By Aryanto Wijaya
Whenever I go back to Bandung, I usually take time to visit my father’s grave at Pandu cemetery. One day, while I was sitting quietly there, a friend who’s passionate about Bandung’s history invited me to meet at a café.
We ended up having a lively chat about toponymy—the study of place names. I asked him casually, “My house is in Dunguscariang. What does that odd name mean?” After doing a bit of digging, we found out it comes from two Sundanese words: “dungus,” meaning bush, and “cariang,” a type of wild yam. So, the area I used to live in was probably once full of bushes and cariang plants.
That simple discovery stuck with me as I headed home. It reminded me of a sermon by Rev. Hendra G. Mulia a year ago. He said, “Behind every name, there’s a story.” That means names aren’t random—they carry meaning and stories. When people name places, there’s usually a reason or connection behind it.
Names that Come from Experience
The way people name places is similar to how the Bible introduces God. One of the most beautiful examples is from David. In Psalm 23, he didn’t say “The Lord is like a shepherd.” With deep faith, he declared, ‘The LORD is my shepherd…’ His words were personal and full of meaning.
David’s choice of words matters. In the Bible, the word “LORD” in all capital letters refers to one specific name: YHWH (Yahweh). This isn’t just a title like Adonai (Lord), but a personal name God used to introduce Himself to Israel. By using YHWH, David wasn’t talking about just any god—he was calling on the God he personally knew, the one who led his ancestors out of Egypt.
Why is this so meaningful? Because for David, the name YHWH carried memories. He remembered how God saved him from the paw of lions and bears when he was a shepherd, and how he defeated Goliath (1 Samuel 17:37). Every time David said God’s name, he was remembering all the ways God had been faithful to him.
God Himself first revealed the name YHWH to Moses at the burning bush. When Moses asked for His name, God said, “I AM WHO I AM,” and told Moses to say, “The LORD (YHWH), the God of your fathers . . . has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14-15). This name means God exists on His own, is faithful, and is always with His people. It’s also a promise: “I will be whatever My people need.” For David, God was his Shepherd.
This shows the difference between how people and God give names. “Dunguscariang” is a name people gave based on the past. But YHWH is the name God gave Himself—a living name that speaks of His past work and His promise to be present now and in the future.
God’s faithfulness echoes through history. And ultimately, in the New Testament, the One behind the name YHWH didn’t just speak from a bush or stay in the Ark of the Covenant. He became human. The Word became flesh and lived among us (John 1:1, 14). He came in the person of Jesus Christ. The name “Jesus” is rooted in the Hebrew name Yeshua, meaning “YHWH saves” (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31).
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God wants a personal relationship with each of us. He doesn’t want us to only use big, distant titles. He wants us to know Him through real experiences. David, through his journey from shepherd to king, knew God as his faithful Shepherd. Jesus, our Lord, taught us to call God “Father.” These names come from living relationships, not just ideas.
So, what about us?
That café conversation reminded me that names carry stories. Just like “Dunguscariang” tells of a bushy past, the names we give to God reflect our personal journey with Him. It’s like the “toponymy” of our faith.
Personally, I like to call Him Father and Friend. In my daily journal, these names aren’t just words. Over time, through many moments, I’ve seen that He truly is a Father who stays with me and a Friend who never leaves.
What name has come from your journey with Him? Try looking back and writing it down: “The LORD is my ___, I shall not ___.”
Read Also:
The Lord is My Shepherd: Rest and Renewal from Psalm 23
Finding your way through life can be easier when you have the right One leading the way. Author David Roper takes a closer look at the relationship between the Shepherd and the sheep expressed throughout Scripture. Gain insight from the lives of David, Isaiah, and others who found hope, encouragement, and rest under the watchful care of God.
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