WHO NAMED GOD?

We call Him GOD! This name is used for THE ONE AND ONLY Divine Being everywhere. We read it in the Scriptures, hear it in our churches, in our homes, in our conversations and even out on the streets, where people use His name casually in profanity and curses. Some degrade His name by referring to Him as "the man upstairs." He isn't; HE IS THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE! So yes, we are very familiar with the name of God! Perhaps we are even too familiar and His Name is not revered and held in awe as it should be! I feel that to a great degree, even we as believers, have lost the sense of God's Holiness, His Majesty, His attributes, His power and authority! Turning to the Bible, we find that He is fully described and we're told explicitly WHO HE IS and WHAT HE IS LIKE and WHAT HE DOES. "YOU ARE HOLY, ENTHRONED ON PRAISES" (Psalm 22:3). "Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise Your power." (Psalm 21:13). "The Seraphim (fiery angelic beings) call out to one another, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory' " (Isaiah 6:3). The very word "Seraphim" actually means "flames". "There is none holy like God: for there is none besides You; there is no rock like our God" (I Samuel 2:2). There is more! "Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" (Exodus 15:11). "God commands His people, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy' " (Leviticus 19:2).

Have you ever wondered who actually named God? Where did His holy name come from? The answer to both questions is quite simple and yet so very unique and amazing! God is the only one who actually named Himself! We find this to be true in the Old Testament. God encountered Moses on the mountain and spoke directly to him from a burning bush that was not consumed (Exodus, Chapter 3). God had a job or mission for Moses to do. He was to return to Egypt and tell the ruler Pharoah to "let the enslaved Israelites go free". Moses was afraid the Iraelites would not believe his words so he asked God what name he should give if the Israelites asked who sent him. God replied, "I AM WHO I AM" (Ehyeh asher ehyeh), instructing Moses to say the "I AM" sent him (Exodus 3:14). The name God gave Himself here signifies God's holiness, complete authority over all, His self-existence, His eternal presence, His total independent person and power. The name God gave Himself is the "Tetragrammaton" which is the four-letter Hebrew language, transliterated as YHWH or YHVH, which serves as the personal name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible. This name appears 7,000 times in the Hebrew Bible. This name for God is considered so holy that the Jewish people do not pronounce or say it outloud!

Do you know that there are 930 names for God in the Bible? The sacred covenant name is Yahweh which means "I AM THAT I AM", and LORD. The titles used for God in the Scripture signify the greatest respect for who His is. They are: lord (small letters on purpose), adonai, sovererign ruler, master. I want to list a few of those 930 names in hopes and sincere prayer that we are moved to the deepest respect and reverence for His Name!

1) LORD (capital letters used to denote the Sacred Covenant Name of Yahweh)

2) LORD God (Yehovah "Elohim" - Genesis 2:4, 3:23, etc.)

3) LORD GOD of GODS - in Hebrew: "Yehovah 'El' Elohiym Yehovah" - Joshua 22:22

4) THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL (Malachi 2:16; Ezra 7:6)

5) GOD ALMIGHTY (Hebrew: "EL Shaddai")

6) GOD - POWER AND MAJESTY (Hebrew: "Elohim")

7) LORD GOD OF MY SALVATION (Psalm 88:1)

8) LORD GOD OF ISRAEL (Occurs over 200 times in the Bible, such as in I Kings 8:23)

9) LORD OF HOSTS or LORD OF THE HOST (Hebrew: Yehovah Tsaba' or Jehovah Sabaoth - appears 245 times in the Old Testament, including I Samuel 1:3, 4:4; I Chronicles 11:9; Psalm 24:10, Isaiah 1:9; Malachi 4:3).

10) THE LORD OUR PEACE (Hebrew: YHWH-Shalom as in Judges 6:24)

11) LOVE ("God is love" - I John 4:8 and 16)

12) LORD OF LORDS (Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 136:3; I Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14 and 19:16)

AND SO MANY MORE! THEN THERE ARE NAMES GIVEN IN THE BIBLE SPECIFICALLY APPLYING TO JESUS THE CHRIST, who we know is GOD - GOD IN THE FLESH! Here are some of those names for Jesus: LIGHT OF THE WORLD (John 8:12 & 9:5); LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH (Revelation 5:5; Micah 5:2-4); LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST (11 Peter 3:17-18); LAMB OF GOD (John 1:29 & 36) and used 30 times in the Book of Revelation); THE WORD (John 1:1; Revelation 19;13); THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE (John 14:6); KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:16); IMMANUEL which means "God With Us" (Matthew 1:23) AND SO MANY MORE!

There is an old and wonderful hymn that highlights the theme of this blog. It so clearly tells us who our God IS and what He has done for us. Here are the lyrics:

"All praise to Him who reigns above, In majesty supreme. Who gave His Son for man to die, That He might man redeem!

His name above all names shall stand, Exalted more and more. At God the Father's own right hand, Where angel hosts adore.

Redeemer, Savior, friend of man, Once ruined by the fall, Thou hast devised salvation's plan, For Thou hast died for all.

The mighty Prince of Peace, Of all earth's kingdoms Conqueror, Whose reign shall never end

REFRAIN: BLESSED BE THE NAME! BLESSED BE THE NAME! BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD! BLESSED BE THE NAME! BLESSED BE THE NAME! BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD!"

I wonder if you would join me in this prayer: LORD GOD, I confess that YOUR NAME IS HOLY, MAJESTIC, AUTHORITATIVE, LOVING AND POWERFUL! I want to renew my reverence and respect for Your Name and I want to declare that your name is above every other name and that it is Your Name that I humbly and sincerely bow in worship and praise! Help me Lord to always recognize that Your Name is sacred and that You named Yourself "I AM THAT I AM"! In Jesus' Name, Amen"!