Extol Him By His Name Yah

The Psalms are full of praise to the name of God. They reflect the hearts of the writers in extolling his name and giving glory to the Creator of this universe. It is essential to appreciate the magnificence of an omniscient, omnipresent and intelligent first cause before conceiving the necessity for all flesh to bow before the Lord of all creation. With this reverent approach we attempt to understand the significance of the words forming the title of this article, and which are often quoted in our circles.

Some perhaps use the Name with a feeling of familiarity rather than reverence; with pride of accomplishment in the knowledge of an alleged higher understanding rather than with the simplicity and praise from the heart; with a sense of exclusiveness instead of having an urge to bring others in to join us. The name of Deity should draw out praises in chorus and unity from the heart, however simply and earnestly expressed in spontaneous worship. Yet it is often, sad to say, used to exclude rather than include many of those who have sincerely answered the call from Gentile extraction for his name, being baptised into the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Is it not a fact that if in very truth a believer has been baptised into the name, that the name is worn by him? Has hc not been adopted into the divine family of God through an intelligent understanding of the saving truth of the Bible and compliance therewith in baptism? Does he not then qualify for inclusion in the description of James, “the residue of men that seek after the Lord?” Is he not “one of the Gentiles upon whom my (God’s) name is called”? (Acts 15:17). Is it not a fact that God knows all his works from the beginning of the world? If this is so, we quote the words of James that follow, “Wherefore my sentence is that we trouble not them which from among the Gen­tiles are turned unto God” (Acts 15:18-19). Surely the argument is obvious. It is not so much that we pronounce the name of God in calling upon him, rather that God himself calls it over us. Upon this very basis James pro­nounced the sentence that Gentile believers be not troubled. The matter under dispute in New Testament times was different, but the principle that we cease from trouble must still be the same, otherwise James’ reasoning went wrong under divine guidance.

His reasoning is reduced to the simple deduc­tion that follows: All the Gentiles upon whom God calls his name have been foreknown by the Father from the beginning, therefore other matters are insignicant. We must be reasonable and careful, therefore, that we treat God’s other children as his children, therefore our brethren.

Why then the segregation in our worship? Why do those who practise calling upon God’s name verbally in pronouncing the Hebrew terms, separate themselves from those who don’t indulge in the practice?

On the other hand let us approach our theme with a regard for all God’s children irrespective of the way they address their Father in Heaven.

Let us have respect for God’s other children and treat with deference those who are not so educated or so wise as we esteem ourselves to be. Remember Jesus has promised the over­comer that he (Jesus) “will write upon him the name of my God.” It is therefore much more to be desired that Jesus writes it upon us than it is for us to attempt in our cleverest yet inadequate style to repeat verbally the name of God.

It has been suggested to me by those who practise the verbal articulation of the name to the best of their ability that it is done in compliance with a command by God, title injunction being none other than the words forming the title of this article, “Extol him by his name Yah” taken from Psalm 68:4.

The purpose of this article is to review this reasoning. The words certainly don’t state “Extol him by saying Yah”. They could just as easily imply that we praise God by bearing his name of Yah, having had it called over us by the Father.

A closer look at the verse itself suggests though, that even the quotation is incorrect and has misled many, being incomplete. The quote in full is, “Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Yah, and rejoice before him” (Psalm 68:4) . To sing praises to his name is not to sing praises or hymns including the tetragrammaton, but to direct your praises towards God’s name.

Attempts have been made to delete the words “That rideth upon the heavens” as being insignificant, and the result is to do violence to the meaning of the verse as we shall see. I suggest that the meaning could very well be that God rides upon the heavens by his name Yah, and that we are to extol him as the omniscient and omnipresent one in our rejoic­ings before him. A closer look at the Hebrew suggests that the word heavens is better trans­lated as desert, the Hebrew term being Ara-both, not Shamayim. The word extol is from the Hebrew Sollu rendered ‘Cast ye up a way’ by Davidson in his Hebrew manual. It is thus translatable ‘Cast ye up a highway to the rider on the deserts by his name Yah and rejoice before him’. In fact Mr. Davidson translates it in his word for word transliteration of the book of the Psalms as reproduced for you below.

Psalm 68:4
Shiyru Sing ye	Lailohim to God	Zammru Sing ye Psalms	Sh’mo (to) his name
Sollu Cast ye up a way	Larochaiv to the rider	Baarahvoth in the deserts	B’yah by Yah
Sh’mo his name	V’ilzu and exult ye	L’phanav before him.

 

The question now is, how can God ride in the heavens by his name Yah?

Does not the first verse of the Psalm remind us of the words of Moses when the tabernacle was dismantled, the Kohathites burdened with it and the priests poised to carry the ark to a new resting place? Compare the words now quoted with Moses. Here is Psalm 68:1 “Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: Let them also that hate him flee before him”. Here are Moses’ words “And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said Rise up, Lord, Let thine enemies be scattered: and let them that hate thee flee before thee”. (Num. 10:35). The ark of the Lord went before them in the three days journey to search out a resting place for them, and when it rested Moses said, “Return 0 Lord to the many thousands of Israel”.

The Mercy seat upon the ark was the center of God’s presence whilst the ark rested un­covered within its tabernacled seclusion. When moving ahead of Israel it was accompanied by the cloud that had rested over the stationary Tabernacle and the Lord went before them in a pillar of cloud to lead them the way. (Ex. 13:21-22) . A cloud which he took not away by day or by night.

Not only was Israel led by the cloud, but by the angel God had commissioned for their protection and guidance. “Behold I send an angel before thee to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have pre­pared. Beware of him and obey his voice: provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my name is in him . . . For mine angel shall go before thee and bring thee unto the Amorites etc. . . . ” (Ex. 23:20-23) .

The Lord therefore rode over Israel by his name Yah as evidenced by the fact that his name was expressly invested in the angel that went before them through the wilderness. Is not Psalm 68:4 a commentary upon this very phenomenon and an incitement unto praise in consequence of God’s protection?

The same Psalm refers to God going before his people when he marched through the wilderness (see verse 7) . It also mentions the shaking earth and the heavens dropping at the presence of God; Sinai itself being moved at the presence of the might invested in the God of Israel (See verse 8) . The conquest of Canaan is latcr described leading to the establishment of a resting place for the ark where God’s presence will dwell for ever in the place appointed. In fact Isracl’s history and future is traversed from its inception as a nation until the consummation of God’s purpose in the King­dom of God under MESSIAH.

In that age all the nations will sing praises unto him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens (construct of Shamayim) of old; Lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice (verse 33) .

The spirit of the Psalm in extolling the Creator is surely found in the concluding eulogy, “Ascribe ye strength unto God: His excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds. 0 God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places; the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.” (verses 34 and 35) . To extol and sing praises to his name is not only to bear the name God has called over us but to ascribe unto him the glory and majesty that is his due, being the source of the power of the might of the angels in whom he has ridden in the protection of Israel.

The same God will ride in the same way in the multitude of the approved of Adam’s race made equal to the angels with Jesus at their head and the nations at their feet. For this we wait in patience and hallow the divine name of the one we reverently and lovingly call Father.