Week #2 Re-cap: What's in a Name?
of the people who are most important to you.
Called by Name
We are at the end of week #2, and we have just examined our relationships with ourselves, with time, and with others. As we examine our lists, let's reflect on these relationships.
Look at the names on your list. One name on my list would be my husband. We met in college, dated a few years, and have now been married for 35 years. Our relationship has developed and deepened each year of our marriage. Other names on my list would be my four children and their spouses. Each of these relationships have been different durations, but their impact and importance in my life is ever present. The longest relationship on my list would be that of one of my older sisters. She, of course, has known me all my life.
Now, at the top of the list write down your name for your Creator.
Which name did you choose? What is the name you use most frequently for God?
Almighty God? Lord God? Heavenly Father?--Did you just write down simply God?
Whatever the choice, let us reflect for a few minutes.
I had the pleasure of teaching in a Christian school last year, and my senior English class would visit one of the first grade classes. On one of our visits, we helped the first graders write a prayer in their prayer journal. In order to help the students, the teacher had a beautiful poster with a few of the different names for God that occur throughout the Bible. It fascinated me to see these young minds consider--deliberate over--which name they wanted to use for that particular prayer. Did they want to use Most High, or did they want to write Everlasting God or Good Shepherd?
Do we purposefully reflect on the nature of God when talking to--or about--our Maker, the King of Kings?
When reading through the Bible, take note of the various names used to refer to God. Consider what these names or descriptions reveal about the character and personality of Almighty God.
A few verses to consider: {bold emphasis mine}
Psalm 103:1
"Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name."
Psalm 34:1-3
"I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together."
Isaiah 57:15
"For this is what the high and exalted One says--
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
'I live in a high and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.'"
Psalm 147:4
"He [God] determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name."
Names are a means of identifying and distinguishing. Names are significant. Names are important.
Psalm 100
"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his/
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations."
What a beautiful psalm! My Bible labels it, "for giving grateful praise." That description is appropriate. However, we might not all be aware of one aspect of the translation.
My daughter Alyssa sent me a text: "Bible Fun Fact: Number of times the word 'Lord' appears in the Bible: 6,781."
So, I had to research this a little more. The introduction to the concordance in my NIV Bible states the following: "Two entries are marked with an asterisk (*). LORD* and LORD'S* list occurrences of the proper name of God, Yahweh, spelled "LORD" and "LORD'S' in the NIV. These entries are distinguished from LORD and LORD's, which list occurrences of the title 'Lord' and "Lord's.'"
Okay, so let's process this. Do I understand this correctly? Mixed in with the grand total of over 6,000 times the word lord is used in the NIV translation, there are times when it is just "lord" and there are times when it is the Precious, Proper Name of our Creator? This is certainly a distinction worth making. To clarify further, when the word lord is referring to God's proper name, LORD is used.
Okay, so I still need a little more understanding. The following video helped.
The Bible Project: "God's Name Has Changed?!"
Exodus 3 offers us the conversation between Moses and God in which God reveals His Name. If possible, please read the entire exchange.
Exodus 3:5-6, 13-15 [bold emphasis mine]
"'Do not come any closer,' God said. 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.' Then he said, 'I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.'
At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God....
[God then reveals His plan to have Moses speak to Pharoah and lead His people out of Egypt.]
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.'
God also said to Moses, 'Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has sent me to you.'
This is my name forever,
the name you shall call me
from generation to generation.'"
The Biblica website offers this explanation:
"Out of respect for the Jewish tradition of not uttering the sacred Name of God, the Committee on Bible Translation (CBT) for the NIV have chosen to display every instance of the Name YHWH in the Hebrew Bible as 'Lord.'"
Exodus 15:1-3 [This is in celebration and thanksgiving that God has ushered them out of Egypt and allowed them to cross the Red Sea on dry ground.]
"Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:
'I will sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.
The LORD is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father's God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a warrior;
the LORD is his name.
Now, my daughter has some strong opinions about using the term Lord; she stated, "I never liked that word because it felt controlling and I associated it with like landlords and governments and earthly people who own things and have power over people." While this term does explain God's authority, it certainly seems limiting and does not even begin to encompass the omniscient, omnipresent essence of our Maker. Some Native American tribes refer to God as Great Mystery. Of these two titles, which seems more fitting? LORD or Great Mystery?
This video by Dr. Ronn Johnson concisely explains the translation and shares a suggestion for us. He wants us to replace the words the LORD with Yahweh.
Let's try it.
Exodus 15:1-3 [We are replacing the LORD with Yahweh.]
"Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to Yahweh:
'I will sing to Yahweh,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.
Yahweh is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father's God, and I will exalt him.
Yahweh is a warrior;
Yahweh is his name."
Another video--one by Salmo77--explains the pronunciation of YHWH.
Now, we are going to fast forward a little bit to Exodus 20:
Exodus 20:1-4, 7 [bold emphasis mine]
"And God spoke all these words:
'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below....
You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.'"
We honor people when we know their names. We honor people when we refer to them by name. Do we know our Savior and Creator well enough to call Him by name?
Is there a chance that we have misused the name of God? Do we need to repent of a misunderstanding with Yahweh? Read God's Word and prayerfully consider where we stand in our relationship. We know names are important; we know to call our friends and relatives and people we meet by name. How much more important is it that we honor God by the names we use use when we call to Him and when we share all He has done in our lives.
Let's close this re-cap with a couple of the verses that we started with today:
[We are replacing the LORD with Yahweh.]
Psalm 103:1
"Praise Yahweh, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name."
Psalm 34:1-3
"I will extol Yahweh at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in Yahweh;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify Yahweh with me;
let us exalt his name together."
Realigning our relationships with God and with people means calling them by name. It means that we shift into truly knowing and spending time with those who are important to us. Let us do better.
Prayer:
Almighty God, we want to know You. Forgive us for the times we have taken our relationship for granted. Forgive us for using Your Name carelessly. Help us to revere Your Name, Yahweh. We know You as our Creator and Protector. We seek to know You more, Great Mystery. Guide us in our relationship with You and with our relationship with others. May we value others. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." ~Romans 12:18
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