I have to admit to always having held a fascination for Jehovah’s Witnesses’ obsession with The Name, which they believe to be Jehovah, although I’ve heard similar names applied in the same fashion: Yahweh, YHWH, the Lord GOD.
Let me use a common, everyday parallel so you’ll see what I’m trying to get at.
My relationship with my children. I am their father, am I not? And having been made in the image or likeness of God, I am still able, by my having been fashioned in the likeness of my Father (and in spite of my present imperfections), to exemplify the qualities associated with fatherhood in such a way that imperfectly reflects that of my Father’s relationship with me.
Now, in all my years of life I have never referred to my parents as anything except mother and father. I could never imagine audaciously speaking with them on a first name basis, tantamount to disrespecting their position of headship to me scripturally. The truth is, I demonstrate a subconscious acknowledgment of that fact every time I say “mom” or dad.”
So, yes, I would be deeply troubled if my sons were suddenly to start referring me obsessively and compulsively as “Tim” or “Timothy”? I’d be overwhelmed with hurt as well, because it would be an evidence of brokenness in that father-son relationship that I have with my own sons.
There has to be something to the pattern which reveals itself through Life, wouldn’t you agree?
Extra Credit:
Think about these expressions:
- …in Jehovah’s name…
- …the name of Jehovah God…
- …calling on the name of Jehovah…
What name of Jehovah is being invoked, if not Jehovah—and if Jehovah is the name referred to in these common Biblical expressions, then doesn’t that make the rendering linguistically invalid, at best…?
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