end… and I’m already there myself. But even with all the depth and complexity, we don’t have to walk away confused—we can walk away grounded in something simple and certain.

Moses walked up to a burning bush out of curiosity…but he walked away with a calling—and a clear revelation of who God is.

And that same revelation has been given to us.

We serve a God…
who is self-sufficient… He is.
who is all knowing… He is omniscient
who is not distant… He is near.

He is the God who was, the God who is, and the God who always will be.

That’s personal.

Right now, in your uncertainty… He is.
In your calling… He is.
In your questions, your doubts, your next step… He is.

He has not stepped back.
He has not gone silent.
He has not left you to figure this out on your own.
He is Yahweh.
“I AM.”

​And the same God who spoke from that burning bush is the same God who is present with you right here and right now.

---