Yahweh: The God Who Wants to Be Known

Yahweh introduces himself not as an idea to be guessed at but as a name to be known. Exodus writes LORD in all caps to signal the covenant name YHWH, later vocalized as Yahweh, a name given nearly seven thousand times so his people would not mistake who is speaking. The text places Yahweh’s self-revelation beside his earlier answer, I am who I am, so the eternal One steps forward as the covenant God who binds himself to people across generations. The name does not just deliver information; it opens an invitation.

Exodus then presses the move from knowing about God to knowing Yahweh. The name becomes relationship language. Yahweh says, this is my name forever, which turns knowledge into nearness. The text shifts again in Exodus 6, where Yahweh marks the difference between words and deeds with a drumbeat of covenant vows. I will bring you out. I will deliver you. I will redeem you. I will take you to be my people. I will be your God. Those lines are wedding-like promises, but stronger, because Yahweh vows knowing full well the rebellion, the grumbling, even the golden calf. He says I will anyway.

The covenant steadiness rests on who God is, not on who people manage to be. Paul says, if they are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. That is why have to melts into get to. Prayer, Scripture, worship, and the gathered church are not boxes to tick. They are the ways Yahweh has made himself available. The Creator does not need to be available, but he wants to be. So disciplines become desire. It is not duty; it is access.

Reverence, then, must not slip into distance. John says the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The God who revealed his name revealed his face. Adoption in the Spirit teaches the church to cry Abba, Father. Eternal life is not a location later but a knowing now and forever, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Hebrews invites boldness: draw near to the throne of grace. The name Yahweh calls for response. Introductions are not the finish line. Yahweh knocks. The open door is relationship, not performance. The question lands simply: do they know the name, and do they know the God who bears it.

Key Takeaways

• 1. From information to invitation Yahweh’s covenant name does not just inform; it invites. LORD in all caps signals the God who steps toward people, not a concept to manage at a distance. Knowing about God is not the goal; knowing Yahweh personally is the call his name carries. [33:00]
• 2. Get to, not have to Prayer, Scripture, worship, and gathering become gifts when Yahweh’s availability is seen. The Creator chooses to be present, so spiritual practices shift from obligation to access. Desire grows where presence is honored, and duty gives way to delight. [41:08]
• 3. A covenant of I will Exodus stacks Yahweh’s promises to bind himself to his people by grace, not merit. The vows land like wedding language, but with foreknowledge of failure and betrayal. Yahweh commits anyway, and the ground under the church’s feet becomes steady. [46:15]
• 4. Faithfulness that cannot change God’s steadiness is anchored in himself, not human consistency. If people are faithless, he remains faithful because he cannot deny himself. Security rises when the soul learns that God’s yes does not drift with human seasons. [52:07]
• 5. Yahweh draws near in Jesus The Word became flesh, so reverence would not become distance. Adoption teaches Abba, and Hebrews opens the door to draw near for mercy and grace. Eternal life is the knowing of God in Christ, a relationship begun now and stretching into forever. [55:20]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [23:28] - My Name Is: God introduces himself
• [25:18] - Can God be known personally
• [29:52] - LORD in caps means Yahweh
• [31:22] - Covenant name across generations
• [33:00] - Invitation, not just information
• [37:25] - Do I have to or get to
• [41:08] - Yahweh makes himself available
• [43:28] - Worship is not about preference
• [45:16] - The I will promises in Exodus 6
• [48:27] - God commits knowing their failures
• [52:07] - Faithful even when faithless
• [55:20] - The Word became flesh
• [57:34] - Eternal life is knowing God
• [59:04] - Draw near to the throne of grace
• [60:01] - Do you know Yahweh
• [66:43] - Prayer and response to the invitation

1. In Exodus 3:15, God says His name is to be remembered "forever." What specific language does the text use to emphasize the eternal nature of His name, and how does this connect to His covenant identity?
2. Exodus 6:6-7 repeats the phrase "I will" five times. What specific actions does Yahweh vow to perform for His people in these verses?
3. How does the sermon connect the name "Yahweh" to Jesus in John 1:14 ("the Word became flesh")? [55:20]

1. Why might God emphasize His name as "forever" (Exodus 3:15) in contrast to how other ancient Near Eastern deities were understood? How does this shape our view of His reliability?
2. The sermon compares Yahweh’s "I will" promises to wedding vows but notes a key difference: God makes these vows knowing His people’s future failures. How does this distinction deepen our understanding of His covenant? [48:27]
3. The sermon argues that spiritual practices like prayer and worship shift from "have to" to "get to." What biblical truths about Yahweh’s character make this shift possible? [41:08]

1. Reflect on your current spiritual habits (prayer, Scripture, worship). Do you approach them more as obligations ("have to") or invitations ("get to")? What practical step could help you lean into the "get to" mindset this week?
2. Yahweh’s promises in Exodus 6:6-7 are unconditional, rooted in His faithfulness, not human performance. Where in your life do you struggle to trust God’s commitment to you despite your failures? How might His "I will" promises reframe that struggle?
3. The sermon states, "Eternal life is not a location later but a knowing now." How could prioritizing "knowing God" over "earning God’s approval" change your daily priorities or relationships? [57:34]
4. Hebrews 4:16 invites believers to "draw near to the throne of grace." What specific barrier (time, guilt, distraction) keeps you from drawing near to God regularly? How can you address it this month?
5. The sermon asks, "Do you know Yahweh, or just know about Him?" What tangible evidence in your life (choices, desires, relationships) would show you’re growing in knowing Him? [01:00:01]