The Sacred Name YHVH

Conclusion

Why We Don’t Use Any Variation of “the Name” in

our Fellowship

Three Reasons:1. It is Divisive

2. It is Offensive to observant unsaved Jewish people.

3.Any variation of pronunciation is 99.9% Likely to be Wrong!

1) It IS Divisive!

It is DIVISIVE even among the Sacred Name Groups amongst

themselves. It is DIVISIVE in Messianic

Groups.

Regarding Divisiveness:

Not ALL Divisiveness is Wrong or Evil:–God DIVIDED the Light from the Darkness –God DIVIDED the Waters from the Earth–God DIVIDED the Waters from the Heavens–God DIVIDED the Woman from the Man

TRUTH (and Truth ALONE) Can and SHOULD Divide!

Yeshua, Truth Incarnate DIVIDED people!Matthew 10:34 - "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 "For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; 36 "and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'

So, If We Were Dealing With Absolute Truth on the Sacred Name Issue, then It CAN and

SHOULD DIVIDE!

BUT, We are NOT Dealing with Absolute Truth with the Sacred Name as it is Being Used by ANY of the Sacred Name Groups or by the Church!

2) It IS OFFENSIVE to Jewish People!

Let me ask you - If I Said a really, really Nasty Word right now, would you all be offended? Would you want your children to hear it?

Can Mere Words Offend Someone?

That old adage, “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me” is simply Not True!

People DIE because of words!

Jews Are Offended

By the use of the Name in any variant because it is equivalent to taking the Lord’s Name in vain!Exodus 20:7

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him

guiltless that takes his name in vain."

Reminder: That’s Why They Hyphenate the Words of God and

Lord in ANY Language when it relates to the One True God.

Examples: L-rd, G-d

So, if you Use Your Variant of the Name Here

and Make it an Issue

Then what you are really saying is that it doesn’t bother you to offend someone to the point that they will walk out and not even hear the Gospel to be saved!

It is the Gospel that is the Power of Salvation to the Jew First and then

to the Greek – NOT Your Variant Pronunciation of the Name

Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Jews Have to HEAR the Gospel to be SAVED BY the Gospel!

Romans 10 – 1 Brothers, my heart’s deepest desire and my prayer to God for Isra’el is for their salvation… 12 That means that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — Adonai is the same for everyone, rich toward everyone who calls on him, 13 since everyone who calls on the name of Adonai will be delivered.

Romans 10

14 But how can they call on someone if they haven’t trusted in him? And how can they trust in someone if they haven’t heard about him? And how can they hear about someone if no one is proclaiming him? 15 And how can people proclaim him unless God sends them? — as the Tanakh puts it, “How beautiful are the feet of those announcing good news about good things!”

Romans 10:17

“So trust comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through a word proclaimed about the Messiah.”

If They Don’t Hear, They Won’t Come to Faith in Messiah and Be Saved!

What Advantage is it to ALL of US (Jew and Non-Jew) if Jewish people Come to Faith in Yeshua and be Saved?

Romans 1111 “In that case, I say, isn’t it that they have stumbled with the result that they have permanently fallen away?” Heaven forbid! Quite the contrary, it is by means of their stumbling that the deliverance has come to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy. 12 Moreover, if their stumbling is bringing riches to the world — that is, if Isra’el’s being placed temporarily in a condition less favored than that of the Gentiles is bringing riches to the latter — how much greater riches will Isra’el in its fullness bring them!

Sha’ul is Using a Kal v’Khomer (Light and Heavy) Here

“…if their stumbling is bringing riches to the world… how much greater riches will Isra’el in its fullness bring them…”

So, If It is a Blessing to Gentiles that there was a Temporary

Rejection of Yeshua so that they can be grafted into the Olive Tree, How Much More of a Blessing to Gentiles will Their Acceptance of

Him Be?

It Behooves the Non-Jewish Brethren to NOT OFFEND the Jewish Person Visiting our Congregation so that

They Could HEAR the Gospel and BE SAVED!

As Messianic Congregations

We are not just out to bring non-Jewish people into the faith! We are called to bring ALL people into the faith and be a bridge of sorts between the various communities!

We Are NOT an Exclusive “Saved Persons Club”

People (Jewish and non-Jewish) who are NOT SAVED should come in as well and be able to Hear the Gospel and be SAVED by it!

If We Offend a Jewish Person Because of Our Personal

Preferences and NOT Because of the “Rock of Offense” Yeshua

Romans 9:33

"I am placing a rock in Zion that people trip over, a large rock that people find offensive…”

We Are NOT to Be the Offense

Yeshua is!

So if we ask the Question:

“What’s in it for me if I set aside my personal preferences for the sake of not offending the Jewish person?”

The Answer is, According to Paul:

MUCH! “…how much greater riches will Isra’el in its fullness bring them

[the non-Jewish believers]…”

Non-Jewish Believers Will be MORE BLESSED When

Jewish non-believers Come to Faith in Yeshua!

It is to YOUR ADVANTAGE

That Jewish people come to faith in Him!

That being the Case, Why Would You Want to OFFEND The Jewish non-believer for the Sake

of Your Preferences?

Here’s an Example: Sha’ul Speaks to the Romans about Personal Preferences in the Fellowship

When he speaks about FOOD in Romans 14:1 Now as for a person whose trust is weak, welcome him - but not to get into arguments over opinions. 2 One person has the trust that will allow him to eat anything, while another whose trust is weak eats only vegetables.

Romans 14

3 The one who eats anything must not look down on the one who abstains; and the abstainer must not pass judgment on the one who eats anything, because God has accepted him - 4 who are you to pass judgment on someone else's servant?

Romans 14

20 Don't tear down God's work for the sake of food. True enough, all things are clean; but it is wrong for anybody by his eating to cause someone to fall away. 21 What is good is not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The belief you hold about such things, keep between yourself and God.

Here’s Another Example: Just Like Tongues

Sha’ul says that if you speak in tongues and if there is no interpreter, then remain silent, praying to God.1 Corinthians 14 - 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

So, We Must Put Our “Personal Preferences” Aside

• Personal preferences do NOT “Trump” what God is Doing in the Congregation. Some people who are into the spiritual gifts would personally like to have more of the sign gifts used in the Congregation setting here!

• To fellowship with us, they have had to put their personal preferences aside.

Same Thing Goes Regarding the Sacred Name

If you hold to a particular variant of pronunciation of the Sacred Name and wish to fellowship with us here at Beth Yeshua, then put it aside!Please Don’t make it an issue here, because statistically speaking, your version of the Name is 99.9 % likely NOT TRUTH! So, as with tongues, You should pray quietly to yourself with whatever variant of the Name you use. Just don’t do it where people can hear you!

This Leads us to the Third Point:

3) It is Likely Wrong!

In Part Two of This Series

I used the White board and placed many “Yud” “Hay” “Vav” Hay”s on the Board and Randomly inserted the Nikudot (Vowel Points). I showed that by simply changing the Nikudot, I could make the pronunciation different.Remember: Biblical Hebrew has NO Vowels or Vowel Points (Nikudot) until the Massoretes!

One Can Come Up With Over 200 Variants of Pronunciation of the

Sacred Name

By simply changing the Nikudot.

Let’s ASSUME that Just ONE of the Possible Variants in Pronunciation

is Correct!

There can be ONLY ONE of these variants that is Correct, since you can only do so much with the pronunciation of ANY EARTHLY LANGUAGE!

In the “Sacred Name Movement” alone there many variations of how individual groups pronounce the Name.Thus, 99.9% of them are WRONG about the Name. No one KNOWs which one of the variants are correct!

And Once Again, as I’ve Shared Many Times Already:

You ONLY know how a word, ANY WORD, is Pronounced if you HEAR IT!You CANNOT know how a word is pronounced by READING IT!

With the wide variation of pronunciations in the Sacred Name Movement alone, it is quite obvious that they actually never heard the Name pronounced despite their protest that God “whispered it in their ear”!

Again: We Can and Must Divide over TRUTH, but NOT for Anything

less!

Quite a few Sacred Name adherents have come to US wanting US to change where we are at and to use the Name in

whatever variant they use

I View Such as an Attack from the Enemy through Good (but misguided) Sincere People

(who doesn’t want Jews or anyone to be saved) who think they are

doing the will of God.(See Peter in Matthew 16:13-23)

Finally

What appropriate names CAN WE USE regarding our addressing God in the Fellowship or in private without resorting to a variant of the Sacred Name?

WWJD or Better Yet, WWYD???

Though He used many I am statements “I am the way, the truth and the Life…” “I am the light of the world…” “I am the bread of life” they did not have the same impact as the claim to Deity as found in the following:

John 8:2421 Again he told them, "I am going away, and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin -- where I am going, you cannot come." 22 The Judeans said, "Is he going to commit suicide? Is that what he means when he says, `Where I am going, you cannot come'?" 23 Yeshua said to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 This is why I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not trust that I AM [who I say I am], you will die in your sins."

John 8:58

Yeshua said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."

The Reaction of the Jewish leaders

Tells you how they understood the statements made by our Lord.

Similarly: In John 5:18

The Jewish leaders wanted to kill him because He said God was his Father, making himself equal with God (in nature.) This meant a special relationship that excludes anyone else is able to have.

And In John10:30

Yeshua claimed “I and my Father are one.” In V.33 the Jewish leaders pick up stones because they understood this as blasphemy in v.36 Yeshua interprets what He meant by saying, “because I said, I am the Son of God.”

Avinu

Our Lord Yeshua uses them in “The Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13):

“Our Father, which art in heaven…”

“Our Father” in English means the same as the Hebrew “Avinu.”

Therefore, we Can Conclude

That if our Lord and Savior didn’t ALWAYS use the Sacred Name, we don’t either.

Better Yet – Let’s Use a Name that He DID USE: “Abba”

Abba is Equivalent to our English word “daddy.”

After all: Since we are his children, isn’t that the best name to call Him?

Sha’ul Used it of God: Galatians 4

6 Now because you are sons, God has sent forth into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, the Spirit who cries out, "Abba!" (that is, "Dear Father!"). 7 So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are a son you are also an heir.

Quite Frankly, I Would Be Concerned

If my children would address me by my given name Bruce, instead of Dad! Are they Mad at Me???Others may address me by my given name, but my children only have the privilege to call me Dad, or Daddy!

We Could Address Him as “Adonai”

The TANAKH uses this word 439 times in the Bible and can be

rendered either as “my Lord” or simply as “Lord.”

Sure, it Can be Used of Men

1 Peter 3:6 – “Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him my lord (adonai): whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well…”

If you address a man whose name you do not know while in Israel, you can say, “Adon” (sir).

That’s a term of respect.

BUT You Can Also Use the English Words

Lord and God

Now, If Sha’ul (Paul) Can Use the Greek Words for Lord and God to Address BOTH the True God and

the False gods, then WE should be able to Use the English Equivalent

Words for Lord and God in our songs, prayers and speech!

1 Corinthians 8

5 For even if there are so-called “gods,” either in heaven or on earth — as in fact there are “gods” and “lords” galore — 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we exist; and one Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, through whom were created all things and through whom we have our being.

Greek Passage 1 Corinthians 8:5-6

καὶ γὰρ εἴπερ εἰσὶν λεγόμενοι θεοὶ εἴτε ἐν οὐρανῷ εἴτε ἐπὶ γῆς ὥσπερ εἰσὶν θεοὶ πολλοὶ καὶ κύριοι πολλοί, [ἀλλ’] ἡμῖν εἷς θεὸς ὁ πατὴρ ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς αὐτόν, καὶ εἷς κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς δι’ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς δι’ αὐτοῦ.

Circumlocutions and Euphemisms

A Circumlocution is an ambiguous or roundabout figure of speech.An Euphemism is a generally innocuous word or expression used in place of one that may be found offensive or suggest something unpleasant.

We use Euphemisms all the time.

We don't call our father "Daniel" or "Miriam" — we address them as "Father/Dad/Daddy" or "Mother/Mum/Mommy."

Respectful honor is observed (or should be) with others outside our

families. How much more for our Creator?)

“haShem”The Mishnah (dated to AD/CE 200) begins to use the term "Ha-Shem" or "haShem" (literally, The Name) as a euphemism for "YHVH" (Mishnah: Yoma 3:8; 4:2; 6:2; Sanhedrin 7:5, 8; Babylonian Talmud: Sanhedrin 56b).

“AdoShem”

Contraction of the two Hebrew words Adonai (Lord) and Shem (Name).

AND there are others that do not require you to guess and argue about how to pronounce the Name

The Bottom Line:

God KNOWS who you are addressing when you address Him

in ANY Language.

Psalm 139

1 For the leader. A psalm of David: ADONAI, you have probed me, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I stand up, you discern my inclinations from afar, 3 you scrutinize my daily activities. You are so familiar with all my ways 4 that before I speak even a word, ADONAI, you know all about it already.

The Rules of the Household:

When you come into someone’s house, you follow their rules of the household!The Congregation leaders set the Halacha (walkings) within their respective congregations.Yeshua (Matthew 18:18): "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Binding and Loosing are Rabbinical Terms Used in Yeshua’s Day:

These terms were used in first century Judaism to mean "prohibit" and "permit," as is clear from the article, "Binding and Loosing," in the Jewish Encyclopedia, 3:215: "BINDING AND LOOSING" ... Rabbinical term for 'forbidding and permitting.' ...

So We Ask that You Please respect the rules of our household in this regard and Not Proselytize our Fellowship members or make the Name an issue.