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Question:
Hello. I am looking for a reply here. I have been searching the web for information on JAH. All I am able to find is stuff about this Rastafari dude who some folks think is the Christ. The bible says that Jesus is the Christ. So my question is why are you using the name of JAH as a substitute for God in your songs. Is there a logical explanation I can give my friends who think that JAH is referring to "HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, Emperor Haile Selassie I" who is also referred to as "InI know his name JAH RASTAFARI"? If you could explain this to me I would be most grateful. By the way, Valley of Decision is super tight, but I still like Word Sound & Power tha best. God bless!
Answer:
As I am responding to this question I am reminded of one of the first times that a Jamaican Christian radio station ever played a Christafari song. Although I was not in Jamaica at the time, my friend Patrick Kitson from the Christian Reggae band "Change" filled me in on the details. The year was 1993, shortly after our first album "Reggae Worship Volume One" was released. Patrick had given Love FM our CD and wondered if they would ever play it. For Jamaican Christian radio of the past has been well known for its ultra-conservative selection of both songs and music styles. However one day, to Patrick's pleasant surprise, he heard the DJ announce that the next song was from Christafari. The song they played was "Wisdom" and just as everyone was starting to get into it the first verse began in which we use the term Jah as a name for God. To everyone's shock, the second that the word Jah came across the airwaves the song was hastily cut off, never to be played again. What was initially thought to be our first victorious air play in Jamaica was stopped almost as quickly as it was started!
When I learned of this from Patrick I was appalled. Although to him, this rejection of the term Jah was common-place within the Christian churches throughout the Caribbean, this concept was very new to me. This once again brought me to a meditative time of reflection and a further study of the scriptures.
I remembered back to the year of 1989 when I had first come out of my belief in the deity of Rastafari. I was zealous in my study of the Word as a newly re-dedicated Christian. In my rejecting of the lordship of Jah Ras Tafari, I had thrown out the Jah with the Rastafari. I strongly believed that using the name Jah was calling upon the name of a false god. I held this belief for some time until I met another dreadlocked Christian reminded me that Jah was in fact a biblical name for God. He told me to look up Psalm 68:4 and this passage quickly put me at ease with the further use of Jah within my vocabulary.
The Scripture reads; "Sing unto God, sing praises to His name: extol Him that rideth upon the heavens by His name JAH, and rejoice before Him." Psalm 68:4 KJV.
After some study of this name of God, I have come to the conclusion that it is a legitimate biblical word. "Jah" (Heb. yah) is a contraction of Jahweh. Also found in Psalms 118:14 (RSVmg), this is a shortened version of the only name (as distinct from titles) of God in the Old Testament. The divine Hebrew name for God "YHWH" is all consonants with no vowels. It is Defined as "The sacred name, the Lord, (the) Self Existent or Eternal, the Jewish national name of God." Today we either pronounce this name as Jehovah or Yahweh. However, there was a time when no one truly knew how to pronounce this name. It was so sacred that it became a scruple not to pronounce the divine name, and Jews (in reading the Scriptures) customarily substituted the noun Adhonai, which mans "Lord."
It is a well known fact that Biblical names carried a great significance to both God and man. It is in many of these names that we find the greatest usage of the word "Jah". Some names that I have found of some interest are:
ABIJAH: Jah is Father
ADONIJAH: My Lord is Jah
AHIJAH: Brother of Jah
BEREKIAH: Jah blesses
DELAIAH: Freed by Jah
ELIJAH: Jah is God
HOSHAIAH: Jah has saved
IBNIJAH: Jah Builds
IRIJAH: Jah sees
ISAIAH: Jah is Savior
IZRAHIAH: Jah arises (or shines)
IZZIAH: Jah unites
JAHDIEL: Jah gives joy
JEREMIAH: Jah founds or exalts
MALKIJAH: My King is Jah
NEHEMIAH: Jah has comforted
OBADIAH: Servant of Jah
PEDAIAH: Jah Redeems
ZERAHIAH: Jah has risen
For further interest in names that have the contraction of Jahweh in them look up the following names in any Bible Dictionary or a Biblical name book: Adaiah, Ahaziah, Asaiah, Azaniah, Bealiah, Benaiah, Gemariah, Isshiah, Jahath, Jahaziel, Jahzeiah, Jeriah, Pekahiah, Pelaiah, Pelaliah, Pelathiah, Shemaiah, Tobijah, Uriah, Zebadiah, Zechariah, Zedekiah and Zephaniah.
Given the above writings I hope that there is no misunderstanding. I am not saying that from this day forth we should only call God Jah. For despite how adamant I am on this subject, I rarely ever use the name Jah in my daily speech. This name is only uttered when I am ministering specifically to a rastafarian. I simply believe that there are many names for God in the Bible, and that we should not limit ourselves to only one or two. For example, when you are in need, call upon Jehovah-Jireh your provider. When you are lacking peace in your life, remember that he is Jehovah-Shalom (Jehovah is peace). These names and many others can minister to the hearts of believers.
With all of this in mind, many parishioners still do not feel comfortable using the term Jah for God. In fact many would like to completely strike it from their vocabulary due to its present day inference to Rastafari. I completely understand their position. However, we must remember that it was God's name first, long before Haile Selassie ever walked the earth. By this time we should realize that it is standard procedure for Satan to take scriptures from the Bible and twist them towards darkness. If you recall, when Jesus was in the desert fasting for forty days, he was tempted by Satan who misquoted the scriptures to fit his own purpose. We see this revealed in virtually every cult in existence today. The enemy puts some truth in every lie. Lucifer usually builds his foundation on one or more biblical truths that have been taken out of context.
Since Rastafarians use the name Jah does this mean that Christians should never use it again? Let me answer this question by posing yet two other questions. Since Jehovah Witnesses seem to have taken over the name Jehovah should Christians no longer use this appellation? Furthermore, should we abandon the name of our Messiah because Mormons have taken his name and used it in the title of their church; "The Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints"?
Absolutely not! Rather, we should stand up for the truth with our feet firmly planted in the solid foundation of the Word of God.
My opinion is that it is not your use of Jah that matters, rather, it is who you think that Jah is when you say His name. In other words, it is not the Biblical name that you use that counts, so much as it is the person whom you believe bears that name. However, I would never recommend for a Christian in Jamaica to constantly use the name Jah amongst Rastas while dancing with fancy footwork around whom they believe Jah is. They are setting themselves up to be misinterpreted. This will only lead to confusion. On the other hand, I would endorse someone who uses this appellation to gain entrance and respect among a group and then further clarified that the one they are speaking of is Jesus Christ.
I think that one of the greatest strengths that we have is the ability to take those names and doctrines that we have in common with other cults and to use them as a gateway for ministering to others on their own ground using their own language.
A great example of the ministry opportunities that could be possible if the use of Jah was put in place by Christians when trying to reach rastas is the story of the tremendous church growth in Korea. In the 1860s, Roman Catholics had faced great hostility in Korea for using an imported Chinese term for God. This did not sit well with the Korean nationals, and church attendance was at an all time low. In contrast, Protestant missionary work to Korea began in earnest in the 1880s, and almost immediately there was a receptive response. One of the reasons for this may have been the Protestants use of the Korean term Hananim for God. The Choice of Hananim according to Don Richardson, could not have been more providential for Protestant missions in Korea. Preaching like houses afire in cities, towns, villages or in the countryside, Protestants missionaries began by affirming Korean Belief in Hananim. Building upon this residual witness, Protestants masterfully disarmed the Korean people's natural antipathy toward bowing before some foreign deity.
This event set the stage for the fastest church growth ever recorded. Led by Paul Yonggi Cho and his cell-group concept, an estimated one million people are being converted to Christianity each year in Korea. I truly believe that what has happened in Korea could happen in Jamaica with the redeemed use of the name Jah when ministering to rastas. Furthermore, we have a greater justification if we use an already Biblical name to reach this culture.
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