Knowing God by His Names ~ Many Names 1

 
                             One God known by Many Names      ~ 1  
 
 Many have heard the statement ‘what’s in a name’.  When we first meet someone, usually our first question is ‘what is your name?’  Moses asked that of God in Exodus chapter 3, ‘whom shall I say sent me…?’  Most of us have several names we respond to, legally I am Diana, I sign my name that way, but to family and friends it is DeDe, to my boys – mom, and my sister calls me sis.  Most reflect ‘relationship’ when addressing me.  Yet I am still the same person known by all those names.
 
God’s name represents and associates His glory, power, holiness and love.  Many names including the compound names, such as Jehovah Nissi (The Lord is my Banner) reveal His character and activity.
 
In the Hebrew the word Hashem (ha-SHem) means Name (proper noun) or God’s Holy Name…
 
“I (God) have consecrated this temple which you have built…
 by putting My Name there forever, My eyes and My heart
 will always be there.”  (I Kings 9:3)
 
Does God have a proper name?  For many of us we refer to Him as Father, Lord, Master, Mighty One, even to some… Big Guy in the Sky (however we will not be studying that one).  The psalmist wrote in Ps. 68:4
                        

Sing to God, sing praises to His name Lift up a song for Him Who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the LORD and exult before Him.
 
Isaiah records this statement by the Lord…
 
                        I am the LORD, that is My name:
                        I will not give My glory to another,
                        Nor My praise to graven images. (42:8)
 
Out of the 10 commandments – one is devoted to honoring God’s name… Ex. 20:7 ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.’   Note the ‘personalization’ of this statement… ‘your God’.  Denoting relationship… and in this relationship we ‘honor’, because He is ‘my God’.  Ken Hemphill said in his book The Names of God…
 

“The commandment means more than avoiding using
God’s name in slang or a profane way.  It means that
those who are in relationship with Him must honor
His name in their lives.  The name of God has to do with
His character, and when we live in covenant relationship
with Him, we become accountable for reflecting His character.”
 
In this study we will look at the tender names we call God such as ..Lord – Adonai.  Last week in the devotional we looked at the strong powerful name … LORD (all caps) the Hebrew tetragrammaton – YHWH, ‘YAHWEH’.  Regardless of the context, or where on the timeline … He is… the same yesterday, today and forever! (Heb. 13:8).  All the names mentioned in the bible are for us, they are relevant to us, that is why it is important to know God by His many names.
 
Blessings as we journey through the names of God and learn of His character together.  Soon, you will receive – in the beginning God… Elohim.
 
In Him, DeDe
 
Resources used in this study:  Praying the Names of God – by Anne Spangler;  Knowing God by His names – by Dick Purnell;  Names of God – by Nathan Stone; Lord I Want to Know You – by Kay Arthur;  He Shall be Called – by Robert J. Morgan;  The Names of God – by Ken Hemphill;  The Trinity – By Jack Hayford; The Strong’s Concordance; The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old Testament; The Vines Expository Dictionary;