When my wife, Amy, was pregnant with each of our children it was stressful. Shocking right? But, do you know what was the most stressful aspect of the whole pregnancy thing? Naming our kids. Your name marks you. It is how you’ll be known for the rest of your life. As the son of a teacher there were certain names we couldn’t use because of “…that kid…” This limited our choices. We chose Ethan (from the word “strong” in Hebrew) and Elizabeth (meaning “God’s oath” pointing to his covenantal nature). Naming our children was so stressful.
What about God? Does he have a name? What is it? What does it tell us about him?
God has a name. The Scriptures tell us to not take his “name” in vain. This “name” is referring to his essence, to his very identity. That’s how names worked in the ancient near East. How can an incomprehensible God have a name? He has a name because he condescends to us. That means that for the sake of relationship with his creatures, he comes down to our level.
God reveals his ultimate name in Exodus 3:13-14 to Moses. “I Am Who I Am.” The Hebrew is “YHWH.” God’s nature simply is. This name was so personal that the Jewish people refused even to speak it to avoid defiling it. YHWH is used only in correlation with the Hebrew God in the Bible.
There are other names that are applied to God throughout the Bible and each one gives us some insight into the nature of who God is. These names though are broadly applied to gods and not just the Hebrew God. El, Elohim, and Elyon point to God’s strength and might. Elohim is the plural of El and when it is used in relation to the God of the Bible it points to the fullness of his power. Adonai declares God’s nature as the ruler or judge. Shaddai points to God’s power. In the New Testament there are Greek translations to the Hebrew. Theos (god) equates to El/Elohim/Elyon. Kurios (lord) ties in with YHWH. And then the personal Pater (father).
God’s names are a big deal. They’re a big deal because they help us to know who God is, they reveal his nature to us. But, more than that they show us that he wants to connect to us. The incomprehensible God has come down to our level and given us a glimpse into who he is. He wants us to know him. He has chosen to kneel down, like an adult to a young child, and look us in the eyes and say, “This is me. This is who I AM.”
The post What’s In A Name? appeared first on Daniel M. Rose. It was written by Daniel M. Rose.
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