“Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.”
Those words from Psalm 124 often begin the liturgy at Hope Church. Have you ever noticed or wondered in that verse why the word “Lord” is in small caps like that? Last month Pastor Jill (God bless her on her sabbatical!) wrote about some responses to and input about worship at Hope Church, and I would like to continue that theme. This is something of a guide to the different ways we talk about God in our liturgy, and the reflection that is of biblical language.
Here’s a basic primer on names for God in Scripture that are often seen in our liturgy:
- YHWH ~ this is the special revealed name of God in the Old Testament, spelled with the 4 Hebrew consonants Y-H-W-H = יהוה (the letters are read from right to left in Hebrew). This name for God cannot be fully known or pronounced, as the vowels for the name are uncertain. It is often said as “Yahweh” but that is an approximation (fyi – this name was previously transliterated as “Jehovah” in the King James Bible but that is now seen as an inaccurate expression of the name). The Hebrew scripture authors treated the name YHWH with such regard that they did not write it, but rather used the Hebrew word ‘Adonai’/Lord in its place. Then in the version of the Bible we use in English, the editors use “Lord” in small caps to alert us that this is a stand in for YHWH. So, when in our liturgy you see “Lord” used in a quote from Scripture (most often in a Psalm), then you know that we are expressing that this is a reference to the special revealed name of God, YHWH.
- El/Eloah/Elohim ~ these are the singular and plural words for “God” in Hebrew. These words reflect the generic expression of “god” in that culture, but particularly when “Elohim” is used in Scripture it expresses God as the true God in contrast to other gods. So in our liturgy when it says “Lord God”, that is a translation in Scripture of “YHWH Elohim”, and as such is expressing ‘the one true God is YHWH’. Or when we simply use “God” it is an expression of “Elohim” (in the Greek New Testament this word for God is carried forward as “Theos”).
- Adonai ~ this is the Hebrew word for “Lord”, in reference to a ruler. When you see the word “Lord” in the Old Testament (when it is not in small caps!) and liturgy, this is a title for God that refers to God’s authority and supremacy. In the New Testament Greek, “Lord” = “Kurios”, and this is brought forward as a title often uses for Jesus, which also reflects the cultural meaning of a “Lord” as a person in charge of others.
- Christ/Messiah ~ We often use the title “Jesus Christ” in our liturgy. The word “Christ” is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah”. “Messiah” means “anointed one” and it was the term used in Judaism for the promised one from God who would rule with righteousness and peace. In the Gospels, Jesus is expressed as the fulfillment of this messianic promise from God. So whenever we use the term “Christ” it is an expression of the Hebrew word and concept of “Messiah”. And when we say “Christ the Lord”, it is expressing Jesus Christ as the presence of the Lord God with us (i.e. Luke 2: “a Savior who is Christ the Lord”).
Got all that?! It’s not meant to be confusing or fancy, but something that can be meaningful as we are aware of the language for God that we are given and that we use. When you know the reasons and meanings wrapped up in some of the language for God, it connects us in a deeper way to a rich story of revelation and faith stretching back through millennia. And I hope it helps to see also the care and intention we use in our liturgy which we prepare to be (as Pastor Jill said) “the work of the people” as we worship our God (YHWH/Elohim/Adonai/Theos/Kurios/Messiah/Christ) together.
Peace,
Gordon