The
other day at work my co-worker was asking me why my middle was Andrew, I
answered I have no idea. She said it’s
not the name of one your relatives or someone important to your parents? She went on to explain who she was named
after, this reminded that many people name their children after someone in the
family or to honor someone. It used to
be that the name of someone held great meaning.
Let us look at Jabaz who we find in 1st Chronicles 4:9, “There was a man named Jabez who was
more distinguished than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful.”
Think about that for a second, every time he told someone his name they
would say, oh you caused your mom a lot of pain. The same goes for God, He has many different
names, each one tells us something about Him. We read throughout the entire
bible all the names of God. Think about the
time Moses meet with God in the Desert, He asked God who should I say sent me?
God told Moses tell them “I AM sent you.”(found in Exodus chapter 3). J. Vernon McGee tells us this about the name “I
AM,” “There is undoubtedly more included in the name “I AM” than has ever been
brought out, but there are several things of primary importance that should be
considered. The name “I AM” is a tetragram, or a word of four letters. We
translate it JEHOVAH. It has also been translated as YAHWEH. How do you
pronounce it? It became a sacred name, a holy name, to the children of Israel
to such an extent they actually forgot how to pronounce it. To avoid profaning
His name, they did not use it. Which name then, is correct? Is it Jehovah or
Yahweh? No one knows. But “I AM” is God’s name.
In Genesis God is Creator. He is Elohim, the mighty God, the
self-existing One; I AM WHO I AM. This is the God who is sending Moses to
deliver the children of Israel. Psalm
135:13 says, “Thy name, O Lord,
endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O Lord,
throughout all generations.” The name “Lord”
in this verse can be translated “I AM WHO I AM.” It is important to see that
this name speaks of the fact that GOD IS.”[1]
God,
has many names and I could try to go through them all but I don’t want to write
a whole book. But with each name of God
it reveals a part of His nature; God wants us to know Him. He’s not just up in Heaven trying to hide
from us. He’s letting us know how much
He loves us, when we need more strength,
we go to God who shows and tells us I AM a almighty God. Need His comfort, He tells I AM the great
Comforter. God shows Himself to us
through His names. I thank Richard Blackaby
explains it best; “Whenever God reveals His nature in a new way, it is always
for a purpose. He created you for a love relationship with Him. When He
encounters you, He is allowing you to know Him by experience. Encounters with
God are always an expression of God's love for you. Jesus said: “The one who
has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves
Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to
him” (John 14:21). If you have a love relationship with God, you will
experience Him actively working in and through your life. For instance, you could
not truly know God as the “Comforter in sorrow” unless you experienced His
compassion during a time of grief or sadness. The various names of God found in
Scripture can become a call to worship for you. The psalmist said: “Happy are
the people who know the joyful shout; LORD, they walk in the light of Your
presence. They rejoice in Your name all day long, and they are exalted by Your
righteousness” (Ps. 89:15-16). Acknowledging God's name amounts to recognizing
who God is. Calling on His name indicates we are seeking His presence. To
praise His name is to exalt Him. God's name is majestic and worthy of our
praise.”
Blackaby,
Richard (2008-09-01). Experiencing God (p. 7). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle
Edition.
[1]McGee, J. V. 1997, c1981. Thru
the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program.
(electronic ed.). Thomas Nelson: Nashville
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