Bible Study Genesis Part 24-He Is A God For You

God’s name “Jehovah” can sound like a label from a distant past, until you slow down and ask what it actually means and why Scripture repeats it thousands of times. We start in Genesis 2:4, where “Lord God” translates Jehovah Elohim, and we follow the thread the way the Bible Study was designed to be followed: word by word, name by name, meaning by meaning.

We revisit Elohim first, because it frames everything. Elohim speaks to God’s strength as Creator and Sustainer, and it’s meant to steady us when life feels bigger than we are. From there we step into the sacred, debated territory of Jehovah and the tetragrammaton JHVH, why vowels were supplied later, and why so many readers treat this name with special reverence. We also explain how we handle controversial Bible topics without drifting into speculation: careful scholarship, clear claims, and room for you to do your own research.

Then comes the surprising translation: Jehovah means “I Am.” The power is in how God uses it. Jehovah is paired with other words to show what God will be for His people, not just what He is in the abstract. We walk through Jehovah Jireh in the Abraham and Isaac story as the God who sees to it and provides, and we connect it to Jehovah Rophi in Exodus as the Lord who heals you personally. The takeaway is simple and demanding: this is not a distant deity. This is a personal God who relates, provides, protects, directs, and calls us to love and obey in return.

If you’ve ever wondered why God’s names matter for prayer, trust, and daily life, hit play and stay with the text. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves deep Bible study, and leave a review. 

Transcript

Why Scripture Matters Most

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Welcome to the program Study in the Chapel. God's Word is supreme at Chapel Ministries. We consider it absolutely essential to a proper relationship with God. We study it, we love it, we rely on it every minute of every day. The following program is an edited recording of the regular Bible studies we hold, and we decided to share these with you in the hope that you too will be able to find inspiration, encouragement, and ultimately salvation through discovering Christ in Scripture. Our intention is to travel all the way through the Bible. It will be a challenging journey, but one that will undoubtedly bring you to a decision. Through this study, you will be faced with either believing or rejecting what God has said to us. It is our intention to provide you with enough knowledge to make an informed decision about God and his word. We strongly encourage you to listen intently and diligently, because though at the moment you may not realize it, these things are truly a matter of life and death. In fact, these are matters of eternal life and eternal death. Never treat what God has said lightly. There's truly nothing more important to you. Now join us as we seek God's will through his inspired word.

Winter Greeting And Christmas Context

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All right, we are on YouTube. This is December 21st. It's the first day of winter. Happy winter to everyone. It feels like winter around here already. Feels like it came a little early this year, but that's fine. We've been lucky in the last few years. Now it actually feels like winter. Also, this coming weekend, we're recording this on December 21st. This coming weekend is Christmas. I want to wish everyone Merry Christmas. Some of you may be thinking, well, how come you don't teach more on Christmas? Believe me, we teach on Christmas, but we don't teach the typical way. Like if you're listening to, I was listening to Christian radio today. I've listened to a little bit of Christian TV. And for about a month and a half, people are talking about, you know, the early chapters of Luke and the early chapters of Matthew and all of those things. All I can say is, Merry Christmas. Have a happy family holiday. One of these days we'll talk about the truth of Christmas, but not today. And you know what? To be honest, I think most people are aware that there is a very thin link between the birth of Jesus and December 25th. Used to be when I brought those things up. It was a surprise to people, but I don't think it's a surprise anymore. Most people realize that, you know, December 25th is the winter time, and there's probably no way that there are shepherds in the field, even in the Middle East, in the middle of December. Anyways, we'll we'll talk about that again somewhere down the line when it isn't Christmas time. I don't want to ruin anyone's fun. We celebrate Christmas here, but we celebrate the family holiday. We do the caroling, we do the tree, the gifts, the whole the Santa, all that stuff. That's the Christmas that we enjoy doing. You enjoy Christmas any way you want to, and I'm gonna say it again, Merry Christmas

Genesis Returns: How God Communicates

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to you. So let's get back into the book of Genesis. In our last couple of sessions, we, thank you, honey. In our last couple of sessions, we were looking at the various ways God communicates with us. You remember that, of course. We said that we are challenged by the fact that we can't see God, we can't speak to God, we can't hear from God, at least not in the ways that we're used to in all of the other of our relationships. And we came to the conclusion that, like he always does, God has a fix for that problem. Somehow we are able to relate to him in our prayers, we're able to relate to him in our praise and worship, and of course, we can relate to him, we can communicate to him. He communicates to us through his word made clear to us by his Holy Spirit. And it's in his word that we see that God uses names as a way to communicate with us, his children. Yes, as though it may be an unusual thing, the names of God, the names God gives himself, God uses his names to communicate with us. That's part of how he lets us know what kind of God he is, and we're thankful for it. Right here in Genesis 2.4, the verse that we've been stuck on for a few weeks, he begins that program of letting us know what kind of God He is through His names. Let's read it again. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created. In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. There where we see the English name Lord God, it's translating the Hebrew Jehovah Elohim. A couple of sessions ago was dedicated to talking about this mysterious yet magnificent name, Elohim. It's in that name when God calls himself that name, he's communicating to us the fact that he's mighty and strong and powerful enough to maintain and create an entire universe. Now, why did he tell us that? He told us that his name is Elohim so that we can be confident that he's mighty enough and strong enough and powerful enough to take care of us. There is great comfort in knowing our Father is Elohim. And we also spent a little bit of time reminding ourselves that since Elohim is a plural pronoun, that we can see that God is using that plural pronoun, that pro that not pronoun proper noun, that plural proper noun, he's using that plural proper noun to tell us that he's the great triune God. So that was the Elohim part of Jehovah Elohim.

Elohim: Mighty Creator And Triune God

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And then last time we just got started talking about the Jehovah portion of the Jehovah Elohim name. We learned that the word Jehovah is actually not necessarily completely accurate since the original Hebrew word only contains J H V H without the vowels E, O, and A. Of course, you know that when I'm using letters from our alphabet, I'm actually, especially when, well, exclusively when speaking about words from other languages, the Hebrew or the Greek, I'm actually referring to the counterparts in those other alphabets. So when you hear me using our alphabet, you know I'm using the counterpart in the Hebrew alphabet. That's what we're doing here. The original word that we now pronounce, Jehovah, actually has only JHVH. It's a four-letter name that the biblical scholars refer to as the tetragrammaton. Tetra meaning four. Tetragrammaton means a word consisting of four letters. Now, the Hebrew alphabet doesn't have vowels, and we need vowels if we want to be able to speak the word. So the experts added a few and came up with Jehovah. This is a very sacred name in the Bible, and the Jews to this day revere it solemnly. So that's what we covered last week. We're still working on all of this.

Jehovah: Four Letters And Reverence

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So then our next order of business is trying to figure out what the Jehovah name actually means. Now, I keep telling you how vital this is to us, but I haven't told you why. Once you know what that name is communicating to us, you'll have the full picture. Now, let me pause here for just a minute. Believe it or not, this is a rather controversial topic in the Bible. This word, this name of God is very ancient and, well, again, somewhat mysterious. This is an eternal heavenly thing, and small, puny, mortal brains can't process it to the fullest. Besides, this happens, at least in my opinion, to be something that must be even more true than is possible. If we think about the truth of this, it will make us really revere God. And some people don't want to do that. They don't want there to be anything extra special in the Bible. So they ignore this kind of stuff or they come up with controversial explanations for it. Now, because of that, and because it's such a big thing, it's understandable that there is some disagreement about what this means. This is a topic that conjures up lots of debate. Now, in the past, this isn't the first top topic we've come across that is subject to debate. And in the past, when we've come across these sorts of contentious biblical topics, I've given you at least a few of the alternative viewpoints. Now, I'm not going to do that here because this is difficult enough without throwing in too many opinions from the periphery. I'm just going to share with you what I believe is the truth and then leave it at that. If you want to know more or if you're having a hard time accepting my position, I encourage you to do some personal research. If you need help with that, please let me know. And I think I can point out some resources you can use. But for this study, I'm going to be sticking with what I believe to be the truth. Of course, I hope you know that whatever I so-called come up with is not just my opinion. Like everything else, with very few exceptions, the things I teach here from the Bible, someone else came up with before me. I always take the time to view as much scholarship as possible on biblical topics before coming to my own conclusion. What I'm trying to say is that I almost never tell you something that is based solely on my view of things. 99.9% of the time, I'm just sharing the views of the experts. Happens to be the experts I agree with, nonetheless, that is how I do things around here. And if I don't do that, I'll tell you this is my opinion without any basis of fact. And I think you've heard me say that a couple of times. By the way, I never teach anything that's from the category of wacky fringe theory. We only discuss matters that are considered the product of reliable, respected scholarship. Certainly the topic of God's name is no exception. But like I said, there are a few competing viewpoints that, and we won't be covering them all, just the ones that I consider to be correct. So

Handling Controversy With Careful Scholarship

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on with Jehovah. Jehovah is one of God's names, but does it have meaning? Well, roughly translated, Jehovah means rather unglamorously, I am. What? All that buildup, all this stuff that you've been telling us about Jehovah, and it just means I am. Do you mean to tell me that over 6,500 times all God is saying is I am? Well, the short answer is yes. But let me tell you, it's not just that simple meaning that gives this name such glory, but rather how God uses it. God has chosen the Jehovah name to reveal to us his many-sided, wonderful nature. And remember, anything that God does in his word, he does in furtherance of his purposes for mankind. When God uses his Jehovah name to reveal himself to us, he does so because what he is telling us about, we need to know in order for our plans or his plans for us to be effective. Now, let me say that just the Jehovah name alone doesn't achieve this revelatory action. God never says he's just Jehovah. He'll add something else to it. Jehovah Elohim is our first example. When God combines the Jehovah name with some other name, that he is, then he is telling us who he is. And when he does that, it is at its most effective.

Jehovah Means I Am

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Let me give you a few examples. I'm sure you're all familiar with the story of Abraham and Isaac, how God had called on the father of the Hebrew race to sacrifice the son of promise. Abraham, of course, was obedient to God, though he didn't understand why God would ask him to do such a thing. A lesson for all of us: doing what God tells us does not always involve us knowing why. He said it is enough. Nonetheless, Abraham made the preparations, he packed supplies, gathered his son and some servants, and they traveled at least three days, but probably exactly three days, no time to explain. When the entourage arrived at the foot of the mountain where the sacrifice was to occur, Abraham instructed the servants to wait there while he and Isaac traveled alone to the appointed place. As the father and son approached the spot, Isaac, obviously not knowing the full story, remarked that they had no animal to offer up. And Abraham famously replied, My son, God will provide for himself a lamb for a burnt offering. I really want to park here for a while, but I can't. We'll obviously talk about this when we get to it. The whole story, by the way, is here in Genesis, and really it's only 20 chapters away, so we should be there in a snap, given our track record. Anyhow, back to today's point. Abraham tells Isaac, God will provide the offering. As I said, you already know this story. Abraham

Jehovah Jireh: The God Who Provides

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was obedient the entire time. He binds Isaac to the altar. He sets up all the accoutrements necessary for the sacrifice. He prepares himself for the heart-wrenching task ahead. But just as he is about to slay his son, the angel stops him and reported that his faithfulness, Abraham's faithfulness, had withstood God's test. Well, with the ordeal now being over, Abraham wipes his brow. I'm sure Isaac wiped his brow. Abraham decided not to waste an opportunity to offer a sacrifice. I love this about Abraham. He didn't just plop down on the ground as, oh, thank God I didn't have to do that. He immediately went about sacrificing to the Lord. In fact, now he had an even more wonderful reason to show his worship and praise to God through an offering. His son had been spared. And indeed, God did provide the necessary sacrifice. Let's read now. Genesis 22, starting at verse 13. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. Verse 14. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jyrah, as it is said to this day in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. This is a very rare opportunity where we actually get a transliteration of the Jehovah name. It's our Jehovah word, but it's combined with another word, Jyrah, or more accurately, but still poorly pronounced by me, Jira. Jyra or Jirah is a form of the primitive Hebrew root word Ra'ah. Ra means to see. Jehovah Jirah, therefore, can be translated God who sees, or more accurately, get this: the God who sees to it. God who sees to it, the God who provides. Abraham called the place of sacrifice Jehovah Jirah, the God who provides, because God supplied a sacrifice there. God put that in his word to let us know that he's Jehovah Jira, the God who sees to it. How about another Jehovah name?

Jehovah Rophi: The Lord Who Heals

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Let's hop over to the next book of the Bible, Exodus. You know, of course, the book of Exodus is called the book of Exodus because it tells the story of the Jewish people's, you guessed it, Exodus from Egypt. It's in Exodus that God describes the details of how he rescued his chosen ones. It's in Exodus that we find out how he delivered the Israelites from their captivity in the land of Egypt. I assume the majority of you know some of the details. It was a glorious rescue and a magnificent display of not only the power of God, but the love of God for his people. Now, one of the things we learn in the book of Exodus is that the moment they are freed, the Jewish people are so happy and so thankful that they worshiped and praised God eagerly and passionately. But unfortunately, their good mood didn't last very long. After about three days, the people found themselves completely out of water. The King James Bible tells us that they were in the wilderness of Shore. Well, let me tell you, it isn't like any wilderness we're used to here in North America. When the Bible refers to a wilderness, it means a desert. Now, what's the one feature of a desert that always comes to mind first? The dangerous lack of water. The wilderness of Shore was a dry, parched, dusty, water-free land. Now, the one flaw of the children of Israel that seemed to come up time and again in the Bible was their great propensity for whining. And listen, I'm not being judgmental. I'm sure I'd have been worse than they, any of them would have been under even lesser circumstances, but facts are facts. Their ability to bear up under adversity was not legendary. Let me read a bit. Exodus 15, starting at verse 22. So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur, and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. And when they came to Merah, they could not drink the waters of Merah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Merah. Merah means bitter in Hebrew, in case you didn't pick up on that. Verse 24. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What should Shall we drink? And he cried unto the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet. Again, this is a wonderful lesson that I wish we could sit on. There he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them. Verse 26, and he said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these, this is Moses now speaking for God, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord that healeth thee. As I said, there is a lot to talk about here, but we're going to keep moving. Verse 26 again, and said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes. I, don't get confused, as I said, this is now God speaking through Moses. I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord that healeth thee. You may have already guessed that where you see the English phrase, I am the Lord, it is our word Jehovah. I am the Lord Jehovah. But here's where we get to see the subtle magnificence of this Jehovah name. I am the Lord that healeth thee. That is Jehovah Rophi. Rophi is a form of the Hebrew Rapha, which means to heal, to mend, to cure, to make healthful. But notice that this says, I am the Lord that heals thee. God is telling Moses that he, God, is the God that personally heals, heals thee, heals you. Moses was speaking for God, and God was saying, I will not put on any of the diseases that I put on, the Egyptians, I will not put those on. If you obey me, I will heal you. He was talking about the Israelites. He was basically with that name pointing.

A Personal God And Final Encouragement

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He was pointing, I'm gonna make, I'm gonna heal you. And this is the key to the Jehovah name. And let me remind you, 6,500 times God uses this Jehovah name. It's a personal name. It comes out every time God uses it. God's Jehovah name is a name he gives himself to let you know what he is going to be for you. God is not just a God that heals. That alone would be wonderful, but he's a God that heals you. How do you know that, John? Because he uses the Jehovah name. That's the meaning behind the Jehovah name. It takes what God is and it brings us to our level. It brings us to our level. When it was Jehovah Jirach, the the God who sees, the God who sees it saw to it for Moses. He didn't just provide a ram, he provided a ram for Moses. He didn't just heal the, he didn't just heal, he healed the Israelites. He was pointing at them. That's what I said. The Jehovah name, he's pointing. God's not being rude. I couldn't do that. My mother would have slapped my hand. But God is doing that with his Jehovah name. God is not just a God who sees, he's a God who sees you. This Jehovah name places our God on a level far, far different than any other God from any other religion. If somebody, some egghead walks up to you and says, Why are you a Christian? Christianity is no different than any other God. It's no different than the Hopi Indian gods, it's no different than Hindu, no different than the Greek and Romans gods. Uh-uh. We have a Jehovah God. No one else has a Jehovah God. Our God is a Jehovah God. That's what he said about himself. I didn't label him that. He said it about himself. And he said it about himself 6,500 times. He's a personal God. He's a Jehovah God. That's what he says about himself. Our God is whatever he is for us. You see, all other religions worship deities or beings or whatever you want to call them who are silent and uninterested in mankind. I've said this to you before. If you want a horror story, read the Greek, the Greek myths about their gods. That's a horror story. If anything, the gods saw men as tools for their own pleasure. They even saw men as enemies. The gods of all other faiths, if you want to call them that, gave mankind no importance. Only the gods mattered to the gods. And men meant nothing. They were nothing more than, at best, a nuisance to be exploited, abused, and manipulated. All for the whims, the pleasure, and the entertainment for gods. For the gods. Your religion is not like that. You have a Jehovah God. Your God is a Jehovah God. This is a relationship. He's interested in us, and we're interested in him. He provides, he protects, he blesses, and he directs us. In return, we love, honor, obey, and serve him. That's what a relationship is. Now, time and time again, of course, we fail to keep up our end of the bargain, but that never negates his Jehovaness. He is Jehovah by nature, and nothing will change that. It is his way to watch over his creation, and nothing we can do will affect that. My neighbor down the street has a couple of big maple trees in her yard. They're absolutely beautiful. They by nature are maple trees. A few years ago, a young man lost control of his fancy car going around the curve in front of her house and hit both of those beautiful trees. But that didn't stop them from being a maple tree. To this day, they're still maple trees. You know why? Because it's their nature. It is their nature to be so, and nothing can stop them from being maples. We will many, many more times come across this Jehovah name, and every time we do, you're going to get a glimpse into his nature. You know why? Because he wants you to get a glimpse into his nature 6,500 times. He wants you to see that he's merciful and loving and full of grace. So, how does all of this help us with Genesis 2.4? Well, we'll try and answer that question next time.

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God's word is a great treasure, and it's our belief that a thorough, purposeful study of it will bring all of God's children to an understanding of his eternal plan of redemption. It is our prayer that this will be so for all of our listeners. Please join us again soon. New content is being added all the time, so make sure you check back often. For more information on Chapel Ministries, including our YouTube channel and podcasts, please visit www.chapelontheweb.com. And if God has laid it upon your heart to share materially with us, we encourage you to follow the links to our secure giving page. Please note, Chapel Ministries is not an IRS registered nonprofit organization, and your donations to this program are not tax deductible. It's our hope that you do not rely on taxing authorities to decide for you who is worthy of your generosity.