The Most Holy Name

Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you.”

–Exodus 33:18–19

Do you know what your name means or why your parents chose it? In biblical times, a person’s name might describe the circumstances of their birth. For example, the mother of Jabez must have had a rough delivery because Jabez means “pain” (1 Chronicles 4:9). Other times, a person’s name reflected character traits the parents observed in their child. Joshua’s parents were born into slavery in Egypt. Yet they named their son “God is my salvation,” and Joshua became a great leader who helped deliver the Israelites into the promised land. Joshua’s name tells us something about his character.

The same is true for God’s name. We are to revere God’s name because His name is His character. As the third commandment says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7). Which name is this commandment talking about? After all, God has many names that describe aspects of His character. But the prohibition in Exodus 20:7 deals with one name in particular: Yahweh, the most holy name of God, which appears in many English translations of the Bible as “Lord.” Yahweh means “to be.” God is. He “is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

God told Moses His most holy name in Exodus 3:14, where it is translated as “I Am.” Then God said, “You shall say to the sons 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 this is My memorial-name to all generations” (v. 15). Yahweh is God’s covenantal name; it describes His relationship to His chosen people.

Later, when Moses asked, “Show me Your glory!” God said, in essence, “All right, Moses, I’ll tell you My name” (33:18–19). And He did just that in Exodus 34:6–7: “The Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.’”

All God’s attributes are wrapped up in His most holy name. God takes His name seriously because it is linked to His character. His name is His glory.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “The Third Commandment: Revere God’s Name” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2023.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.