Holy

Is

Thy

Name!

 God's Names-And...

Do You Take It In Vain?

Answer: Each of the many names of God describes a different aspect of His many-faceted character. Here are some of the better known names of God in the Bible:

EL, ELOAH: God "mighty, strong, prominent" (Genesis 7:1; Isaiah 9:6) – Etymologically, El appears to mean power, as in “I have the power to harm you” (Genesis 31:29). El is associated with other qualities, such as integrity (Numbers 23:19), jealousy (Deuteronomy 5:9), and compassion (Nehemiah 9:31), but the root idea of might remains.

ELOHIM: God “Creator, Mighty and Strong” (Genesis 17:7; Jeremiah 31:33) – The plural form of Eloah, which is accommodating of 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 (Genesis 1:1).

EL SHADDAI: “God Almighty,” “The Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 132:2,5) – Speaks to God’s ultimate power over all.

ADONAI: “Lord” (Genesis 15:2; Judges 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.

YHWH / YAHWEH / JEHOVAH: “LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4; Daniel 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 first given to Moses “I Am who I Am” (Exodus 3:14). This name specifies an immediacy, a presence. Yahweh is present, accessible, near to those who call on Him for deliverance (Psalm 107:13), forgiveness (Psalm 25:11) and guidance (Psalm 31:3).

YAHWEH-JIREH: "The Lord will Provide" (Genesis 22:14) – The name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac.

YAHWEH-RAPHA: "The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) – “I am Jehovah who heals you” both in body and soul. In body, by preserving from diseases, and by curing them when afflicted with them and in soul, by pardoning their iniquities.

YAHWEH-NISSI: "The Lord Our Banner" (Exodus 17:15), where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory over the Amalekites in Exodus 17.


YAHWEH-M'KADDESH: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28) – God makes it clear that He alone, not the law, could cleanse His people and make them holy.

YAHWEH-SHALOM: "The Lord Our Peace" (Judges 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.

YAHWEH-ELOHIM: "LORD God" (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 59:5) – Combination of God’s unique name YHWH and the generic “Lord,” signifying that He is the Lord of Lords.

YAHWEH-TSIDKENU: "The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) – As with YHWH-M’Kaddesh, it is God alone who provides righteousness 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 Corinthians 5:21).

YAHWEH-ROHI: "The Lord Our Shepherd" (Psalm 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” (Psalm 23:1).

YAHWEH-SHAMMAH: "The Lord is There” (Ezekiel 48:35) – The name ascribed to Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that the once departed glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 8—11) had returned (Ezekiel 44:1-4).

YAHWEH-SABAOTH: "The Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 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: “Most High" (Deuteronomy 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.

EL ROI: "God of Seeing" (Genesis 16:13) – The name ascribed to God by Hagar, alone and desperate in the wilderness after being driven out by Sarah (Genesis 16:1-14), when she met the Angel of the Lord and realized she had seen God Himself in a theophany. She realized that El Roi saw her in her distress and testified that He is a God who lives and sees all.

EL-OLAM: "Everlasting God" (Psalm 90:1-3) – God’s nature is without beginning or end, free from all constraints of time and contains within Himself the very cause of time itself. “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”

EL-GIBHOR: “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) – The name describing the Messiah, Christ Jesus, in this prophetic portion of Isaiah. As a powerful and mighty warrior, the Messiah, the Mighty God, will accomplish the destruction of God’s enemies and rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15).

 

Both of these wonderful pages were shared by my brother in Christ, Michael Powell. Thanks so much Michael, what a wonderful gift you are to my ministry.May God bless you by sharing His word and bible truthes.

 
 
 
Question:
"What does it mean to take the Lord’s name in vain?"

Answer: Although many people believe taking the Lord’s name
 in vain refers to using the Lord’s name as a swear word,
 there is much more involved with a vain use of God’s name.
 To understand the severity of taking the Lord’s name in vain,
 we must first see the Lord’s name from His perspective as
outlined in Scripture. The God of Israel was known by
 many names and titles, but the concept embodied in God’s
name plays an important and unique role in the Bible.
God’s nature and attributes, the totality of His being,
and especially His glory are reflected in His name (Psalm 8:1).
Psalm 111:9 tells us His name is “holy and awesome,”
and the Lord’s prayer begins by addressing God with the
phrase “hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9), an indication
 that a reverence for God and His name should be foremost
 in our prayers. Too often we barge into God’s presence with
 presumptuous “to-do lists” for Him, without being mindful
of His holiness, His awesomeness, and the vast chasm that
 separates our nature from His. That we are even allowed
to come before His throne is due only to His gracious,
 merciful love for His own (Hebrews 4:16). We must never
take that grace for granted.

Because of the greatness of the name of God, any use of
 God’s name that brings dishonor on Him or on His character
 is taking His name in vain. The third of the Ten Commandments
forbids taking or using the Lord’s name in an irreverent manner
because that would indicate a lack of respect for God Himself.
 A person who misuses God’s name will not be held “guiltless”
by the Lord (Exodus 20:7). In the Old Testament, bringing
dishonor on God’s name was done by failing to perform an
oath or vow taken in His name (Leviticus 19:12). The man who
used God’s name to legitimize his oath, and then broke his promise,
would indicate his lack of reverence for God as well as a lack of
 fear of His holy retribution. It was essentially the same as denying
 God’s existence. For believers, however, there is no need to use
 God’s name to legitimize an oath as we are not to take oaths
in the first place, letting our “yes be yes” and our “no be no”
(Matthew 5:33-37).

There is a larger sense in which people today take the Lord’s
 name in vain. Those who name the name of Christ, who pray
 in His name, and who take His name as part of their identity,
but who do not live according to His commands, are taking
His name in vain. Jesus Christ has been given the name above
 all names, at which every knee shall bow (Philippians 2:9-10),
 and when we take the name “Christian” upon ourselves,
we must do so with an understanding of all that signifies.
 If we profess to be Christians, but act, think, and speak
 in a worldly or profane manner, we take His name in vain.
 When we misrepresent Christ, either intentionally or through
ignorance of the Christian faith as proclaimed in Scripture,
we take the Lord’s name in vain. When we say we love Him,
 but do not do what He commands (Luke 6:46), we take His
 name in vain and are in danger of hearing Him say to us
 “I never knew you. Away from me” in the day of judgment
(Matthew 7:21-23).

The name of the Lord is holy, as He is holy. The name of the Lord
 is a representation of His glory, His majesty, and His supreme deity.
 We are to esteem and honor His name as we revere and glorify
 God himself. To do any less is to take His name in vain.