Following on the heels of yesterday’s post, let’s retake a look at the verse we went over:
“He and all his men went to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark.”-2 Samuel 6:2
However, based on everything we discussed yesterday, this passage should be re-rendered as follows:
“David and all the people with him got up and left Ba’al Judah to bring back the Ark of God. The Ark is called by the name: ‘Yehovah of hosts, who sits above the Cherubim.’”
Do you understand the nuanced difference being emphasized here?
The phrase “Yehovah of hosts, who sits above the Cherubim” is being used as another name for the Ark.
Ya feel me?
Now here’s the big takeaway we’d be fools to overlook.
This was a solemn reminder!
It was meant to wake the people up to the fact that Israel’s God—YHWH—is the one who rules above the Ark.
There are no other gods, just Him.
Oh, and here’s something else interesting.
Whenever we see “Adonai Tzva’ot” in the Hebrew Bible or “The Lord of Hosts” in English, that ain’t what the original Hebrew says, homies!
What’s actually written is “Yehoveh Tzva’ot” or “Yehoveh of Hosts.”
This echoes what the prophet Isaiah told us so long ago:
“I am YEHOVAH; there is no other;
besides me there is no God.
I am arming you, although you don’t know me,
so that those from the east and those from the west
will know that there is none besides me —
I am YEHOVAH; there is no other.
I form light, I create darkness;
I make well-being, I create woe;
I, YEHOVAH, do all these things.”
-Isaiah 45:5-7
Are you feeling me here?
I mean, are you really feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeling me here?!
This just goes to show how much God’s actual name has been hidden over time in both Judaism and Christianity.
Instead of using God’s real name, YAHWEH or YEHOVAH, the people replaced it with the more general words like Adonai or Lord.
God’s name has become obscured over the centuries and most people don’t even realize it!
Remember, there are really only two ways to know God: By His Name and His Attributes.
Let’s not overlook the importance of this.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“And it shall come to pass that
whoever calls on the name
of the Lord shall be saved.”
-Acts 2:21
Amen.
And this is how the BTC’s Integrated Translation & Transliteration (ITT) protocol looks like for the 3 quoted texts:
1Sa 6:2 >
“Dawid arose and went with all the people who were with him, from Baale of YAHudah, to bring from there the ark of ELOHIM, which is called by the name, even the name of יהוה Tzevaot who sits above the cherubim.”
Isa 45:5-7 >
“I AM יהוה, and there is no other. Besides ME, there is no ELOHIM.[43] I will strengthen you, though you have not known ME;
45:6 that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides ME. I AM יהוה, and there is no other[44].
45:7 I form the light, and create darkness. I make shalom, and create calamity. I AM יהוה, WHO does all these things.”
Act 2:21 >
“It will be, that whoever will call on the name of ADONAI will be saved [Joe 2:28-32].”
Excerpt From
BTC epub 6th Ed
https://www.btc2023.net/1-prologue
It’s true that we Jews do not ever pronounce the Tetragrammaton, the 4- letters that represent God, the ones he told Moses are his “name” when they first met.
But it isn’t to keep people from God, or to obfuscate who God is, but as a form of respect and to avoid accidentally misusing his name, which is a violation of the third commandment.
On the other hand, over the centuries Christian Gentiles seem to think they are on a first-name basis with God, throwing his name (using any number of different pronunciations) around like they were drinking buddies.
I believe this is wrong- would you go to the President of the US and call him by his first name?
Would you approach a potential new boss in an interview, and call that person by their first name?
Would you approach the Pope, or a foreign dignatary, and give them a “High 5” with a “Yo, Bro!”?
I hope not.
But, yet, there are so many who think they can use God’s name in any manner they want to.
Has anyone who just has to use a name for God ever thought that maybe, just maybe, by using his name so casually they are not giving HIM the respect and honor he deserves?
That is why we Jews use Adonai (Lord) or God or HaShem (the Name) instead of trying to figure out to to really pronounce those 4 letters.
After all, without the vowels present, how can anyone be positive how to pronounce those 4 letters?
How many words can you make out of S-h-t-s?
Which one is the absolute, unique, and correct word from those letters?
And when the “Holy Namers” vehemently insist that we MUST use this version or that version, they insult the Lord of Hosts by making it seem that he doesn’t know our hearts or minds, and doesn’t know who we are praying to.
And it drives me nuts (which isn’t a long trip, to begin with) when someone says that using “Lord” means we are praying to Ba’al! Oy!
Do you think that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will reject your prayers or send you to Sheol (Hell) if you don’t use those 4 letters when calling on his help or praying to him? Doesn’t God know your heart?
Well, the Bible says he DOES know your heart, and your mind, and God knows who you mean when you pray to him, or call upon him for help or guidance, no matter which word you use to address him.
And so many times when we read about “calling on the name of the Lord” or “to know the name of the Lord”, it doesn’t mean a name, like Steve or Rich, but the reputation and renown of God.
It means to relate to and acknowledge who and what God is- not to just say a name.
I don’t think God is so picky and self-absorbed that he really cares which “name” we use for him whether it be a surname or a descriptive title, so long as our hearts are in the right place, and we are trying to honor him through obedience to his instructions in the Bible.
And if that isn’t enough for someone, then I think they really don’t know who God is, at all.
Good points made. As I said on FB, I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with you. But I’s formal name is very important. As I’ve said before, there are only two ways to know God: by His Name and His attributes. He is NOT Ba’al, Allah, still think God Molech or any of the other false gods. He is Yehovah!