Names
mean a lot to people. Our name is the
one that we most listen for. Whether
your name is Huxley, Miggy, Sophia or Jacob, each has a special significance.
Maybe your parents chose your name based on someone in their ancestry, or someone
significant in their lives, or because of its special meaning or sound. I know
for my wife and I, we have specifically chosen our son’s name – Samuel based on
its meaning, ‘Heard of God’ and the account in Scripture behind it; our prayers
for a child have been heard by God.
Rarely
in the Bible will you find a name which doesn’t mean something significant. A
few common examples are the names David (“Beloved”), Naomi (“Pleasant”), Elijah
(“Yahweh is my God”), Daniel (“God is my judge”), and John (“Yahweh is a
gracious giver”).
Over
time, we develop a reputation or name for ourselves based on our behavior, and
those we hang around. As a result of
this, people can be given nicknames, like Stinkweed, Shorty, etc. Thus, there are several ways our names have
special significance to us and to others.
What kind of name are you making for yourself?
Likewise,
as you read through Scripture, you will discover that God Himself has several
names. However, all of the names of God recorded in the original Hebrew Old
Testament and the Greek New Testament point to some attribute of God. Each name has significance not only to the
one who initialed called Him by it, but also to generations who came after.
For
example, God chose to send Moses to act as His spokesman to free His chosen
people, the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt. This caused Moses to ask
God what His name is. God responded by saying that His name is “I AM.” The name
Yahweh/Jehovah is a form of this Hebrew verb, “I AM.” At first
glance, one may think that this is an odd name, but what it points to is of
great significance. By God referring to Himself as the “I AM” (Yahweh/Jehovah);
He is declaring His eternal nature. He has always existed and will always
exist. He is the personal, loving, and loyal God who is always true to His word
(Mal. 3:6; John 8:58-59).
|
Yahweh/Jehovah/I AM (LORD): He is the Eternal,
personal, covenant LORD
|
Elohim/El/Theos (God): He is the Creator of the
universe
|
|
Adonai/Kurios (Lord): He is the absolute Owner
|
Yahweh-Shalom: the LORD is our peace
|
|
Jehovah-Jireh (Provider LORD): He provides our needs
|
Yahweh-Tsidkehu: the LORD is our righteousness
|
|
El-Shaddai (God Almighty): He is all powerful and all
sufficient
|
El Elyon (God Most High): He is above all things
|
|
El-Olam (Everlasting God): He is unchangeable
|
Yahweh-Nissi: the LORD is my Banner—He fights for His
people
|
|
El Roi: the God who sees and knows all things
|
Immanuel: God is with us
|
|
Yahweh Elohim (LORD God): He is Holy and Sovereign
|
Yahweh-Rohi: the LORD is my Shepherd
|
|
Father: He loves and cares for His children
|
Wonderful: Jesus fills our hearts and minds with
amazement
|
|
Counselor: Jesus has the wisdom we need
|
Mighty God: Nothing is too difficult for Jesus
|
|
Everlasting Father: Jesus is the Father of Eternity
|
Prince of Peace: Jesus fills our lives with true peace
|
|
Jesus: the LORD saves
|
Logos (Word): Jesus is the Message of life and
salvation
|
|
Son of Man: Jesus is God in the flesh (100% man)
|
Son of God: He is equal with the Father (100% God)
|
|
Holy Spirit: the presence of God living in believers
|
Comforter: the Spirit grants us peace through the storm
|
|
Helper: the Spirit wants to help us at all times
|
Convicter of Sin: the Spirit convicts all people of sin
|
|
Spirit of Truth: the Spirit guides believers in truth
|
Witness: the Spirit testifies about the believer’s
relationship with God
|
One
of the most common names for the Deity in the Bible is the Hebrew name, Elohim,
(El for short), and the Greek version of it Theos. These names
are simply translated as “God.” However, their meaning is vastly more
significant than that in the Bible.
God
(Elohim/Theos) is the Creator of all creation (Gen. 1:1). This name
speaks of the One who formed each and every one of us while we were in our
mother’s wombs. He is the Sustainer of all things. He holds all things
together. If God ceased to be, then so would everything else.
This
name also speaks of One who is holy (Lev. 19:1-2), perfect (Matt. 5:8),
faithful (Rom. 3:3), the ultimate promise keeper (Rom. 9:6-8), wise (Rom.
16:27), totally righteous (2 Cor. 5:21), and loving (1 John 4:8).
And
this name speaks of the One who is Sovereign. God the Father said to Jesus,
“Your throne O God, will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the
scepter of Your kingdom” (Heb. 1:8). God’s names are significant!
The
chart on page 1 gives a brief summary of God’s names and what they mean. I
encourage you to spend time studying Scripture, noting all of the names of God
you can find. Some of these names Scripture applies to all 3 persons of the
Trinity (Father, Son—Jesus, and Holy Spirit), while others are applied to only
one of the members of the Godhead.
Therefore,
to say that God only has one name, for example, Jehovah, is to completely
reject certain names which God is clearly called in the Original, and it
minimizes the greatness of the One True God.
It doesn’t take long of studying the names of God to recognize that He
is beyond our comprehension. This may bother some of us; however, if you and I
could fully understand God, then how great would He truly be?
One
could spend their entire lives just seeking to grasp all that is revealed about
God and never fully comprehend the awesomeness of our God. He is greater than
we could ever imagine. He is too wonderful for words to describe Him. He is big
enough to handle any problem which we encounter and yet He is loving enough to
care about our smallest concerns.
More
of Him, less of me,
Matt
No comments:
Post a Comment