Sometimes we do not realize how precise our God’s names are. Many of us as Christians have not taken the time to learn those names.

 

David in Psalms 23 could have said “God” to start with but he uses a specific name Yahweh over El Shaddai (God Almighty), El Elxon (God Most High), or El Iam (God Everlasting) but David chose Yahweh is my shepherd. Why Yahweh? Because that is God’s name. For example, you call me Pastor, Reverend, Preacher, but my name is Shaker. The others are all descriptions of what I do.

 

Moses was the first to learn God’s name. We read in Exodus 3:13-14, “Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” and as we learn later in Exodus 6:2-3, “God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself fully known to them.”

 

God says to Moses, I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I appeared as El Shaddar, God Almighty. The people of Israel consider God’s name too holy to be spoken by human lips.

 

Why do we need a name–it is important because we need a big God, one who is. Yehweh means “Am” and “I cause.” God is the “one who is” and the one who causes.” He is an unchanging God.

 

The above description was taken from the book, Traveling Light, by Mac Lucado. Psalms 102:27 says, “But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” God remains the same, He never changes. God was never created but He creates. The Psalmist says in 90:2, “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” He is the everlasting God.

 

I am afraid that many of us have neglected the proper worship of God because we cannot describe more than one or two names of God.

 

Peter wrote, “But grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.” (2 Pet. 3:18) Failure to know God will hinder our ability to fully give God the glory He so richly deserves. Some of us have been Christians for many years and yet are unable to articulate the names of God and their meaning and their significance to even those who are closest to us. Perhaps, we have never realized before how important it is to God that we understand the significance of the Biblical names of God used throughout the scriptures. There are over 20 names of God in the Bible.

 

David wrote, “I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise will continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the Lord. The humble will hear it and be glad. Oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all of my fears.” (Ps. 34:1-4)

 

When we understand the names of God, we gain a greater depth of appreciation of the riches of His splendor, majesty, holiness, love and total attributes.

 

1. Elohim means God (Gen. 1:1: Ps. 19:1). “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Speaks of God’s power and might. The only supreme-true God.

 

2. Yahweh means The Lord (Gen. 2:4; Ex 6:2,3). “I am the Lord, I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them” Speaks of the name of the divine person above all.

 

3. El Elyon means the God Most High (Gen. 14:17-20; Ps. 7:17). “I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” Speaks of the fact that He is above all gods; nothing is more sacred than Him.

 

4. El Roi means the God Who Sees (Gen. 16:13). “You are the God who sees me, for Hagar said, I have now seen the One who sees me.” Speaks of the God that oversees all creation and the affairs of people and nations.

 

5. El Shaddai means the God Almighty (Gen. 17:1). “When Abraham was ninety nine years old the Lord appeared to him and said, I am God Almighty walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” Speaks of the God who is all powerful.

 

6. Yahweh Yireh means the the Lord will provide (Gen. 22:13,14). “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.” Speaks of the God who will provide our total need (Physical, emotional, mental, social, cultural, material, attitudinal, behavior and spiritual)

 

7. Yahweh Nissi means the Lord is My Banner, My Victory (Exodus 17:15). “Moses built an altar and called it the Lord is my Banner. He said, For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord. The Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.” Speaks of the fact that we should remember God for helping us gain the victory.

 

8. Adonai means the Lord Deut. 6:4 “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Speaks of God alone who is the head over all.

 

9. Yahweh Elohe Yisrael means the Lord God of Israel (Judg. 5:3; Ps. 59:5). “O Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to the wicked traitors.” Speaks of the fact that He is the God of the nation.

 

10. Qedosh Yisrael means the Holy One of Israel (Isa.1:4). “Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt a brood of evildoers children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.” Speaks of a God who is morally perfect

 

11. Yahweh Sabaoth means the Lord of Host. Hosts refers to armies but also to all heavenly powers (I Sam 1:3; Isa 6:1-3). “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Speaks of the God who is our Savior and Protector.

 

12. El Olam means the Everlasting God (Isa . 40:28-31). “The Lord is the everlasting God the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and young men stumble and fall. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow tired, they will turn and not grow easy and they will walk and not be faint.” Speaks of the God who is eternal He will never die

 

13. Yahweh Tsidkenu means the Lord is Our Righteousness (Jer. 23:6; 33:16) “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.” Speaks of the God who is our standard for right behavior. He alone can make us righteous.

 

14. Yahweh Shammah means the Lord is there (Ezek. 48:35). “The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on will be: The Lord is There.” Speaks of the God who is always present with us.

 

15. Attiq Yomin means the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:9,13). “In my vision at night I looked and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.” He was given authority, glory and sovereign power, all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him, His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Speaks of the God who is the ultimate authority. He will one day judge the nations

 

16. Shalom means the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). “His name will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, prince of peace.” Rest, wholeness and complete supply of whatever is needed to put one at perfect peace.

 

17. Jehovah-Jireh – The Lord will provide – Thank God that He promises to provide all you need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19). He will provide for you emotionally, sustaining you with energy, renewal and encouragement. He will make provisions for you financially, socially, culturally, mentally, physically, educationally, communicationally, attitudinally, family-wise, knowledge, wisdom, strength, guidance, deliverance, protection, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control along with all sufficient grace for every trial (2 Cor. 12:9,10). God allows a sense of weakness and shortages to force us to depend upon Him for our every need. David penned a great promise in (Ps. 34:1-4), “They who seek the Lord will not be in want of any good thing.”

 

I hope you gained as much by learning the names of God as I did and this will help us to have more intimacy to our Savior.
Enjoy the summer!

 

God bless,
Pastor Shaker