"Yahweh—Whose Name is Jealous"

From within the “thick cloud” that rested on Sinai’s mount, the voice of Jehovah spake the words of the ten commandments to Israel. With the first commandment, certain attributes of His name are mentioned. Jehovah commanded them, saying, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” …. “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them: for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God: visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth. And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments” (Exod. x. 3, 5, 6).

Again, at another time he saith, “Thou shalt worship no other God: for Yahweh, whose name is jealous, is a jealous God” (Exod. xxxiv. 14). “For he is an holy God, he is a jealous God” (Josh. xxiv. 19). The Spirit through the prophet Isaiah saith: “I am Yahweh, that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isa. xlii. 8).

Concerning Israel, the testimony saith: “Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no Ail formed, neither shall there be after me” (Isa. xliii.). His Spirit, through the prophets, testifies concerning the past and the future of Israel as a nation. The covenant given from Sinai, through Moses, the servant of Yahweh, was quickly broken by great numbers of the people: And the wrath of Jehovah was poured out upon them. Thus saith the word of the Lord, “In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: for I am Yahweh, your God. But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt, …. And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do he shall even live in them: and my Sabbaths they greatly polluted; then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness to consume them” (Ezek. xx.).

Yet, the Lord has promised, saying, “I will bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name” (Ezek. xxxix. 25). “And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched-out arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant” (Ezek. xx.).

Again, the word saith: “Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt: but the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the North, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into the land that I gave unto their fathers …. Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know: I will cause them to know mine hand and my might: and they shall know that my name is Yahweh” (Jer. xvi.).

The Psalmist foretells of the redemption that is in store for Israel, nationally; and for all “the Israel of God”; saying, “Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof. So the heathen (or nations) shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.” The nations, as well as Israel, are in a state of blindness and obscurity of vision, concerning the Name of Jehovah, and His purpose to be developed in the manifestation of it. The testimony, however, instructs us, that He purposes to make them to know and to understand Him. The Psalmist continues, saying: “This shall be written for the generation to come; and the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord. For he hath looked down from the height of his Sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth: To hear the groaning of the prisoner: to loose those that are appointed to death: To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem: when the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms to serve the Lord” (Ps. cii.).