A few years ago I became interested in a feature of the Old Testament. I learned to pay attention to the names of God recorded there. Oh, many folks know that in the Old Testament of the Bible, speaking the name of God is strictly prescribed because the people of God believed it was a special blessing to be allowed to know the name(s) of God and to speak them.
In an age where folks frequently use the names and symbols of God in the most abasing manner, such respect is considered superstition or foolishness. (I suspect folks would be drummed out of decent society if they used the names Allah, Bahá', Vishnu, Satnamor, Odin or Te with such disrespect for the beliefs of others.) But when I began to consider the names of God it was interesting, even enlightening.
The most commonly recognized name of God from the Old Testament is Jehovah. God directs Moses to lead the Isrealites from captivity in Egypt by telling them to follow Moses as God's representative out into the dessert. I can imagine that Moses knew this would be a hard sell, so he asks, "Who shall I say sent me? What is Your name?" And God answers I AM. When one is God, one does not have to say more, but through the ages God has chosen to reveal more to His creation about the nature and character of their Creator.
But to begin, God states this most basic truth: "I AM". For if that is not so, then what else is of interest to any of us? God discloses the essential source of all and the crux of God's desire to have a relationship with God's creation. God does not "make a case"; solicit homage, or demand tribute. God simply says, "I AM." And follows up by providing for God's chosen people. By revealing God's own nature to the Isrealites, God began leading all of us to know and understand the nature of our Creator.
So the name Jehovah is our most basic acknowledgement of God's essential status as our Creator, our Author, our Designer who, in revealing God's nature to us, reveals our own nature to us. We were created to love the God who begets us and trust that God's greatest longing is for our greatest good. We fail and fall as we let fear be our god, but still the Great Jehovah pursues us, loves us and calls us back into a holy and freeing relationship as God's child.
My Prayer for Today: Almighty Jehovah, thank You for revealing Yourself to me, to each of us. Thank you for never giving up on me as You continue to be the great I AM. No matter how far I stray from trusting You, how often I fail to turn to You for wisdom, strength, hope and stray from the journey to become all You created me to be, You continue to love, to call, to woo, to whisper truth in my heart. Thank You for Your patience and Your unchanging nature. AMEN
In an age where folks frequently use the names and symbols of God in the most abasing manner, such respect is considered superstition or foolishness. (I suspect folks would be drummed out of decent society if they used the names Allah, Bahá', Vishnu, Satnamor, Odin or Te with such disrespect for the beliefs of others.) But when I began to consider the names of God it was interesting, even enlightening.
The most commonly recognized name of God from the Old Testament is Jehovah. God directs Moses to lead the Isrealites from captivity in Egypt by telling them to follow Moses as God's representative out into the dessert. I can imagine that Moses knew this would be a hard sell, so he asks, "Who shall I say sent me? What is Your name?" And God answers I AM. When one is God, one does not have to say more, but through the ages God has chosen to reveal more to His creation about the nature and character of their Creator.
But to begin, God states this most basic truth: "I AM". For if that is not so, then what else is of interest to any of us? God discloses the essential source of all and the crux of God's desire to have a relationship with God's creation. God does not "make a case"; solicit homage, or demand tribute. God simply says, "I AM." And follows up by providing for God's chosen people. By revealing God's own nature to the Isrealites, God began leading all of us to know and understand the nature of our Creator.
So the name Jehovah is our most basic acknowledgement of God's essential status as our Creator, our Author, our Designer who, in revealing God's nature to us, reveals our own nature to us. We were created to love the God who begets us and trust that God's greatest longing is for our greatest good. We fail and fall as we let fear be our god, but still the Great Jehovah pursues us, loves us and calls us back into a holy and freeing relationship as God's child.
My Prayer for Today: Almighty Jehovah, thank You for revealing Yourself to me, to each of us. Thank you for never giving up on me as You continue to be the great I AM. No matter how far I stray from trusting You, how often I fail to turn to You for wisdom, strength, hope and stray from the journey to become all You created me to be, You continue to love, to call, to woo, to whisper truth in my heart. Thank You for Your patience and Your unchanging nature. AMEN
"Then Moses said to God, “But if I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors sent me,’ then the people will ask, ‘What is his name?’ What should I tell them?” Then God said to Moses, “Tell them, ‘I Am Who I Am.’ When you go to the Israelites, tell them, ‘I Am’ sent me to you.” And God said, “Tell the Israelites that you were sent by Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. This will always be my name. It is how I want the people to remember me from now on." Exodus 3:13-15 EVR
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