Page 72 - SABBATH

Master wherever it is indicated in scripture, but in truth Baal could just as easily be
translated into English as Master, and it sometimes is, so there is very little point in this.
In my study of scripture I have found occurrences where the word baal is used
descriptively of Yahweh. Many recoil at this because Baal is quite often the name or title
ascribed to false gods in the Old Testament, and those who worshiped Baal or who were
prophets of Baal came under the judgment of Yahweh. One must realize that a single word
in almost any language can be used with multiple applications. This is certainly the case
with the ancient Hebrew language. For example, consider the usage of the word “baal” in
the following verse.

Jeremiah 3:14
'Return, O faithless sons,' declares Yahweh; 'For I am a master [baal] to you, and I
will take you one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.'

The word for master in this verse is baal, and it is the same word that is used
throughout scripture to refer to many of the false deities of the nations that surrounded
Israel in ancient days. In this verse Yahweh is calling Himself a baal (master) to those sons
whom He brings forth from Israel to bring them to Zion. The word bears no negative
connotations in this usage. This word is listed as Strong’s number 1167. If you were to do
a search on the word Baal you would find that it is Strong’s word 1168 and it bears this note,
“the same as 1167.”
There are many groups today that have detected the error of the translators in
replacing the divine names of God. Some of these groups even publish their own Bible
translations. Many have gone overboard, however, in rejecting titles that have a legitimate
place in scripture. The title Lord is one such example.
Whereas it is quite acceptable to use titles to refer to deity, there is little doubt that
there is great error in substituting the names of Yahweh with titles in every instance
throughout the scriptures. In this way many have forgotten the name of Yahweh. This
should not have happened, since His name is recorded over 6,800 times in the Old
Testament. Where the name Yahweh is found in scripture, it should be recorded faithfully,
without substitution.
What justification do the translators of the most common English Bibles give for
replacing the Divine name of Yahweh with a titular substitute? Following is the explanation
found in the New American Standard Bible put out by the Lockman Foundation.

The Proper Names of God in the Old Testament: In the scriptures, the name
of God is most significant and understandably so. It is inconceivable to think of
spiritual matters without a proper designation for the Supreme Deity. Thus the most
common name for the deity is God, a translation of the original Elohim. One of the
titles for God is Lord, a translation of Adonai. There is yet another name which is
particularly assigned to God as His special or proper name, that is, the four letters
YHWH (Exodus 3:14 and Isaiah 42:8). This name has not been pronounced by the
Jews because of reverence for the great sacredness of the divine name. Therefore, it
has been consistently translated Lord. The only exception to this translation of
YHWH is when it occurs in immediate proximity to the word Lord, that is, Adonai.
In that case it is regularly translated God in order to avoid confusion.
It is known for many years YHWH has been transliterated as Yahweh, however no