“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…” This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you'” (Exodus 3:13,14).
What’s the first thing that you do when you get a letter (besides looking in the envelope to see if the letter contains a check)? You want identification. Whose name appears at the bottom of the page? Is it the name of an old friend? Somebody you’ve never heard from before? A casual acquaintance or a stranger?
What’s in a name? Far more than you might suppose. Names have an uncanny way of revealing something of an individual’s nature and character. I’ve never quite figured out whether names become self-fulfilling prophecies and people live up to their names or whether, indeed, names with an uncanny accuracy are prophetic of a person’s future.
When you pick up a magazine, say, for example, National Geographic, you express one of three levels of interest. If you’re not particularly interested in a subject, you turn the pages looking casually at the pictures. If you have slight interest, you will read the captions underneath the pictures; but if you are really interested, you read the text of the article.
When it comes to the names of God and what they reveal of His nature and character, most folks never get beyond the obvious–the pictures which the Old and New Testaments provide. If, however, I can create enough curiosity for you to go beyond the level of reading the captions under the pictures, you will be enriched and challenged.
When you read an English Bible, you will discover two words which refer to God: Lord and God, or you may have these two used in combination together. The Old Testament of your Bible was written in Hebrew, and what is very difficult to translate is the variety of words which are used in combination with Adonai and Jehovah (the two most frequently used Hebrew words for God). Both words give us beautiful pictures of God’s care and concern for us.
For example, the word used most commonly for God, the Hebrew word, Jehovah, is found 6,823 times in the Old Testament. The word comes from the same word that means “to be” or “to exist.” Tradition has it that before a scribe would even copy Scripture, he would wash his hands, but before he would write the word God, he would bath himself so he would be entirely clean.
Furthermore, as you go a bit deeper, you will learn that at different periods of crisis and human turmoil, God revealed Himself by using an additional name or word. For example, to Abraham he was Jehovah-Jireh, “The Lord, our provider.” To Moses, he was Jehovah-Rapha, “The Lord, the one who heals.” To the children of Israel in the wilderness, He was Jehovah-Nissi, “The Lord, our banner.” To David, he was Jehovah-Ra-ah, “The Lord, our Shepherd.”
Have you ever met someone, and upon your first meeting, you were introduced rather formally as Mr. James Victor Taylor–the whole handle? The new acquaintance called you Mr. Taylor, but then you rather liked the person so you said, “You may call me James.” Then as your friendship became more personal, you were no longer “James” but “Jim,” a term used only by a few very close friends.
A study of the names of God used in the Bible reveals that with the passing of time, God revealed more and more of his warmth and love. He progressively showed us more and more of his nature and character, finally sending His Son, who was the image of the Father Himself. Going beyond the pictures, or even the print underneath the photo, has rich, satisfying rewards. Don’t be satisfied with knowing a bit about God; get to know Him personally.
Resource reading: Exodus 33:12-23
