SBS Sermon Notes
SBS     Sermon Notes     Note 01/01

The Almighty God of Israel

1. His Name

Question:
Proverbs 30: 4: Who hath ascended up in to heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in His fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if thou canst tell?

Answer: Yahweh is His name, and Yeshua is His Son's name.

NOTE:   Jehovah (or Yahovah) is the common English pronunciation of the Hebrew tetragram YHVH (or YHWH). Another rendering is 'Yahweh.'

Quote: "The name means: 'He who happens (upon us), he who befalls us, he who in the absolute sense exists and who manifests his existence and his character.' (Exodus 3:13-15) The creator, upholder and moral governor of the universe is 'elohim, God; the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the God in whom lay their 'present strength' and their hope for 'future existence' is El Shaddai ('El Shadday) God Almighty; but the God of revelation and grace, dwelling with his people, guiding and delivering them and receiving their worship is Jehovah. (Westminster Dictionary of the Bible)
For more information see Sacred Names..

2. Yahweh's Characteristics

The Request

Exodus 33:12-23 ...shew me now thy way, that I may know thee ...

YHVH's Response

Exodus 34:5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
6: And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
7: Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Exodus 20:5 Yahweh is a jealous God. So do not flirt with paganism.
Deuteronomy 7:9 He is: The faithful God, which keepeth covenant with them that love Him.
Romans 16:27 He is Wise. To God only wise.
2 Samuel 22:48 An Avenger. It is God that avengeth me...
Deuteronomy 10:17 He is Awesome. A great God, mighty and a terrible ( yare = to be feared, reverenced), which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.
Psalm 18:30 He is Perfect. As for God, His way is perfect.
Amos 3:7 A Revealer of secrets: Surely the Lord god will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.
Psalm 78:18-19 A Sustainer. 'He can provide a table in the wilderness'

3. Yahweh is a Saviour

Currently Yahweh's main aim is the salvation of souls. Over and over again in Scripture He is called the God of our salvation.
Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah!
20: He that is our God is the God of Salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.

Salvation is free; but it cost the Most High dearly.
John 3:16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

4. Yahweh is our Spiritual Father

Psalm 68:5 He is a father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows.
Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father...
Matthew 6:9-14 Our Father which art in heaven ...

The Saviour advises us to address the Almighty as 'Father.' Amid the confusion that exists as regards the sacred names of the Almighty, this inspired instruction becomes ever more important. Not only so, but we are to remember that Yahweh is our Father: not just mine or yours - but 'our Father.' This makes believers members of one family. The very best earthly father is no comparison to our heavenly Father; and it is only when we know Him as a Father that we can trust Him totally. For He not only gave us life, but has sustained us since we were babes. And so with the Psalmist we can say,

Thou art my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
(Psalm 89:26)

5. Yahweh is My God / My Saviour

Until you personally make Yahweh 'your God,' religion for you will be purely academic. It will do you no good whatsoever. You must personally accept Yahweh as 'your God, your Father.' Only then will your spiritual walk with Him begin.
Psalm 140:6 I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God:
Psalm 146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help; whose hope is in the LORD his God.

6. Yahovah's Work / His Will

Yahweh's Business

Luke 2:49 Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

Yes, Yahweh is in the business of saving souls. He calls it 'His work.' In His work, His family business, all His 'children' have a job to do.

His workers

You will notice in the following parable that every believer is given a task to perform. It is called - 'his work.' Failure to carry out one's allocated work could spell disaster on the Day of Judgement.
Mark 13: 34: For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
35: Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
36: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
37: And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

What is Yahweh's Work?

John 6:29 This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

What is Yahweh's will?

John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication.

In short, the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel is engaged in the work of salvation; and He wants everyone to believe in His only begotten Son Yeshua (Jesus Christ): and then to go on to become holy people. Holiness is the Almighty's goal for every one of His children. Never forget that.

7. Personal Assessment

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17: And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
  • the lust of the flesh (cravings for sensual gratification)
  • and the lust of the eyes (greedy longings of the mind)
  • and the pride of life (assurance in one's resources or in the stability of earthly things). These things do not come from the Father, but are from the world itself.
Believers must closely study these verses and check their progress in the light of them. The Almighty has a high calling for each and everyone of us. Let us make sure that we do not fall short of it.

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Elder: David B Loughran
Stewarton Bible School, Stewarton, Scotland
May 1999