WHAT'S IN A NAME?

"THEN MOSES SAID TO GOD, 'BEHOLD, I AM GOING TO THE SONS OF ISRAEL, AND I SHALL SAY TO THEM, 'THE GOD OF OUR FATHERS HAS SENT ME TO YOU.' NOW THEY MAY SAY TO ME, 'WHAT IS HIS NAME?' WHAT SHALL I SAY TO THEM? GOD SAID TO MOSES, 'I AM WHO I AM';AND HE SAID, 'THUS YOU SHALL SAY TO THE SONS OF ISRAEL, 'I AM HAS SENT ME TO YOU." EXODUS 3:13-14

At times we are at a loss when it comes to our English translation of the Bible. Hidden underneath the words "God" and "Lord" are a vast array of meanings and revelations into God's character. For instance,"I AM WHO I AM" is Jehovah or Yawheh, which translates "Lord". It is rendered from a Hebrew verb which means "to be". It also signifies the source of everything, without beginning and without end. How vast. How hard for us as finite creatures to understand! This name the God gives Himself allows us to learn a little bit more about who He really is.

In the original Hebrew and Greek languages of the Bible, the list is quite lengthy of the various forms and meanings of God's names. For example, a few other names of God:

All Sufficient One (El Shaddai)
The Lord My Friend (Jehovah Raah)
Most Exalted or Most High One (El Elyon)

The list goes on forever, but what has captured my attention in the last few weeks is not the names that God has given Himself, but rather the names people have given God out of experiencing Him in their lives and learning more about Him. Here are some examples:

GENESIS 16:13: "Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, 'You are a God who sees..." El Roi. God of My Vision. Hagar had fled from Sarai's harsh treatment after she had conceived Abram's son. But an angel of the Lord comes to her in her affliction, comforts her, and promises her to make Ishmael a great nation. This means that God sees our suffering and takes heed of it!

GENESIS 21:33: "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God." El Olam. The God of Eternity. This comes exactly one verse before God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on the altar. In the book of Hebrews it says that, since God had promised Abraham's heirs would be through Isaac, then Abraham believed that God would bring Isaac back from the dead. In His perfect timing, God taught Abraham that He is eternal and that He rules over life and death, so Abraham could therefore could place his trust in Him and have confidence to be obedient. He does the same for us today!

GENESIS 22:13-14: "Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of that place "The Lord Will Provide..." Jehovah Jireh. The God Who Sees or the God Who Sees To It. He is the One who meets our needs at just the right time as He did for Abraham, even supplying what is required of us when He asks!

EXODUS 17:15: "Moses built an altar and named it The Lord is My Banner." Jehovah Nissi. God is our rallying point and our way to victory--the one who fights for His people. That means when we are in the midst of a battle, we are to focus on Him and not the circumstances that surrounds us and that He fights our battles for us!

How about you? Where do you need to get to know God better? If you need healing physically, emotionally, relationally, maybe you need to get to know Jehovah Rapha, the God Who Heals. If your life is filled with strife, maybe you need to get to know Jehovah Shalom, the Lord of Peace. If you have a hard decision to make or don't know which way to turn next, maybe you need to get to know Jehovah Ra-ah, the Lord Our Shepherd. Whatever your need, He is the only true God, revealing His character and His love for you in a very personal way. Call on the name of the Lord; there is no other name!