Although God has many names that reflect His majesty, position, power and authority, the four letters YHWH are the most common portion of His name that we see. These four English letters come from the Hebrew OT (Strong's Hebrew #3068). Some variations are JHVH or YHVH, but the most common is YHWH. This name occurs thousands of times in the writings of the Old Testament. The Bible translators did not continue to use the YHWH designation for God within the scriptures. In English the word LORD - (with the ORD in smaller sized capital letters) is used almost every time that YHWH appears. The word "lord" in small letters is used when references are made to a mere man, and when Jesus Christ is referred to, it is written as Lord (Strong's Greek #2962). Some "sacred names" groups insist on certain pronunciations and spellings. Some insist on using Yahweh. Some insist that the correct name is Jehovah. Honest Biblical scholars will tell us that since Hebrew writing has no vowels, the correct pronunciation of His name has been lost. Jewish people have such reverence for God's name that they would not even try to pronounce it. This is a special name that can only refer to God. An interesting point is that YHWH is also used in the New Testament which may have been written in Aramaic although there are no copies of the original writings of the New Testament that have been preserved or found. In the Greek Septuagint, the Hebrew letters YHWH were not used, instead the Greek word Kurios appears in their place. This is translated LORD (with the ORD half-size).
Although God worked on a personal level with many of His chosen followers in the Old Testament, it seems there were periods of time when the relationship was tenuous and somewhat limited. That was made clear when at the time of Noah, only one man and his family were judged worthy to survive the flood which YHWH orchestrated for the destruction of almost all of mankind. Only eight survivors were recorded from that terrible incident.
Many decades later God was well known to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Joseph and others. Moses appeared about 400 years after Joseph and the relationship between God and man was again strengthened. It is clear that Moses did not know God's name or who God really was at the start of the work God had prepared him for. Exod. 3:13-15 records Moses' question to God. "When I come to the children of Israel and say to them, "'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" In verses 15 and 16 God refers to Himself as "The LORD God of your fathers…." The I AM is related to the personal name for God in the Old Testament. "The I AM and the related YHWH are the names of God that infer absolute timeless self-existence. Although impossible to translate accurately and directly into English, YHWH conveys meanings of "The Eternal One," "The One Who Always Exists" or: "The One Who Was, Is and Always Will be." (see our booklet Jesus Christ - The Real Story). Exodus 34:5-7 adds to what His name means. Isaiah was inspired to write a very direct statement about the name of God. He wrote: "I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another." (Isa. 42:8). Putting in the actual Hebrew word, this reads: "I am YHWH, that is My name." The reason the Jews wanted to stone Jesus was because He said He was the "I AM" (John 8:58) - the YHWH that Israel knew. YHWH and I AM are the related words from "to be" - "He is", and "I am" (Mounces Word Expository).
The name of God gives meaning to all that He is. It also reveals the great respect He has for Himself (if that is the right way of putting it). God knows that He and only He is God, the Almighty and therefore everything becomes His responsibility. He consistently works within that realm as He interacts with the human race. Even those specially chosen by Him are dealt with from the position of His love and mercy as a Father and Creator and His justice and responsibility to maintain the order He has decreed in all of His creation. Isaiah 48:9-13 explains: "For My name's sake I will defer My anger, and for My praise I will restrain it from you (v.9)." "For My own sake, for My own sake I will do it' For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another." God IS what His name declares Him to be - and nothing can change that. It declared the way that God thinks and operates in all things. In verses 12 He declares: "I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last."
The YHWH of the Old Testament who interacted with mankind was not God the Father, although God the Father was always involved and present in the Word (John 17:21). Jesus Christ clearly said that no person had ever seen God the Father and nobody had heard His voice (John 5:37). Jacob declared that he saw God "face to face" (Gen. 32:30). Jacob had asked for His name, but it was not given, apparently (verse 29). Note that the Ten commandments begin with "I am". Moses recorded: "For I, the LORD your God …" or replacing the LORD - "For I, YHWH your God…." We also know that Moses was blessed and strengthened for his work with Israel when God allowed Moses to have a short glimpse of His glory. The story is found in Exod. 33:18-23. Moses was allowed to see His back, but not His face. God said He talked with Moses "face to face" (Exo. 33:11) but we realize God's full power was turned way down. What an awesome thing to contemplate. No doubt God had to do something to make Himself visible to the limitations of Moses' eyesight. Moses was satisfied by what he saw. Who did Moses see? It was YHWH or God. John 1:18 tells us that no man has ever seen God the Father. Thus we know it was not the Father, but the Word (John 1:1-4).
Psalm 110:1 is quoted in the Acts 2:34: "The LORD says to my Lord…". YHWH said to Adonai - or the Father said to the Word. In Greek Kurios was used for YHWH and Adoni. The Greek translators did not make a distinction, but there is a distinction in the English. The Father was not revealed to ancient Israel, but He was always there. Jesus said He would tell us plainly about the Father (John 16:25), but His plain talk was still often confusing because of the inner barriers we (and the disciples) have. In John 17:5 Jesus made a profound statement. He asked God the Father in prayer to: "Glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." John also wrote that when Jesus was asked to reveal the Father, He didn't hesitate to say that if a person has seen Him, they have seen the Father (John 14:9).
Putting all of this and many more Biblical accounts together, it is clear that the Logos or Word that became Jesus Christ the man, was the YHWH men knew in the Old Testament (John 1:1,14). It seems that awesome fact was not fully realized or known until His resurrection. Jesus said that if those who put Him to death would have known who He was, they would never have killed Him (I Cor. 2:8). This understading only adds to the precious blood that was shed for our reconciliation with God. John 16:3 states that Israel did not know the Father or the Son. YHWH also applies to the Father. That is hard for our human minds to understand, but the Logos was with God and was God. YHWH was with YHWH and was YHWH. YHWH can apply to the Father, the Logos or both. One further point to ponder - Jesus said He would have a new name (Rev. 3:12). Then we will know the name of God and the new name of the Word. Until then, let us be satisfied with that which God has revealed - it is enough.