God’s Many Names

It is a popular exercise among believers to make a list of the names given in the Bible, based on His characteristics. These include: Elohim, Adonai, El Roi, El Shaddai, Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Shalom, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Raah, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Shammah, and El Elyon. However, the Bible gives only two names as personal ones. I have decided it’s time to explain the three personal names of God.

The Father’s Name

God approached Moses about bringing the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. The reluctant prophet asked, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” (Exodus 3)

God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” This name was always written in the ancient scrolls as YHWH and pronounced as “Yahweh” or “Jehovah”. God also said, “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.” 

In their religious zeal, the Jews sought to avoid breaking the command, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” (Exodus 20:7) Instead, they broke Yahweh’s instruction to Moses by substituting other names: Adonai, The Name, and the Lord.

The Son’s Name

After Joseph of Nazareth betrothed the young teen Mary to himself, she told him she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. As he considered breaking the engagement, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21)

What so few people do not understand is that the Hebrew version of the name is Yeshua (salvation), which is like Joshua (Jehovah is salvation). Psalm 91:16 declares “With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation (yeshua).” In the composing of the New Testament, the writers used the Greek form, iēsous, which became Jesus.

This gives us two of the three personal names of God. Now, for the third.

The Holy Spirit’s Name

The Hebrew name for the third Person of the Trinity is “Ruach Ha Kodesh” or the Spirit of Holiness. The Hebrew writings describe Him (Her?) as a wind, a river, or a fire. William P. Young, author of the popular novel, The Shack, depicted the Spirit as a slender Asian woman by the name of Sarayu. This is a Sanskrit word for “moving fast”, “air”, “wind”. As Brother Young did for the novel, I have adopted the practice of calling the Holy Spirit by that name. (https://johnpauldewaltauthor.com/growth-into-unorthodox-thinking/)

The Feminine Side of God

I have also adopted the practice of using feminine pronouns for Sarayu. When God created Humanity in His image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

This tells me that God is masculine and feminine and He made Humanity so. In Genesis 2, when He put Adam to sleep, He took the feminine side out of Humanity and built Eve. This is why men and women cling to each other in marriage and seek to return to one body.

Both Genesis 1 and Psalm 91 depict Sarayu as a brooding hen, hovering gently over the face of the deep or covering one with feathers, and providing refuge under wings. (Psalm 91:4)

Furthermore, Dawn Wilson has argued that El Shaddai, translated “God Almighty”, could mean “The Overpowerer,” meaning God will do what He purposes to do, overpowering all opposition. Or Shaddai could mean “sufficient,” and God is the “All-sufficient One.” /https://bit.ly/3Je0WNo./

Others say that 

Shad is the Hebrew word for “breast.” Shaddai pictures God’s fullness or bounty, His tenderness, His generosity, His desire to nurture us and make us fruitful. In one name, God’s attributes of might and tenderness are brought together! /https://bit.ly/43XQhQo/

Why can we not replace these masculine pronouns with feminine ones?

Questions 

God is a personal God. Why not use the three personal names of God, including Sarayu for Holy Spirit?

God is masculine and feminine. Why not see Sarayu as feminine?

Can you get away from the religious mindset that shrinks from that?