God's Names speak to and reveal God's Identity, Constitution, Nature, Character, Essence
"May your Holy Name be honored" or "Let thy name be sanctified." Matthew 6:9
INTRODUCTION - Biblical statements about God's Name:
- "In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His Holy Name. May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in You." (Psalm 33:21-22)
- "Let them praise Your great and Awesome Name - He is Holy." (Psalm 99:3)
- "Glory in His Holy Name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice." (Psalm 105:3)
- "Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your Holy Name and glory in Your praise." (Psalm 146:47)
- "Holy and awesome is His Name." (Psalm 111:9)
- "I will bow down toward Your Holy temple and will praise Your Name for Your love and Your faithfulness, for You have exalted above all things Your Name and Your word." (Psalm 138:2)
- "My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise His Holy Name for ever and ever." (Psalm 145:21)
BACKGROUND:
- God is immense - He fills the universe with His presence - and therefore compound names found in the Bible are helpful in describing to us the different aspects of His identity, constitution, nature, character, essence.
- God's Name discloses His Power, His Authority, His Holiness.
- God's Name:
GOD'S NAMES:
Jehovah, has been transliterated from the Masoretic Hebrew text from the consonants JHVH or JHWH, merged with the vowels of a separate word, Adonai [Lord], since the name YHWH was so sacred as to be unspeakable.
- Jehovah or Yahweh - His majesty. "I am the LORD, that is My Name; I will not give to another, or My Praise to idols." (Isaiah 42:8)
- Jehovah Tsidkenu or Yahweh Tsidkenu - our righteousness. "In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the Name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness." (Jeremiah 23:6)
- Jehovah Mekaddsh or Yahweh Mekaddsh - He sanctifies. "Keep My decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy." (Leviticus 20:8)
- Jehovah Shalom or Yahweh Shalom - He is peace. "So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace." (Judges 6:24)
- Jehovah Shammah or Yahweh Shammah - He is there. "And the name of the city from that time on will be: The LORD is There." (Ezekiel 48:35)
- Jehovah Rophe or Yahweh Rophe - He heals. "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you." (Exodus 15:26)
-
Jehovah Jireh or Yahweh Jireh - He provides. "Abraham looked up and there in a
thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and
sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that
place The LORD will Provide. And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the
LORD it will be provided." (Genesis 22:13-14)
"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) - Jehovah Nissi or Yahweh Nissi - my banner. "Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner." (Exodus 17:15)
- Jehovah Rhoi or Yahweh Rhoi - my shepherd. "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want." (Psalm 23:1)
El Is Generic For God; Adding A Predicate, We Get God
Almighty's Name.
(El is combined with other word portions to make Israel, Daniel,
Joel, others)
-
El Shaddai - the Almighty. "I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and
to Jacob as God Almighty…" (Exodus 6:3)
"I am God Almighty, walk before me and be blameless." (Genesis 17:1)
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth [inserted, the whole universe] is full of His glory." (Isaiah 6:3) - El Elyon - the Most High God, the Exalted One. "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." (Genesis 14:19-20)
-
El Olam - God of eternity, God the everlasting One. "Abraham planted a
tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the
Eternal God." (Genesis 21:33)
"Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:4)
"Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." (Psalm 90:2) -
El Berith - God of the covenant. "I will make you into a great nation and I
will bless; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will
bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples
on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:2-3)
"I will confirm my covenant between Me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." (Genesis 17:2) - El Roi - God who sees. "You are the God who sees me." (Genesis 16:13)
- El Hoseem - God who creates. "I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself." (Isaiah 44:24)
GOD'S NAMES ARE ALSO...
LIFE -
- Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life ... (Deuteronomy 30:20)
- See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. (Deuteronomy 30:15-16)
LIGHT -
- God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
- He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness ... (1 Corinthians 4:5)
- The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. (Psalm 118:27)
- The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. (Isaiah 61:19)
- You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. (Psalm 18:28)
LOVE -
- But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. (Psalm 52:8)
- But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. (Psalm 69:13)
- But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. (Psalm 86:15)
- God is love. (1 John 4:16)
- Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. (Psalm 51:1)
SPIRIT -
- God is spirit … (John 4:24)
- For in him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28)
JESUS IS GOD ALMIGHTY'S NAME AS WELL
- Yeshua or Jesus - He saves us from our sins. "… you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21)
- Immanuel - God with us. "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)
-
Alpha and Omega - First and Last, King of Kings. "'I am the Alpha and the
Omega', says the Lord God, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the
Almighty.'" (Revelation 1:8)
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (Revelation 22:13) -
Lord of Lords and King of Kings -
"… but the Lamb will overcome them because He is the Lord of lords and King
of kings …" (Revelation 17:14)
"On His robe and on His thigh He has this Name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:16)
Sources for this study:
Bible, www.judeministries.org, www.jehova.net, & www.focusongod.com
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Last Modified June 17, 2008
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