One thing that we should notice in the
Bible is that God's name is not used
carelessly. Every time God mentions
His name, it is with a purpose. Every
time God uses His name, it is not
used carelessly. Even the name Jesus
is very meaningful and is not used
haphazardly. For example, there is
Jesus Christ, there is Christ Jesus, and
there is the Lord Jesus Christ, etc. If
we change Jesus Christ to Christ Jesus,
we will be wrong doctrinally. The
same is true of the name which God
reveals to man. In Exodus 3:13-18
God purposely points out that besides
being God, His name is Jehovah. This
reveals His relationship with Israel.
What is the difference between God
and Jehovah? Let us first consider
how God revealed Himself through
His name in Genesis. From this we
can find out the meaning of His
names. From Genesis to Exodus 3,
God used different names to reveal
Himself. He used at least three names
to reveal himself. In Genesis 1 He uses
the name God. In Genesis 2 He uses a
different name— not God, but
Jehovah God. Why does Genesis 1 use
God while Genesis 2 uses Jehovah
God? The amazing thing is that God
did not tell man the meaning of the
name Jehovah. Although Abraham
knew the name (because God told
him once that His name was Jehovah),
he never knew the meaning of the
name. Not until Exodus 3:14-15 did
God begin to tell man the meaning of
the name Jehovah.
Why does Genesis 1 not mention
Jehovah or Jehovah God, but only
God? The name God—Elohim—
means the strong and mighty One.
The name God has to do with the
creatures; it refers to His relationship
with the creation. But Jehovah is a
name that is related to man. Genesis 2
speaks of the relationship between
God and man. Therefore, Jehovah
God is mentioned right away. This
speaks of God's relationship with
man. In Genesis 1 we do not see
man. Even when the creation of man
is mentioned on the sixth day, the
emphasis is still on creation. This is
why the name God is used. In Genesis
2 we see man, and so it speaks of
Jehovah God. Every time the word
Jehovah God is used, it denotes God
having a relationship with man. Every
time the word God is used, it implies
His power and His relationship with
the creation. Let us now consider a
few portions of the Word to show the
difference between God and Jehovah.
"And they that went in, went in male
and female of all flesh, as God had
commanded him: and the Lord [i.e.
Jehovah] shut him in" (Gen. 7:16). Can
you see the difference here? All those
that went in the ark went in male and
female, as God had commanded, and
Jehovah shut Noah in the ark. Can we
change it around? No, we cannot. It
was God who commanded. A
command has to do with God's
authority. Therefore, the name God is
used here. But after man came,
Jehovah rather than God shut him in.
This is because shutting in has to do
with God's care. This shows a
difference in usage between God and
Jehovah.
"This day will the Lord [i.e. Jehovah]
deliver thee into mine hand; and I will
smite thee, and take thine head from
thee; and I will give the carcasses of
the host of the Philistines this day
unto the fowls of the air, and to the
wild beasts of the earth; that all the
earth may know that there is a God in
Israel" (1 Sam. 17:46). Here it says that
Jehovah would "deliver thee into mine
hand," for the purpose that "all the
earth may know that there is a God in
Israel." Does it say that "God will
deliver thee into mine hand...that all
the earth will know that there is a
Jehovah?" No! The reason is that
Jehovah is related to us; He cares for
us and delivers the enemy into our
hand. Moreover, God does not tell all
the earth, those outside Israel, that He
is Jehovah; He only shows them that
He is God. Jehovah speaks of a
relationship with those who are close
to God, while God speaks of a
relationship with ordinary men, in
which He reveals His power to men.
"And it came to pass, when the
captains of the chariots saw
Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the
king of Israel. Therefore they
compassed about him to fight: but
Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord
[Jehovah] helped him; and God
moved them to depart from him" (2
Chron. 18:31). The One who helped
Jehoshaphat was Jehovah, while the
One who moved his enemy was God.
Jehovah helped Jehoshaphat because
he was close to God and intimate with
God. God used the title God to
Jehoshaphat's enemy because they
had no relationship with Him. This is
another example.
God is the common name, while
Jehovah is the name of intimacy. God
refers to His power, while Jehovah
refers to His love. God refers to
creation, while Jehovah refers to His
intimacy. Genesis 1 does not mention
Jehovah because it covers the
creation. Even when chapter one
mentions man, it is in relation to
creation and power. Genesis 2 speaks
of God's intimacy with man and His
relationship with man; therefore, it
mentions Jehovah God. Why does it
say Jehovah God in chapter two,
instead of just Jehovah? This proves
that the Jehovah in chapter two is the
God in chapter one. Jehovah God is
not only the One who is powerful, but
is also the One who draws near to
man. However, even though the
name Jehovah is used from Genesis 2
until Exodus 3, the meaning of the
name Jehovah is not explained until
Exodus 3:14.......

"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT
I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say
unto the children of Israel, I AM hath
sent me unto you. And God said
moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt
thou say unto the children of Israel,
The Lord God of your fathers, the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you:
this is my name for ever, and this is
my memorial unto all
generations" (Exo. 3:14-15). This was
God's response to Moses' question
about what he should say to the
Israelites if they asked about the name
of the God of their forefathers when
he told them that the God of their
forefathers had sent him to them.
God told Moses that He is "I am that I
am" (i.e., Jehovah), which means the
self-existing and the ever-existing
One. It was Jehovah who had sent
Moses. What was His name? His name
was "I am that I am." Who had sent
Moses? The "I am" had sent him.
I am! I am that I am! Brothers and
sisters, do you see the preciousness in
this name? I feel its preciousness
particularly today. I am... I am... I am...
How wonderful! I am... Do you realize
that God is...? God's Word is most
amazing. What He says is most
amazing, and what He has not said is
also most amazing. What God has
fully said is amazing, and what He has
not fully said is also amazing. What He
has spelled out is most amazing, and
what He has only half-uttered is also
most amazing. What God has said
forthrightly is amazing, and what He
has said hesitantly is also most
amazing. Here God does not say fully
what He is. He merely says that He is...
This implies that there is something
not yet said. The "I am" has sent
Moses. On that day Moses received
God's revelation.
If God adds the word power to the
words I am, then He is not love. If He
adds love to the first words, then He is
only love and not power, wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification,
redemption, comfort, protection, a
high tower, and shelter. God only says
that He is, without saying what He is.
This allows those who believe in Him
to add in other terms; actually, they
are not terms, they are spiritual
realities! We can add in whatever we
want by faith. If we have the need and
faith, we can add whatever we need
to the words God is and receive God's
answer to our need. If we need
comfort, God is our comfort. If we
need a shelter, God is our shelter. If
we need a high tower, God is our
high tower. If we need victory, God is
our victory. If we need holiness, God
is our holiness. If we need a way, God
is our way (John 14:6). If we need
light, God is our light. If we need the
bread of life, God is our bread of life.
Whatever you need can be added to
His name. We should not have any
doubt. We can add whatever we want
to His name.
This is like a checkbook with
signatures on all the checks. When the
checkbook is given to you, you can
put in whatever amount you want. If
you tear out one check and write one
thousand on it, you will have one
thousand. If you write ten thousand
on it, you will have ten thousand.
Since someone has signed them, all
you have to do is write what you need
on one of them. Many people do not
know God, and many people do not
know Jehovah. I feel that the length,
the breath, the height, and the depth
of this name are sufficient to include
everything.
After seeing this, it is no wonder that
those who know God say that the
name of the Lord is a strong tower,
and the righteous runs into it and is
safe (Prov. 18:10). After we
understand the meaning of this
name, we will proclaim with David that
"And those who know Your name put
their trust in You" (Psa. 9:10). Because
the Old Testament saints knew God's
name as Jehovah, they were able to
pray, "For the sake of Your name, O
Jehovah, / Pardon my iniquity, for it is
great" (25:11); "save me, O God, by
thy name" (54:1); "do thou for me, O
God the Lord, for thy name's
sake" (109:21). They also proclaimed,
"Through thy name will we tread
them under that rise up against
us" (44:5); "He guides me in the paths
of righteousness for His name's
sake" (23:3); "I will lift up my hands in
thy name" (63:4). This is why they
could praise, saying, "According to thy
name, O God, so is thy praise" (48:10);
"in thy name shall they rejoice all the
day" (89:16); "sing unto God, sing
praises to his name...his name
JAH" (68:4). God Himself also
declared, "I will set him on high,
because he hath known my
name" (91:14).
God's name reveals God Himself.
God's name is the foundation of our
faith. If we can enter the reality of
God's name in the power of the Holy
Spirit, extraordinary things can be
accomplished through God's name......

THE LORD JESUS IS JEHOVAH
Some are ignorant about this matter;
they think that Jehovah is God's
revelation in the Old Testament and
wonder if we can enjoy the benefit of
this name in the New Testament. We
thank God! Jehovah in the Old
Testament is the Jesus in the New
Testament. The meaning of Jesus is
Jehovah our Savior.
When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He
admitted that He was the Jehovah in
the Old Testament. He said, "Unless
you believe that I am, you will die in
your sins" (John 8:24). In this verse
the Lord Jesus tells us that He is the "I
am."
A little later He said, "When you lift up
the Son of Man, then you will know
that I am" (v. 28). "Truly, truly, I say to
you, Before Abraham came into being,
I am" (v. 58). The Lord Jesus clearly
said that He was Jehovah. The Jews
understood what this meant;
therefore, "they picked up stones to
throw at Him" (v. 59).
We can rejoice because our Lord
Jesus is the I am. He is! He is
everything for our sake. He is the I
am! He says of Himself that He is the
life, He is the resurrection, He is the
light of the world, He is the bread of
life, and He is the good shepherd. We
can derive all kinds of supply from the
Lord's name. Once we have His name,
we have everything. We thank the
Lord that He has given this name to
us.