It was considered blasphemy, among the Jews, to utter the divine name when Jesus walked the earth.
Yes, dear DNCall (peace to you!)... which consideration was due to TRADITION... and not LAW. How do we know? Because many used that name... before those who "decided" it was too sacred to utter made that "decision." Which "decision" became... tradition. And one of the things my Lord repeatedly tried to bring to the attention of the Jews was their tendency to overstep the Law... by means of their traditions.
When Jesus was cited by them for blasphemy, it was because he called himself the "Son of God," not because he uttered the Divine Name.
You are correct, dear one, but there is a reason for this: he never used that name or gave it to the Jews, in general. Why? Because (1) they weren't worthy of knowing it, not because they were imperfect humans but because of their lack of FAITH... IN God... by means of their lack of faith in the One who came IN that name, God's true name; and (2) they would have attempted to blaspheme that name... just as some do today, even some here. He did, however, utter and make that name known to those God GAVE to him, just as he stated:
"I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world."
The term "I have manifested" is, in Greek, "phaneroo", which means:
1) to makemanifest or visible orknown what has been hidden or unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way
a) make actual and visible, realised
b) to make known by teaching
c) to become manifest, be made known
d) of a person
1) expose to view, make manifest, to show one's self, appear
e) to become known, to be plainly recognised, thoroughly understood
1)who and what one is
What you and so many others miss, dear one, is that he DIDN'T utter than name... to EVERYONE. And this is still the situation today.
I have never found any hard evidence that Jesus ever uttered the Divine Name when he was on earth.
That would be due to the false stylus of the scribes, dear DN. Because he literally quoted from Deuteronomy 6:4, 5 (recorded at Mark 12:29) and Isaiah 61:1 (recorded at Luke 4:17, 18), which verses DO state that name:
"Hear, O Israel, JaHVeH our God, JaHVeH is one! Love JaHVeH with your heart [i.e., man you are on the inside], soul, [i.e., life force], and strength [i.e., great abundance]." (Notice, there is no "shalt" - it was NOT a command!)
"The Spirit of the Lord JaHVeH is upon Me, Because JaHVeH has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
Both Greek renderings have him omitting the name and stating "LORD," which he wouldn't have done... for two (2) reasons: first, he would have quoted the scripture as it was; he was not a hypocrite and he chastised the scribes for THEIR omissions and additions in "quoting" scripture so he would have certainly held to that "rule" - otherwise, they would have certainly called him on it. Second, HE is "Lord" - not God:
"JaHVeH said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."
He is the "Holy". God is the "MOST Holy". He is our Lord and King. JAH (God) is our Father and God. The rendering is stated so because of the "traditions" of men whose unfounded "fear" caused them to continue the "tradition." They exchanged the name of God for "LORD"... which was never something they were instructed to do. Someone put them "under" a different "law" than what Moses gave them... because Moses also made that name known to Israel. Unfortunately, due to their superstitions and traditions... they lost track and so use of that name for centuries. Which fear was one way the scribes, Pharisees, and corrupt priests were able to oppress the people: the people FORGOT who it was they were to call upon! When they called upon "JaHVeH" He always heard and turned their enemies and tribulations back. Now, when Christ came and for centuries before, they had no name to call upon!
So, my Lord came to bear witness to the truth, which truth included the truth about God's name; both what it IS... and that we MUST use it... in order to even say HIS (Christ's) name! You cannot say HIS name, without saying GOD's name. Which is WHY all who call upon HIS name... JAHESHUA, the One whom comes IN THE NAME OF... JAH... will be saved. (I do not say that they are the only ones, but only that all of them WILL be).
The 3rd and 2nd Century BCE Jews understood that their imperfections and misdeeds would attach to the Divine Name, violating its sanctity. Therefore, to this day, the Jewish people not only do not attempt to utter the Divine Name, they use devices such as "G-d" and "HaShem."
Which is TRUE; however, had they known the One who came IN that Divine Name... they would have known... and would know today... that such "imperfections" and "misdeeds" can be covered over... indeed, even blotted out... by the blood of that One. That the Most Holy One of Israel, JAH of Armies, is slow to anger, merciful, and abundant in loving kindness. And, because ALL Israel WILL be saved, the eventually will know. Not because of THEIR love for him, however, but because of HIS for them. They will realize this love one day and as a result WILL say "Blessed is he that comes in the name of JAH."
The Witnesses reject this reasoning and as a result, their admitted imperfections are closely associated with the name "Jehovah," thus violating any sanctity that name may have.
Here, we agree - this is absolutely TRUE!! Which is why I try to tell folks that there is NO "Jehovah." The soiling of that name has reached clear up to the heavens and the Most Holy One of Israel would NEVER allow His Holy Name to be associated with the things they do... in the light AND in the dark! The same is for the name "Jesus." Both are names that God and Christ have allowed to stand... so as to absorb the reproach those names have wrought in the earth. But neither are true or accurate. The name of the True God, JAH of Armies (Veh)... and His Son and Christ, JAHESHUA MISCHAJAH... remain without reproach. Nothing "bad" has been done in those names. However, there are those who would reproach them... even call down evil ON them. Why they feel righteous in doing so is a mystery to me... other than their own... well, ignorance and, in some cases, even stupidity. Some just don't realize just how puny they really are.
Anyway, dear DNCall... thank you for the discussion and I hope what I've shared has helped to shed some light on this matter for you. If not, no worries - it was of benefit to someone, I have no doubt, and so long as there is ONE "someone," there was a benefit.
Again, I bid you peace!
YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,
SA
