There was a moment when
Moses had the nerve to ask God what his name is. God was gracious enough to
answer, and the name he gave is recorded in the original Hebrew as YHWH.
miYah – ‘Dance
to Yahweh’ song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGvG5XsGqoY)
Over time we’ve arbitrarily
added an “a” and an “e” in there to get YaHWeH, presumably because we have a
preference for vowels.
But scholars and Rabi’s have
noted that the letters YHWH represent breathing sounds, or aspirated
consonants. When pronounced without intervening vowels, it actually sounds like
breathing.
YH (inhale): WH (exhale).
So
a baby’s first cry, his first breath, speaks the name of God.
A deep sigh calls His name –
or a groan or gasp that is too heavy for mere words.
Even an atheist would speak
His name, unaware that their very breathe is giving constant acknowledgment to
God.
Likewise, a person leaves
this earth with their last breath, when God’s name is no longer filing their
lungs.
So when I can’t utter
anything else, is my cry calling out His name?
Being alive, means I speak
His name constantly.
So, is it heard the loudest
when I’m the quietest?
In sadness, we breathe heavy
sighs.
In joy, our lungs feel almost like they will
burst.
In fear we hold our breath and have to be told
to breathe slowly to help us calm down.
When we’re about to do something hard, we take a
deep breath to find our courage.
When I think about it,
breathing is giving him praise. Even in the hardest moments!
This is so beautiful and
fills me with emotion every time I grasp the thought. God chose to give himself
a name that we can’t help but speak every moment we’re alive.
2nd
Chapter of Acts – ‘Yahweh’ song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWicdPVcFzY)
All of us, always, everywhere.
Waking, sleeping, breathing, with the name of
God on our lips.
~written by - Sandra Thurman Caporale
