THE NAMES OF GOD

WORD OF WISDOM
WORD ~ (Gr. Logos), one of the titles of our Lord, found only in the writings of John (John 1:1-14; 1 John 1:1; Revelation 19:13). As such, Christ is the revealer of God. His office is to make God known. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" (John 1:18). This title designates the divine nature of Christ. As the Word, he "was in the beginning" and "became flesh." "The Word was with God " and "was God," and was the Creator of all things.

Source: Easton's Bible Dictionary

It appears that everywhere I look I see people saying that there is one God so what does it matter what we call Him. These people believe that as long as you believe in one supreme being that created earth and heaven, it does not matter what that name is because it is the same being.

So if I call your daughter, Daughter then she is also my daughter! I think not. There is much to be said about the name you call anyone. My boss is my boss, and is not yours unless he hires you.

My God is my God and calling Him Allah, well you are not talking about the same being. My God has many names. Allah is not one of them, no matter how hard you try.

If you wish to know my God, then you can. He will be your God, if you ask Him to be. But if you call Him by a name He has not given us to call Him, then you will not be talking to Him.

Today a person’s name is little more then a label to distinguish one person from another. Most of us have or have had nicknames that say nothing at all about who we really are. I think we have all known of a tiny that is overweight, the list could go on.

God often changed the name of a person. Abram became Abraham, Sari became Sarah, and Jacob became Israel. Names carried special significant. In scripture a person’s name identified them and stood for something specific.

God revealed to people what He wanted them to call Him, rather then allowing them to choose names for Him.

Jews are taught to revere the Name of God. When we read Jewish text we usually see G-d written. Do you know why?

Deuteronomy 12: 1 These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth. 2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: 3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. 4 Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God.

First the Israelis are told to destroy everything including the names of other gods. Now look carefully at verse 4. “We shall not do so unto the Lord your God." After careful study the rabbis decreed that it is forbidden to efface a divine Name written on parchment, unravel the Name embroidered in cloth, or melt down a piece of metal or a seal upon which the Name is engraved or impressed. This comes from the inference that Jews should not destroy or efface any holy thing. Consequently the Jewish people avoid writing any Name or Title of God because of the risk that the written Name can later be defaced, obliterated or accidentally destroyed.

It is only forbidden to erase a divine Name that is written normally. For this reason a common practice is to substitute letters or syllables within the Name. Elokim for Elohim, G-d for God, and L-rd for Lord. This is done to avoid reading, writing or saying the Name of God.

There is also a custom of transposing the letters of numbers, which might otherwise spell out a word that is a divine Name. This is also done with words that have a negative connotation such as evil or demon.

The relationship between a name and a thing is important in Scriptures. Naming and being are linked together to form a unity. The right use of a name denotes a right relationship with the thing named.

Since man was made in the image and likeness of God, we would expect a strong correlation between human language and reality. As God spoke the world into being and all that is in it, we shape our life’s by the means of the words we use.

God is strongly identified with His Names, and over the next few days we will look at some of His Names.

Romans 9:17 “that my Name might be declared throughout all the earth."

God Bless,
rECj/LJG