“Lord I Lift Your Name On High” - “Something About That Name”

The month of November is Appreciation Month. We have selected this month to emphasize the need to show our appreciation for something or someone that we highglight. We are committed to preaching through a sermon series entitled: "Something About That Name.” I know that God is going to bless us through our sermon series.   

Something About That Name

Dr. Stewart tells of a little company of Russian peasants who had met for worship, knowing full well their gathering was illegal. While their worship was proceeding, suddenly the door was flung open and there entered an agent of the secret police, with a body of men. “Take these peoples' names,” he commanded. The names were written down. One old man stopped him and said, “There is one name you have not got.” The Officer said in surprise, “I assure you you are mistaken. I have them all.” The peasant insisted that one name was missing from his list. “Well, we'll prove it. We'll count again. Thirty!—you see,” said the officer, “I have them all, every one” But still the peasant persisted, “There is one name you haven't got.” “Who is it then?” asked the officer. “The Lord Jesus Christ,” was the answer, “He is here. ‘All!” answered the officer, “that is a different matter” (Matt. 18. 20; Phil. 2. 10) (www.moreillustrations.com). When the Lord is present, He makes a difference. Thus, we should never forget His name.

At various points and times in the history of God’s people, the Lord has been known by a plethora of names. Since our monthly theme is “Lord I Lift Your Name on High,” I thought to include many of the names that relate to the way that God’s people have known Him over the span of thousands of years. The following list of names is not an exhaustive list. However, the list includes names that may be familiar and unfamiliar to many 21st Century New Testament believers.  

  • EL, ELOAH [el, el-oh-ah]: God "mighty, strong, prominent" (Neh. 9:17; Ps. 139:19) – etymologically, El appears to mean “power” and “might” (Gen. 31:29). El is associated with other qualities, such as integrity (Num. 23:19), jealousy (Deut. 5:9), and compassion (Neh. 9:31), but the root idea of “might” remains.

  • ELOHIM [el-oh-heem]: God “Creator, Mighty and Strong” (Gen.17:7; Jer. 31:33) – the plural form of Eloah, which accommodates the doctrine of the Trinity. From the Bible’s first sentence, the superlative nature of God’s power is evident as God (Elohim) speaks the world into existence (Gen. 1:1).

  • EL SHADDAI [el-shah-dahy]: “God Almighty,” “The Mighty One of Jacob” Gen. 49:24; Ps. 132:2,5) – speaks To God’s ultimate power over all.

  • ADONAI [ˌædɒˈnaɪ; ah-daw-nahy]: “Lord” (Gen. 15:2; Judg.  6:15) – used in place of YHWH, which was thought by the Jews to be too sacred to be uttered by sinful men. In the Old Testament, YHWH is more often used in God’s dealings with His people, while Adonai is used more when He deals with the Gentiles.

  • JEHOVAH [ji-hoh-veh]: “LORD” (Deut. 6:4; Dan. 9:14) – strictly speaking, the only proper name for God. Translated in English Bibles “LORD” (all capitals) to distinguish it from Adonai, “Lord.” The revelation of the name is given to Moses “I Am who I Am” (Exod. 3:14). This name specifies an immediacy, a presence. Yahweh is present, accessible, near to those who call on Him for deliverance (Ps. 107:13), forgiveness (Ps. 25:11) and guidance (Ps. 31:3).

  • JEHOVAH-JIREH [ji-hoh-veh-ji-reh]: "The Lord Will Provide" (Gen. 22:14) – the name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac.

  • JEHOVAH-RAPHA [ji-hoh-veh-raw-faw]: "The Lord Who Heals" (Exod. 15:26) – “I am Jehovah who heals you” both in body and soul. In body, by preserving from and curing diseases, and in soul, by pardoning iniquities.

  • JEHOVAH-NISSI [ji-hoh-veh-nee-see]: "The Lord Our Banner" (Exod. 17:15), where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory over the Amalekites in Exod. 17.

  • JEHOVAH-M'KADDESH [ji-hoh-veh-meh-kad-esh]: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Lev. 20:8; Ezek. 37:28) – God makes it clear that He alone, not the law, can cleanse His people and make them holy.

  • JEHOVAH-SHALOM [ji-hoh-veh-shah-lohm]: "The Lord Our Peace" (Judg. 6:24) – the name given by Gideon to the altar he built after the Angel of the Lord assured him he would not die as he thought he would after seeing Him.

  • JEHOVAH-ELOHIM [ji-hoh-veh-el-oh-him]: "LORD God" (Gen. 2:4; Ps. 59:5) – a combination of God’s unique name YHWH and the generic “Lord,” signifying that He is the Lord of Lords.

  • JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU [ji-hoh-veh-tzid-kay-noo]: "The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jer. 33:16) – As with YHWH-M’Kaddesh, it is God alone who provides righteousness (from the Hebrew word tsidkenu) to man, ultimately in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, who became sin for us “that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor.  5:21).

  • JEHOVAH-ROHI [ji-hoh-veh-roh-hee]: "The Lord Our Shepherd" (Ps. 23:1) – After David pondered his relationship as a shepherd to his sheep, he realized that was exactly the relationship God had with him, and so he declares, “Yahweh-Rohi is my Shepherd. I shall not want” (Ps. 23:1).

  • JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH [ji-hoh-veh-sham-mahw]: "The Lord Is There” (Ezek. 48:35) – the name ascribed to Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that the once-departed glory of the Lord (Ezek. 8—11) had returned (Ezek. 44:1-4).

  • JEHOVAH-SABAOTH [ji-hoh-veh-sah-bah-ohth]: "The Lord of Hosts" (Isa. 1:24; Ps. 46:7) – Hosts means “hordes,” both of angels and of men. He is Lord of the host of heaven and of the inhabitants of the earth, of Jews and Gentiles, of rich and poor, master and slave. The name is expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of God and shows that He is able to accomplish what He determines to do.

  • EL ELYON [el-el-yohn]: “Most High" (Deut. 26:19) – derived from the Hebrew root for “go up” or “ascend,” so the implication is of that which is the very highest. El Elyon denotes exaltation and speaks of absolute right to lordship.

Retrieved and adapted from http://www.moreillustrations.com/Illustrations/names 2.html.
GotQuestions.org. (2007, February 13). What are the different names of God, and what do they mean?
Retrieved from https://www.gotquestions.org/names-of-God.html.

Monica ComanComment