A look at the Names of God.

Did you look at that title and say to yourself, “self, god and names…isn’t He God.” Lots of believers don’t know that God has names that He gave Himself in order to reveal to us Who and What He is, His character qualities…names that would enable us to better grasp what He is like as well as what He wants us to ultimately be since we are made in His image.

His proper name and maybe the one we are most familiar with is Jehovah…when He wants to attest to His great power to accomplish His Word and work, He swears by His great name. He may use just Jehovah(self-existent One) or He may combine Jehovah with another “name” to elaborate on His character. We will look at that later. Lots of us would like to know why He created us in the first place. We are told in Scripture that the Triune God had no need of anything or anyone else, so why? He wanted to share…He had a desire, not a need, for fellowship, a people to bless and teach. He wanted to bring glory to His name and His creation of us gave that opportunity…we would be His hands, feet, mouth, ears, etc., His instruments so to speak and in return, He would bless us beyond measure and pleasure. What an awesome opportunity!

He has many names but three are primary.. Jehovah is one, Elohim is another. It means the strong, faithful One. It is a designation. The third is Adonai or Lord and it is a title. It means the sovereign Master or Lord and is a title. His name Elohim  occurs in the Old Testament more than 2000 times. It indicates He who swears and pledges by Himself and is ABLE to keep His Word. Further, this Strong, Faithful One is able to keep His promises…what His lips speak, His mighty arm performs! The very best example we have in the Word is in Genesis12:4, His UNCONDITIONAL Covenant to Abraham: He promised Abraham a land, a seed, and a blessing. Can you see here WHO has title to Canaan/Israel? No doubt about it, way back then God unconditionally gave it to Abraham and His descendants forever…and He used His Covenant keeping name  along with making I unconditional…the Jews did not have to “do” anything, God Himself did it all, promised, swore by his name and it is a closed subject…forever! 

Interesting isn’t it…all these thousands of years of fighting for a land that God says further on in the New Testament is His…yet in so many places in Scripture He reiterates it over and over, it is His and He gave it to the Jews. He gave other land and promises to Ishmael, His son by Hagar an Egyptian handmaid to Abrahams wife Sara. But it was not the same land He gave Abraham and his descendants. Of course most people do not want to believe the Bible as authoritative. but even parts of history say the same thing.

You may wonder what is our part in this????  Well as near as I can tell, what god wants from us is to VOLUNTARILY love Him, be obedient to Him, be a faithful testimony to His goodness and share the Gospel of Christ with others. That’s not a lot to expect do you think? Romans 12:1-2 tell it all, “ I beseech  you brethren by the mercy of God, to present your body’s a living sacrifice…holy, acceptable to Him…it is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, perfect, and acceptable will of God.