The Names of God - Part II

Welcome friends and Hubbers! This is the second part of three that I hope will help you learn the many names of God. Most of these are unfamiliar, as they were to me, but they appear in the Bible many times and reveal the character and nature of our Heavenly Father. The Bible was written to help us form a personal relationship with Him. It is God's guidebook on how to live and how to have a fulfilling, joyful, and content life! Hopefully, by the end of Part III, you and I will see how mighty, loving, and awesome our God truly is.

Again, I want to express my thanks to several hubbers for helping to inpire me and encourage me on my walk with the Lord. Weathmadehealthy, Dave Matthews, Skye2day, JinyMarte, Barrydan, and many other believers! I want to give a special thanks to my dear friend, Pastor Pycraft, who really showed me what a true, Bible believing Christian is like and leading me to Salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Pastor Pycraft presented this study to our adult Bible study class and I wanted to share it with all of you. The credit goes to him for the information!

Most people will recognize the meaning of this name, though most won't know what God's name is. Most funerals have a reading of Psalm 23 during the service and God constantly uses the symbols of the Shepherd and his sheep throughout the Old and New Testament.

This name is where we find the tenderest, most intimate relationship between Jehovah and His people. Shepherds cared for their sheep in so many ways, leading, protecting, feeding, rescuing, and finding them when they became lost. Every need a sheep needed was met by the shepherd. The shepherd was like a guardian angel. God used the shepherd and sheep relationship to demonstrate to us that He is the same to us, protecting, guiding, and leading us, etc. This same symbolism is used in the New Testament with Jesus, who is known as the Good Shepherd.

The Shepherd's Psalm (Psalm 23) is read at funerals to comfort and console the hearers. The person, if saved, will enjoy the comforts and pleasures of Heaven. The Shepherd will provide for you and you will not want anything...all your needs will be met and much, much more!

When this name is revealed, Israel was under great oppression by the Midianites. For 7 years they hid in caves and the Midianites took almost everything they had. Throughout history, Israel had to learn from the "School of Hard Knocks". Israel would sin, God would bring judgment, Israel would then repent, God would provide a deliverer (judge), and Israel would be restored and delivered. This repeated over and over.

Peace is the emphasis in this name of God. To have peace means a person has the fullest measure of contentment and satisfaction in life. It is a state of deep 'rightness' that comes from a harmonious relationship with God.

The only way to have this Godly peace is to have a good relationship with God/Jesus. This is the only kind of peace that lasts. There is no peace besides that which can come by way of Christ!

To me, this is one of the most important names of God.  Knowing that God's presence is always with you should be of great comfort.  As you know, terrible things happen to all of us, even God's people.  But followers of God don't have to face anything alone.  Israel was conquered many times, and the people taken off into captivity.  Israel, again had turned from God and the prophets foretold the destruction of Jerusalem.  When this happened, Jehoval left.  The prophets then foretold of the city being restored and Jehovah -shammah would dwell with them. 

Throughout the Exodus, Jehovah promised Moses His eternal presence.  (Exodus 3: 13-14) amd was at the temple when it was dedicated after the city was restored.  (II Chron. 7:1-3)

Jesus repeatedly said that He would be with us always, even to the end of the age.  This promise should bring great comfort to believers.  When you accept Jesus, he indwells you with the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.  We are His Temple and abides in us...therefore He is with us always!

God's awesome majesty and supreme exaltedness is what this name speaks of. God is the highest of the highest. Nothing is equal to or above God! He alone is the ruler of the universe and has absolute, complete power over everything. (Daniel 4: 24-37)

El-Elyon tells us of God's position as Supreme Being. Abraham acknowledged that He was the Most High God. (Gen. 14:18-20), and God wants men to know that he is the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 83:18)

Therefore, since God is Most High, He is worthy of our worship. He humbles those who refuse to recognize His Supreme Authority. Satan was cast out of Heaven and humbled when he tried to put himself above the Most High. (Isaiah 12: 12-15) The king of Babylon was stripped of his kingdom for his pride and self-worship. (Daniel 4: 25-37). All who rebel against the Most High will be humbled.

This name of God is not revealed to Israel until they are in the Promised Land. The name suggests a military meaning...in this case, referring to God as our Commander in Chief. But it is much more than that. Jehovah-sabaoth is the Creator and Head of all the hosts of the entire universe, animate and inanimate. (Psalm 84: 11-12)

The Lord of Host speaks of God's leadership over all Creation. This is because God created everything and because He has the power to be the head. He also is Leader over the armies of God. God led Israel's armies (Joshua 5: 13-15), and is the Leader of Heaven's armies.

He is our place of refuge when trouble comes and always hears the cries of His people. He will help. (James 5:4, and Romans 9:29) Therefore, Jehovah-sabaoth is willing to intervene and assist Believers.

God's hatred of sin is revealed by this name.  This hatred and judgent upon sin stems from one of God's main attributes...holiness.  The Lord tells us to hate evil and love the good.  (Amos 5:15). He cannot and will not always tolerate sin. 

God will judge the earth during the Tribulation and it will be severe.  God blesses obedience, but punishes disobedience.  His hatred of sin, specifically idolatry, causes anger.  Israel was smitten (to slay or kill), because they did not listen and obey God's voice.

Jehovah-nakah never smites us until his patience and mercy run out.  We still live in the age of Grace...but I believe time is running out and God's patience is about to end.  He has been patient all of these centuries but will not always tolerate man's wickdness.  Just as God smote the Egyptians because of Pharoah's hardened heart (Exodus 3:20), we will be too if we don't turn back to God.

I am sure most of you have heard this name of God. It is quoted often and been heard in several movies. These are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet. It is a name of God that states that God is the ONLY God there is. The Bible never states where God came from. He has always existed from eternity past and will exist forever! Alpha and Omega was there when life began and will be there when it ends as we know it and beyond. (Revelation 1:1-18)

God is the beginning or origin of all Creation. He is the Creator of all things and sustains it also. His name is above everyother name and has been given all authority.

Alpha and Omega speaks of God as the final destination...all that exists shall arrive. Omega tells us the point where everything concludes (Revelation 1: 18-22, 12:13) When we leave this world, we will give account to Christ, the Alpha and Omega. (Romans 14: 11-12)

As we should know, God is above everything...he is the Holy One. Our limited minds cannot even understand a being that is infinitely holy. He is so far above creation that and the only we can even approach such holiness is through the sacred blood of His Son, Jesus. (Isaiah 12:1-6)

As we learned previously, God's primary attribute is Holiness. Since He is holy, God is totally separate and unique from all that is common. He has no equal. No equal in creations, wisdom, or moral cleaness.

Since this is true, the Holy One demands holiness from His people. All the holiness we will ever need is available in and through Jesus. There is no possible way for us, in our own strength, to even begin to be holy, but God provide the way through His Son!

God is the only one worthy of our worship, but He expects and demands it. When he does not receive our proper worship, He is jealous. He is jealous because He strongly desires our fellowship and worship is the primary way to fellowship.

Qanna is most often used when referring to false gods. God forbids the worship of idols. God gets angry when His people go after them.

So, how are we to worship? By worshiping Him by being aware of His jealousy and power. (I Corinthians 10:20-22) We are also to worship Him personally and with other believers.

Our God becomes Jealous when we don't spend time with HIm by worshipping and exalting Him.

Eternity...a difficult concept. The idea of never ending is incomprehensible. God is totally unaffected by time. God is timeless. Since this is true, God is never in a hurry...He has always been and always will be. He has no past or future as we know it...there is only forever with God, and forever is NOW. God completely exists independently of time. (II Peter 3:5-8) God created time!

Many of the early prophets recognized this. Abraham was the first, Moses wrote about the eternal God, Isaiah also was aware of the eternity of God. Daniel acknowledged that it was God's nature to be eternal, while King David knew God was everlasting.

Since El-olam is eternal, His gifts and judgements are also. Only God can give us eternal life and those that reject Him, will have everlasting punishmet. Even Jesus claimed openly to be the everlasting God.