Introduction

‘Do you know God?’ Now, is this a strange question, a challenging one, or perhaps a rather exciting one to ask? And are we aware of the wonderful reality that God knows us? Every one of us. He knows every person on earth today and all those who were, as well as those still to come. God knows all people because He knows everything in creation. Nothing is or can be hidden from Him.

The God in this conversation is the God of the Bible, referred to in the Hebrew language by so many different names. He is the creator of all things, the source of all life. He is greater than time. He is love and peace. He holds all that exists in His hand: creation, humankind, destinies. He has a plan for everything in creation, including every person ever born.

The Bible gives us a lot of detail about this God, creator of the universe. Yes, He created everything: the sun, the moon, and the stars, together with planet Earth, and all the big as well as tiny detail that goes with it. God determined with precision, for example, the movement of all the ‘heavenly bodies’ He created. They all have a precise influence on one another. Take, for example, the moon. This beautiful object is not merely a romantic symbol up there in the sky. The movement of the moon, on its own, determines the ebb and flow of all oceans around the world. And the movement and timetable of this ebb and flow not only influence the life of fish and plants in the sea but also humankind and other mammals, as well as the life of birds and other creatures. Like a chain, all of it always comes together. The detail of this creation – especially how it involves man – is not stipulated in just any textbook but hidden in the Bible! Therefore, we need the urgency of a prospector to dig until we find all the amazing truths for us to understand what God and His creation are truly about.

Discovering the wonder of creation is part of discovering who the creator of it all is.

When we start digging, there is always more. From the beginning, this creator God had one specific plan for the creation of humankind. God is love. He needed someone to love – someone who could think and react the way He does. It was surely also His plan that this ‘someone’ would return His love in a true and honest relationship with Him.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (The King James Bible, 2008, Genesis 1:26-28)

How special is this! Man, made in His image and likeness and, to top it all, the creator God gave man dominion. If we look at the world today and see so much going totally wrong, we realise that in the end God was not the only one to exercise influence over humankind. He had an enemy who had once been part of His leadership, but this creature wanted to overrule God, and so he was thrown out of heaven.

So here we are with the godly intentions of our creator God, who is a God of love who only wants the best for all His children, and, on the other hand, this other being who tries to oppose the Creator in every possible way.

If we consider the big question – ‘Do you know this living God who knows you?’ – knowing His enemy is a crucial part of knowing God. God is love, so we need to understand that His love means He wants to protect us. Sometimes, He even needs to protect us from our own desires and decisions. This protection will not always come like a soft breeze, no. The harder we are at hearing, the harder He may come at us with challenges and direction that we would not choose for ourselves.

On top of it all, the first couple created by God – those who were supposed to take the lead in this God-man relationship – failed Him. They lost their ‘position’ in Him. What was this position? In His presence. Even today, the best place for anyone who loves God is exactly that – In His presence. Wherever we are, we can shut ourselves off from our physical environment by focusing on the spiritual. We must make the deliberate decision to focus on God and not allow other thoughts to lure us away. With our minds fixed on the Word of God and our desire to be with Him, we can still find ourselves in the presence of God.

According to Genesis 2:23, this is what ‘man’ and ‘woman’ lost. They had to leave their original dwelling place in His presence and fend for themselves – as did all who were born from them. Why is it important to think about all of this when we consider whether we ‘know God’?

The fall of man started one immense spiritual battle, and because it is a spiritual battle, many will not recognise what is going on around them as part of this battle. We need to understand what really matters; it is not what we see and hear and experience but what lies behind all of this. What is the real driving force and the agenda, and who determines this agenda? A detective, who was well known for his ability to uncover fraud in banking and financial systems, was once asked whether he knew every trick in the book, because he always seemed to catch the bad guys. ‘No,’ was his reply. He did not know every trick in the book but knew the truth. He knew what was right. And because he knew what was right, he immediately picked up what was not right.

In the world we live in, there are so many agendas for making money, for pursuing individual power, ruthless killings for selfish gain, and so much more. We absolutely need to know the truth – the truth about the creator of all things. If not, we may fall prey to the enemy of God, who also never sleeps nor slumbers. Praise God – He is the One who is omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time, awake and alert). We can trust Him. We can also trust Him to share truth with us. Remember, our Lord Jesus made this very statement in John 14:6, He is the way, the truth, and the life, and only in Him will we be blessed with everlasting life – in His presence!

If we truly want to know God, we need to understand who He is in the first place. This question is addressed by studying His character. And His character is hidden in the meaning of His Hebrew names. But, apart from the names, we also need to understand how His love is practically ‘rolled out’ for all of humankind. What is it that He offers? The death of His own Son. The Son of God, entirely innocent of any transgression, willingly died for the sin of all mankind. Why did He do it? His death on the cross was the payment for all sin. Everyone who believes in the redemption of His blood and accepts this offer, will be excused, cleansed, and sanctified!

What, then, does He expect of us? He expects us to accept this godly offer of love and obey by believing in Him.

And, if we obey, what is the ‘reward’? Life in Him – everlasting. When we get to know God, all these questions are clearly answered for us.

God knows us. But how do we get to know God?

One very important thing we should know and take to heart is the fact that knowledge of this almighty God does not simply fall into our laps. We need to understand the magnitude of His being. Then we need to choose to allow this knowledge to enter our hearts where it can grow to become a steadfast faith. The wonder of obtaining knowledge of this creator God is not quickly satisfied – there will always be more: more to learn and more to understand. And the more we understand about Him, the more we want to understand.
According to His plan for us, it is His desire that we seek to know Him to the point that we are willing to believe Him and then understand what it takes to believe in Him. We must have the diligent desire to understand with our mind until we experience a change of heart – first the mind and only then the heart. See how the author of the book of Hebrews explained this process:

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their minds, even upon their innermost thoughts and understanding, and engrave them upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And it will nevermore be necessary for each one to teach his neighbour and his fellow citizen or each one his brother, saying, Know (perceive, have knowledge of, and get acquainted by experience with) the Lord, for all will know Me, from the smallest to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful and gracious toward their sins and I will remember their deeds of unrighteousness no more. When God speaks of a new [covenant or agreement], He makes the first one obsolete [out of use]. And what is obsolete [out of use and annulled because of age] is ripe for disappearance and to be dispensed with altogether. (The Amplified Bible, 2008, Hebrews 8:10-13).

So, what does it take to believe God? Does this perhaps depend on ‘conversation’, such as Moses and others had with God? Does the foundation of this ‘conversation’ lie in the covenant mentioned by God Himself in Hebrews 8:10? What is it that we can learn from the prophets in this regard? Moses was fending for the flock of his father-in-law when God spoke to him in an audible voice. He followed God’s instruction and later had to teach the people of Israel to also listen and obey.

It was shown to you so that you might know that Jehovah is God, and no one else beside Him. He made you hear His voice out of Heaven so that He might teach you. And He showed you His great fire upon earth. And you heard His words out of the midst of the fire. (The Modern King James Bible, 2008, Deuteronomy 4:35-36).

Apart from Moses, there were so many other prophets – all of whom experienced the Word from God – but still the obedience of the people of Israel withered like grass in winter. Finally, according to His plan, the almighty living God sent His Son to instruct us not only with His words but also by example – even unto death.

This is still God’s way. He does not deviate from His plan. He knows where He is going with every part of creation and every person in it. He still speaks in different ways, instructing humankind en route to His final countdown. What is He doing in our lives? He still wants to instruct us, but God cannot instruct all people because we are so busy instructing one another and ourselves that we cannot hear the voice of God. No man, not even the best teachers in the world, can instruct us the way the Holy Spirit can. We need to sit at the feet of Jesus like Mary of Bethany. While we wait at His feet, He will reveal the secrets of heaven to us. At His feet, we will not only learn the truths of heavenly relationships but also how to find and understand His plan for our lives here on earth. He wants to reveal to us all the gifts and plans He has for us. But our responsibility lies in our reaction to this God Almighty. Do we desire to honour and obey Him?

Remember the tabernacle in the wilderness? There was always the cloud by day and fire by night. Almighty God never departed from His people. Read and think about the picture we are shown in Exodus.

And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. (The King James Bible, 2008, Exodus 33:8-10).

Are we willing to seek Him diligently with a heart filled with adoration and worship?

STUDY HIS NAMES

God knows you. If you want to know Him, start your search with the study of His names, for the character of the Almighty is found right there in the meaning of His names.

Some time ago, in waiting upon the Lord, an instruction came to me: ‘Trust Me.’ Not out of arrogance, but rather from a feeling of hopelessness, I replied with a question: ‘What in You should I trust?’

What a strange question to ask the almighty God. It was only later that I realised how intensely childlike this question was. But, then again, our Lord Jesus asked us to come to Him like little children. Of course, most important about this question was the answer the Lord wanted to give me. Whenever I know in my heart that the Lord is speaking, I always write things down. The answer I wrote that day was: ‘There is only one thing you can trust in anyone – character.’

Then came my next question: ‘If I want to know and understand Your character, where do I start the search?’

The answer from our Father: ‘My character is hidden in the meaning of My Hebrew names.’

And so, the journey began! Only after I had started the search did I realise that there was yet another element to my search: ‘How do I get to understand the promises hidden in Your character?’

YHVH

This is the name the living God announced Himself by when He commissioned Moses to go to Egypt, fetch His people and take them to the land of Israel – the land He had promised to Abraham and his descendants. What a commission! Would it be too much, then, to think of that the name mentioned in this instruction as great and important? Indeed, this is considered the most holy of all the names of God. So holy, in fact, that even today it is preferred not to be verbalised by Jewish people. In his book, In His Own Words: Messianic Insights into the Hebrew Alphabet, L Grant Luton (published by Beth Tikkun in 1999) refers to Proverbs 25:2 to explain the mystery of the depth of the meaning of this name.

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. (The King James Bible, 2008, Proverbs 25:2).

Consider the words ‘to search out a matter’. Does this mean to search out what has been concealed? And, if so, what is it that is concealed? Nothing about this almighty, holy God is given to us on a platter.

With a sincere, honest, and humble heart, we need to search for our own understanding, to discover His character, His truth, His plan for all of humankind, and the redemption promised to those who believe in the offering of His Son for ourselves.

Everything we need to know about Him is concealed, but in such a way that it will be revealed to those who humble themselves to approach Him with respect and awe; those who are willing to learn from Him on His terms. He is to be respected, believed in, and worshipped for who He is.

To my understanding, this is what is concealed in the meaning of this most holy name, YHVH. Could this name be His way of ‘explaining’ or ‘introducing’ the seriousness of His holiness? With holiness comes respect, and with respect comes acceptable behaviour. With this name it is as if the Almighty was showing His people acceptable ways to address Him, talk to Him, obey Him, call upon Him – and not to ignore Him.

He is God. He is no one’s playmate. He is not to be ignored or made fun of – to be forgotten. He is holy. This message was meant not only for those Moses had to get out of Egypt. No, this is still a message for us all – one that no one can ignore. With this name YHVH, He still says: I Am Holy. 

This respect for the name YHVH remained with the people of Israel. When visiting Israel with groups, I have often noticed amazing things. One special example is that once, when visiting Qumran, the group guide explained the customs of scribes in biblical times and the rituals they had to follow when writing the Scriptures because this is what had happened at Qumran. He shared that every time a scribe was required to write the name YHVH, he had to take a mikvah – a ritual cleansing bath – before writing the name. The mikvah baths were all built in the same pattern: a small staircase at the bottom of which would be a ‘bath’ deep enough for one person to immerse himself in the water. The last of the steps would end in the water so the person doing the mikvah could walk right into the water and then step out with ease. The staircase was built in such a way that a small ridge down the middle of the stairs, from top to bottom, separated left from right. One side was for going down and the other for coming up out of the water. Only one person could go into the water at a time. Cleansing was not considered complete with more than one person in the water at the same time.

Furthermore, even walking the stairs was part of the ritual. On going down, they would take it slow, pausing on every step, heart-searching, to make sure there was nothing in their heart they should perhaps ask forgiveness for or confess about. Undressing, they would leave their last piece of clothing in the middle of the staircase before immersing themselves in the water so that there would be nothing hindering the washing off of whatever it was they had to take the mikvah for. On going up, out of the mikvah, the person would again ascend while praising the Almighty for purification of the soul and cleansing of the spirit, doing it step by step as they made their way up.

Imagine going through this ritual every time before writing the name YHVH – and sometimes the name would appear more than once in a single verse. This is how serious the people of Israel were about the holiness of this name. Even today, they do not even speak this name of God in conversation. I recall one guide, while explaining the mikvah rituals, wanting to refer to ‘God’ without using the name YHVH. Then, suddenly, he stopped in the middle of the explanation. He looked everywhere for his cap but could not find it, so he took the map of the site we were visiting and held it like a covering over his head before completing his sentence. In this sentence, he used the word ‘Name’ – not YHVH or God, but the ‘Name’ – and while uttering the word ‘Name’, he held the map as a cover on his head. All of this out of respect.

Please do not think of this incident as strange or ‘too much’; let us rather be amazed at the respect the modern Jews of today still hold for this name of God.

In fact, there is more to consider regarding the respect Jews have for this name. In the written language of Hebrew there are no vowels. There are twenty-two letters in its alphabet, twenty of which are consonants, plus two silent letters. Where vowels are needed, they developed dots and small lines to be used with the consonants to indicate not only those vowels but also whether they were to be used before or after the consonant. Apparently, in the early days when the Hebrew language was used, the vowels in this most holy name were indeed indicated, but for a very long time now they have not been, with the result that the correct pronunciation is not known to everyone.

One more very important truth about this most holy name is the fact that this one name is a combination of two words. Luton explains in his book that YHVH consists of the two Hebrew words” ‘Yah’ and ‘Veh’. In Hebrew, it would read – remember that Hebrew is read from right to left – as Hey Vav Hey Yod (in the Hebrew alphabet הוהי)

This first word, ‘Yah’ (consisting of Yod and Hey), refers to judgement as part of the character of the Almighty, while ‘Veh’ refers to His mercy. Pause and think for a moment. Judgement can be harsh. It can be final. But then there is ‘Veh’ – part of the same name – which reflects mercy. It is like two sides of the same coin. See the mercy in this. YHVH will not leave us to act in ways we should not. He wants to help us by correcting us, but in love and mercy, not in judgement.

Praying this name while focusing on these two aspects became part of a morning prayer among many Jews, praising YHVH for not allowing man to act in ways that could cost him dearly and for His godly mercy in leading us in His ways of safety – growing by His grace and in sanctification.

While thinking about the respect the people of Israel hold for this name of the Almighty, I learnt one more amazing truth regarding respect in Israel. In the south, near Eilat, there is Timna Park, where a replica of the tabernacle was erected. We learnt the most wonderful truths from the guides at this facility. A typical question they would ask the group was, ‘Did you know that, during their time in the desert, every time the people of Israel put up the tabernacle, they had to be sure that the entrance always faced east?’ The next very Jewish question from the guide was: ‘Why?’

Because no one ever knew the answer, the guide always had to tell the group: ‘Because the Egyptians – remember that the Israelites lived in Egypt for many years – worshipped the sun. So did most of the people in the areas they had to travel through in the desert. Therefore, when the children of Israel would come to the tabernacle to worship the Almighty YHVH Elohim in the morning, they had to turn their back on the rising sun while facing the place of worship of YHVH.’

When we study this most holy name of YHVH, we should consider the importance of our attitude toward the Lord. No one is asking us to go through elaborate rituals when we use this name, but we need to be honest in our own hearts toward the Almighty and perhaps turn to this example of the entrance to the tabernacle from ancient times.

With modern translations of the Bible, we have pretty much lost the distinction between names. It is good that with the name YHVH, the translators decided to use the word ‘Lord’, and then in some translations – such as the King James Version – the full name is transcribed in capital letters to read ‘LORD’. But this distinction was lost in most of the translations. Furthermore, the word ‘Lord’ and even ‘LORD’ is also used for other names such as Adonai. (If it is important to you to know and understand the different names referred to, download the e-Sword application and use the function provided by Strong’s that gives the meaning of all Hebrew as well as Greek words. Search and find truth.)

The LORD [Yah] is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God [El], and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God [Elohim], and I will exalt him. (The King James Bible, 2008, Exodus 15:2).

Behold, God [El] is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD [Yah] JEHOVAH [YHVH] is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation [Yeshua]. (The King James Bible, 2008, Isaiah 12:2).

For his merciful kindness is great toward us: And the truth of the LORD [YHVH] endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD. (The King James Bible, 2008, Psalm 117:2).

Remember that the meaning of ‘Yah’ refers to judgement. In the example of Exodus 15:2, it is as if the use of ‘Yah’ in this verse is calling upon the judgement of the Almighty as a means of salvation. Also consider the use of the words ‘merciful kindness’ followed by ‘the truth of YHVH’ in Psalm 117, and you find a repeat of the meaning of judgement in ‘Yah’ and the mercy of ‘Veh’ in these Scriptures.

But there is even more to understand in the meaning of ‘Yah’. Look at the many names of people in the Bible that end with a variation of ‘Yah’, like Isaiah and Jeremiah. Then there is Abram, whose name was changed to Abraham and Sara, who became Sarah. Every time a name was changed to include a variation of ‘Yah’, it was done by YHVH Himself to proclaim His involvement in the life of that individual and, especially, the calling on their lives.

There is more. According to The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, to give expression to the true meaning of ‘joy’, it should be done not only in sound but even in colour. Furthermore, think about the meaning of hallelujah, referring to Yah. To give true expression of gladness and joy in worship and thanksgiving to Yah, we should forget about ourselves and humble ourselves before Him in such a way that we lay down any pride and poise. We should learn to give expression with all we have. Is that what King David did when the Ark was brought back to Jerusalem, and the daughter of Saul despised him for his actions? And YHVH’s reaction to her remark? He closed her womb. Read the account in 2 Samuel 6.

May we truly learn what is allowed for us, even today. In all we do, YHVH is looking at our hearts more than our actions. If you and I do not feel comfortable dancing for joy or even lifting our hands to celebrate the almighty YHVH, at least let us not look down on others who do enjoy this freedom.

Jehovah is near to the broken-hearted; and saves those who are of a contrite spirit. (The Modern King James Bible, 2008, Psalm 34:18).

See also Numbers 6:24-26, Psalms 32:10 and 106:1, Proverbs 3:26, and Isaiah 1:18 and 40:10.

In our everyday life, the meaning of this amazing holy name is not at all hard to understand. It means, ‘I am whatever you need Me to be.’ YHVH – judgement covered in mercy – truly is whatever we need Him to be. This is a thought we can reflect upon every day of our lives, and it will still amaze us.

Let us pray and ask YHVH that we live every day remembering who He is. Let us pray for the judgement covered in mercy to direct us toward one goal: to remember Him in all we do, obey Him, and search for His presence and His word wherever we go, in whatever we plan, think, and do.