Nature Of God (Wed) – 2

Introduction

So tonight we talk about the names of God as we consider the nature of God. And we can only touch the surface of this particular subject because there are so many names for God throughout Scripture. Why identify yourself with so many different names? John? That many names apply. What do you do? Yeah. How do you describe yourself as an infinite being, the creator, to the ones that you have made who cannot see you because you dwell in unapproachable light? How could we know much about God? Oh, we can know we have a creator just by looking at the things that are made, Romans chapter 1 and verse 20, but to know much about him as a person, we could not know unless he reveals himself to us as we studied in 1 Corinthians chapter 2.

1. Bible Names Are Very Important

So one of the ways early on in the Old Testament, where God was revealing himself and his nature to his people, his covenant people, was by the ways he revealed himself in terms of the names that were applied to him. And names are very important, as we will talk about in the beginning. And we see that in the very beginning in Genesis chapter 2, when one of the first things Adam is called upon to do is to name the creatures.

And so Bible names are often important as well. Abraham. What was he called before? Abram. Abram. In fact, he’s so often called Abraham after his name change, and of course, when he’s mentioned in the New Testament, that it’s hard for me to stop and call him Abram in Genesis 13. In Genesis 13, when he’s having that strife with his herdsman and Lot’s herdsmen, and they go their separate ways. He’s still being called Abram at that point. What’s the difference between Abram and Abraham?

One’s longer, thank you.

Yeah, father of many nations.

Yeah, I have two. I hadn’t planned on asking that. I could look it up real quick. But Ham. The one has Ham in it. Thank you. Yeah, I wasn’t planning on going this route, and then I mentioned it, and then I knew somebody’s gonna, I thought somebody’s gonna bail me out here. Abram is not listed. Really? But it would tell you earlier. I think it means exalted father, exalted father, Abram, and then father of a multitude is Abraham. I’m pretty sure that’s what it is. Sarah, meaning princess. Nabal, that’s interesting. Where does that come from? What does it mean? Fool, which I don’t know why his mother named him that. I mean, because he lived up to his name. And that’s really the significance of a lot of the names in the Bible is that they were designed to help shape your future.

What you were called was designed by the parent to shape your life. And I’ll give you more on that in a moment. The second question that he asks is, why do we choose names? What is our methodology in that? I don’t know that we’re really trying to, some people do this, I guess, look up the meaning of a name and are trying therefore to shape the child’s life. The only thing we did in that regard is to give Brett the initials B-A-M, which would be bam, and hopefully he would hit some ball really well. Ended up not being a baseball, though we tried to steer him that direction, ended up being more of a golf ball that he could hit a long way. But most of it sometimes what do we choose?

What is our methodology in names? Family names. If something was used by a grandparent, a parent, we’ll name them after them. Sometimes we just want to get cute with the same letter, you know, where everybody starts with the same. Actually, my mom did that. We all started with A. And some people do that. If you have a lot of kids, it gets very difficult to keep coming up with names that begin with the same letter that you like. Some come up with middle names that have a connection. I’ve seen that before. And sometimes it’s got to go well, like a two-syllable and three-syllable, and you know, it can’t be blunt or something like that, just one syllable names. It’s we choose all, but that’s not the way biblical names were often chosen.

There was one individual named Ben O’Neh, and his name was changed to something else. Oh, that’s a tough trivia question. Oh, teacher’s pet. No.

Who is it? Good try. Okay, go ahead, Sherry. Son of a sorrow, son of our hands. That’s right. Ben One is son of my sorrow. And that’s the name Rachel gave her second son. Remember, she died shortly after childbirth. And instead of the final son of Jacob, the twelfth son, having to go through life as son of my sorrow, which he thought would negatively shape his life, he instead changed his name to Benjamin or Ben Hamim, which means son of my right hand. That’s a more prestigious name. And of course, Benjamin was a prestigious tribe among the twelve. And so the names that they chose were often prophetic, especially in the Old Testament, the pap in especially as it involved the patriarchs. Who was also, who was originally known as Joseph, the Levite of Cyprian birth.

But we don’t know him by that name. That’s just how he’s introduced. Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, or from Cyprus. Yes, it was. Sean got that one. It’s Barnabas, who was so called by the apostles because that name means what? Yeah, we got that. Son of encouragement. And so he lived up to that. That’s who he was. That was his character. There was this other child who was not blessed with a wonderful name. Because news of her father’s death, his father’s death, came at the time he was born. And also his grandfather died on that same occasion. Does anybody know this child? His name means the glory has departed. What is his name? It’s Hophni and Phineas were the two sons of Eli that died, who carried the ark, and Eli falls and breaks his neck.

Remember that on news of his son’s death. The child is born.

Well, we heard about the ark. All those were connected. But yeah, the ark was taken, and that’s why the child got its name. Because the ark had been stolen, or actually lost in battle to the Philistines, and so his name was Ichabod. Ichabod, the glory has departed. And people don’t like naming their kids Ichabod. That’s not a very popular one. Jezebel isn’t very popular. Or Athaliah, two of the wicked women of the Old Testament. One was actually the daughter of the other. Jezebel was the mother of Atheliah. And so names like that, Benedict Arnold, famous traitor. Judas would be another name that would not be preferable.

Yeah. Well, it doesn’t always have to be. Some people get some really difficult names to pronounce. Just watch the, just watch the football players sometimes like, wow, that’s an interesting name that their mom can. I guess that the mom wanted their child to be remembered. What about that song Johnny Cash wrote? The boy named Sue. I know that’s one stuck with me from my childhood. What a song that was. But what about these names in Scripture? Daniel. Anyone know what that means? And this gets us to our study of the names of God because God is contained in his name.

L is God. And this is what I want you to take from this as you read. I want you to appreciate this as you read through these Old Testament names. Daniel, you know it has to do something with God. God is my judge. I mentioned the three fellows, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Sunday. Those were their Babylonian names, have nothing to do with God. Hananiah, Mshael and Azariah all have to do with God and his name. Whenever you see the I-A-H ending on a biblical name, that’s always a reference to Jehovah. I-A-H. Sometimes just A-H. E. L or I E L on the end of the name always refers to God. And so you have Hananiah, Jehovah is gracious. Mishiael, who is like God. Azariah, Jehovah has helped.

So that’s always the case when you have Micah. See, that’s an A-H ending. Micah is a lot like Mishael, actually. Who is like God? That’s amazing. What? That their names were those things that was prophetic. I know. That’s awesome. And even Micah even uses his name in a play on words in Micah 7 and verse 18, asking the question, who is like God in Micah in his letter. But then there’s Melchizedek, which is a cool name, right? We read about him in the Old Testament, then again in the New Testament. Two terms come together, Melech and Zedek. Melech meaning king. Whenever you see Melech, it’s always king. Zedek is righteousness. And so Melchizedek was the king of righteousness. Not named by accident, I would suggest. And thus is a type of Christ.

2. Holy and Awesome Is His Name

Christ’s priesthood is after the order of Melchizedek, the king of righteousness. And then there’s based on that, Zedekiah, a name that appears several times, some good, some bad. The king Zedekiah was not good, but Zedekiah, Zedek, righteousness, I-A-H, Jehovah. So his name means Jehovah is righteous. But he did not live righteously. Did not live up to his expectations or his names. And so it’s important to know that the names of God tell us a lot about him. They were often used in the naming of Israelites’ children. But notice this in Psalm 11, Psalm 11 and verse 9. This interesting expression here.

Great are the works of the Lord. And then in verse 7, all his precepts are sure. But in verse 9, he has sent redemption to his people. He has ordained his holy covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name.

Holy and awesome, or what is that really telling us about God?

We talk about the names of God. Are we really talking about specific titles by which a person is addressed? That’s the way we use names. But in the scripture, names are not so much used as titles by which to address somebody, but an explanation of their nature.

Philippians chapter 2. I think sometimes we don’t really appreciate what that’s saying about Jesus. That’s not a specific title that verse is talking about when it says at the name of Jesus. It’s all that he is. All that we know about him as Savior, King, Lord, Judge, and thus we bow to him. Someone do a sermon on that. God’s name is holy and reverend or holy and awesome. I guess it’s the New King James that says Reverend. Somebody have a new King James.

King James says Reverend. Well, and that leads us to the question that he asked at the end, and that is should we ever be addressed with the term Reverend? How is that term often used in our culture? Preachers. I can only tell you how many uncomfortable occasions have come about with people calling me Reverend. Now, it was really odd when I was in my 20s. You know, I didn’t have any gray hairs or anything, and some felt compelled to call me Reverend. I’d even had Reverend Tony, Reverend Tony said, Oh, you don’t have to call me Reverend. Don’t call me Reverend. And still, Reverend Tony, Reverend Tony. It’s like they’re not being respectful if they don’t call you that. Like, I didn’t even I didn’t even get a doctorate in theology.

I just got an AA degree. I study the Bible and I preach. You know, I don’t have a don’t have a title. And furthermore, is there a passage about that? Call no one father. Extra credit if you know where it is. Very good. Matthew 23.

Tim gets the extra credit. That’s why he was, I’m I’m nominating him to teach next week. Matthew 23. Interesting. And it’s in the context of the Pharisees wanting these respectful greetings in the marketplace. They want to be called rabbi. They want to be recognized and exalted. And he would ultimately say, in verse 11, the point we were talking about Sunday night, but the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. And whoever humbles, whoever exalts himself will be humbled, whoever humbles himself will be exalted. And that statement is in verse 9 do not call anyone on your earth father. For one is your father who is in heaven, and do not be called leaders, for one is your leader that is Christ.

3. Elohim: God's Power in Creation

And so one of the major misconceptions in our time about those who do what I do or preach is that they’re worthy of some conferring of recognition or title. And look, I’m just a Christian who preaches. That’s all it is. I’m supported to preach and teach, and to be able to do that in an extensive way, and that’s that’s all it is. I’m just a member of the body of Christ. I don’t know why such things are desired by men. Alright, let’s get on to this now. Three major names of God in the Old Testament. One is Elohim. Elohim. It is the longer version of E. And Elohim is used in Genesis chapter 1, for instance, when God said, often translated God. When you see the word God in the Old Testament, it is often Elohim.

We’ll talk about the Greek words in a minute. What’s the Greek term for Elo or Elohim? Theos. Yeah. That’s at the end of the lesson. God’s power in creation and preservation of his creation. So when it speaks of God and his power and the power and authority that he has, it is often used if this term is used. And we’ve noted this many times. That L is the singular, Elohim is the plural, and that’s further backed up by pronouns that are used. Like in Genesis chapter 1, God said, Let us make man in our image. He didn’t did not say, Let me make man in my image. Cluing us into the fact by the use of this term Elohim, that there is a plurality of persons in the Godhead.

Now, how then does the Bible continually present God as one God? If there is a plurality of persons. You know, some people say because we teach the Trinity, and again, that term is not a biblical term. The word Trinity is not found in the Bible, but it is a term that represents what the Bible teaches, that there are three persons who are God. But is that a contradiction? You know, you know, God has a problem with numbering. Is there one God or three? Obviously. One God, type. Yeah, it’s it’s the idea of type, and I’m I’m glad Christina used that term. I use the word type or kind. There is one God kind. And they all work in concert. They all have the same characteristics or qualities as Jesus would always say.

I and the Father are one, but there’s two persons. And all three persons are present on several occasions, like at Jesus’ baptism. We have the voice from heaven from the Father. We have the Holy Spirit descending like a dove, and of course Jesus being baptized. And so all are working in concert. We saw that in 1 Corinthians 12. That’s one of the main arguments being made there about the variety of spiritual gifts, and yet they all issue from the same Holy Spirit and a Godhead that is united as well. God, the Lord, and the Spirit are all mentioned also in 2 Corinthians 13 and 14. 2 Corinthians 13, verse 14. They’re all mentioned. So why, so why emphasize then one God over and over again in the Old Testament?

If there’s three persons, why not say there’s there’s three gods? There’s got to be a reason, Sherry. Well, I mean, there are false gods and there’s idols. Yeah, there’s many, there’s many conceptions of gods, and each nation had their own deity. Can you name some other deities in the scripture besides that were not of the same nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Baal is a very popular one. Ashereth, Hemosh, Rimen. Whose God was Remen?

Naaman. Naaman’s God was Remen. We didn’t read that verse, I don’t think, Sunday night. Molech is another. Diana of the Ephesians. I mean, there’s all kinds of gods. And remember when Paul goes to Athens, this is a classic example of the answer to my question. He sees all of these idols, and he starts preaching to them about the title of one that was what? The unknown God. The one that was different from all of those deities. They want to make sure they didn’t leave anybody out. But in so doing, they never understood the one real God. And that’s why in Isaiah, one of the points that’s being made over and over again in chapters 40 through 48, I am the Lord, and there is no other.

Because in that time, one of the reasons why they’re going to be punished and sent into captivity is because they’re worshiping other gods. And so he tells them over and over again, I am the Lord. There is no other. So the emphasis on one true God is not talking about how many persons are represented by this one God, the three persons, but is setting the nature of the true God in contrast to all the false gods that people believed. And so don’t let the one and the three mess you up. The one is set in contrast to the many false gods that people believed in. And the three persons who are God all act in concert or unity or oneness. Okay? So that’s why there’s so much emphasis on that in the Bible.

4. Yahweh: I Am Who I Am

But we’re clued in at the very beginning that there is more than one person who is God. The second term is Yahweh. And it’s used fairly extensively in the Old Testament. What is interesting about this term that you’re looking at is actually not how it was written in the Hebrew. How was it written in the Hebrew? No vowels. Four consonants, what we would call the Y, the H, the W, and the H. Four consonants. And they were so concerned about taking God’s name in vain. Now, why would they be concerned about that?

Ten Commandments, right there, pretty obvious. They’re right there in that initial list given to them. It’s hard to miss. When the Ten Commandments were read, thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. So they went overboard. When they were reading Scripture, and they came across the tetragram, as it’s called, these four letters. They would not try to supply vowels as we have to give it the term Yahweh. What would they do?

They would insert Adonai. The next name for God that we’re going to talk about. Meaning Lord. They would be reading along and they would see the tetragram, those four Hebrew letters representing Jehovah or Yahweh. And they would read Adonai because they were so concerned about taking God’s name in vain. But here’s the thing. If that’s the case, if they would be taking God’s name in vain by reading that, then they’re taking it in vain by reading Adonai, because it’s another name for God. Or reading Elohim, but they had this misconception. And while they went too far, our culture has gone way too far the other way. By flippantly using many of the names of God, mostly the name God, our English term that would translate from Elohim or El, you know, God is used so flippantly.

I’m just casually. For some reason, Jehovah is not used as casually, probably because it’s three syllables. And we’re lazy in speech anyway. But invoking the name of God is commonplace in our culture. It is irreverent. And if we truly understood who it is that we’re talking about when we use that name, and how awesome he is, how powerful he is, and the fact that he’s going to judge those who so flippantly use his name, we would think twice about doing it. But people aren’t educated.

Go to the carbonation. It’s cautionable, right? They throw it around trying to see God. Yeah, it’s it’s becoming more common everywhere, but there are certain places where it’s probably abused even more. So this term is very common. And there’s the tetragram I was talking about. How they pronounced it originally, no one’s really sure. It’s the most commonly used name nearly 7,000 times in Scripture, probably expressing God’s eternal existence. I remember studying this at Florida College. It’s like, well, where does the term come from? It’s the way God revealed himself to Moses where? At the burning bush. I am who I am. Probably from the Hebrew term Hayah, which means to be. And that’s interesting. I am, of course, would represent that. He always has been, the eternally existent one, certainly without rival.

5. Adonai, Lord or Master

I am who I am. And that leads us to the I am statements of Christ that we’ll get to momentarily. But it was a special name for his covenant relationship with the nation of Israel. And how we got Jehovah is that it was Latinized using the consonants of Yahweh and the vowels of Adonai. It’s how we got the term Jehovah in our English Bibles. That’s how Yahweh became Jehovah. And so the third term is Adonai, sometimes spelled with a Y, sometimes spelled with an I. In the Hebrew, that would be Yod or Ioda, the two smallest letters of the Hebrew alphabet. They can be spelled either way. Adonai means, and that’s where you get jot and tittle, by the way, but that’s another story. Common term for Lord or master.

It’s not exclusively used of God. And see, that’s one of the reasons why Adonai was submitted for Jehovah. Because Adonai was a term that could be used of men and was.

In 1 Peter chapter 3. There’s a lot of examples of men being called Lord because of their position of authority in the Old Testament, indicating authority, the right to act or speak or preeminence. And in the case of God, it reminds us of our need to submit to him as our Lord. Why call you me Lord, and do not do the things which I say. God says in Luke chapter 6, or Jesus says in Luke, either way, Luke 6, verse 46. Now I want to take you to 2 Chronicles 14, 11, before we move on from this. 2 Chronicles 14, verse 11, this verse is mentioned on page 15. I want to call your attention to this because it’s an interesting verse in the Old Testament in regard to the names of God.

It is also the great and overlooked prayer of King Asa. And as you remember, I preached on this at Florida College. I did the lesson here before I left, talking about King Asa and his faith, and then how everything goes awry in chapter 16. Chris Emerson stole some of my thoughts and preached on this Sunday in Beaumont. But that’s okay. I told him he could. And then I’ve stolen some of his stuff. In verse 11, look at this little prayer. It’s a wonderful little prayer. And I’ve got this marked in my Bible. Then Asa called to the Lord. Oftentimes when Yahweh is used, sometimes it’s Jehovah, sometimes it’s Lord. In this case, it’s translated Lord. And that’s Yahweh. I put a Y over it. Then Asa called the Lord his God.

Elohim. Lord, there is no one besides thee to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength. So help us, O Lord our God. Yahweh Elohim. For we trust in thee, and thy name have come against this multitude, O Lord, thou art our God, Yahweh Elohim. It’s the only verse like this in the Old Testament where you have both terms used together in such a short space, three times each. Yahweh, more than three times. Let not man prevail against thee. And furthermore, this is a tremendous prayer, where Asa is recognizing his dependence upon God for victory against the Ethiopian army of a million men. And so it says, and then I love how matter-of-factly the text responds. So the Lord routed the Ethiopians, before Asa and before Judah and the Ethiopians fled.

6. These Same Terms Are Used in Reference to Jesus

This was at a more faithful time in his life when this occurred. Alright, now these same terms are used in reference to Jesus. Why is this an important point to make?

Sherry?

To establish his deity, there are several religions that do not treat Jesus as deity. He is a lesser God, he is a God, the Jehovah’s Witnesses would tell us. And they cannot answer the points that we’re about to make. And that’s why they’re important points to make. Jesus, all these terms are applied to him. He is Elohim. In Hebrews chapter 1, a passage we’ll be looking at on the names of Jesus shortly. This is the passage that we’re going to start from. A quotation of Psalm 45. It says, Thy throne, O God, of the Son, he says.

And that’s Elohim in the Old Testament. The else in the New Testament. Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of his kingdom. Therefore, God, thy God, hath anointed thee. So that’s interesting. In Hebrews 1, 8, and 9, a reference to Jesus as God. Hebrews 1 and verse 10.

And another quotation, Psalm 102, and in this place, Lord is Jehovah. Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thy hands. It’s also a reference in Zechariah to Jesus as the Lord. It escapes me, it just came to me, but I don’t know exactly where it is. I just know there’s one in Zachariah as well. But even if you don’t know the passage in Zachariah, John 8 58, that’s that’s the point he’s making. I love this verse of all the verses that talk about the deity of Christ, underscore this one. John 8 58. Before Abraham was I am. The reason why that’s so powerful is it’s not just saying Jesus existed before Abraham, because if that’s all it was saying, it would have said what?

Before Abraham was, I was. But that’s not what it says. It says, before Abraham was, I am. That only works grammatically if you’re Jehovah. That’s the only way that works. If you’re eternally existent. Again, that goes back to Exodus chapter 3. I mean, he was saying, I’m the Jehovah of the Old Testament, and the Jews, we don’t, a lot of people in our time don’t get it. They don’t acknowledge Jesus as Jehovah. They got it. How do we know they got it? Because they picked up stones to kill it. In John 8 and verse 59. They knew exactly what he was claiming as he does that. And also Adonai, of course, Lord, a very common term is used of Jesus as well. Here’s some other ones quickly.

El Shaddai, God Almighty. Very common name in the Old Testament. There are other names. El Yan, God Most High. El Olam, everlasting God. I like this one. In what story do we have El Roe? The God who sees? Sherry? Hagar and Ishmael. God, because she had been Abraham’s handmaid, had a child of Abraham’s, God is going to take care of Ishmael, promises a bright future for Ishmael in terms of descendants and a nation. And he says, I am El Roe, the God who sees. He saw Hagar’s affliction. The Lord of hosts, Yahweh Saba. Abir, mighty one, Pahad, fear. I believe that’s in relation to Jacob, is it not? Pahad, which is that’s an unusual term. Actually, it’s of yeah, mighty God of Jacob, fear of fear of Isaac, actually, Genesis 31.

Conclusion

Pahad is a very unusual term, doesn’t appear very often. The Greek names, as we mentioned, Theos, God, and Curios are the Greek terms for God and Lord, whereas Elohim would be the term for God in Hebrew, and Adonai for Lord. So let’s conclude Psalm 8 and verse 1. O Lord Yahweh, our Lord Adonai, how majestic or excellent is your name in all the earth, you who set your glory above the heavens. What we need to get out of this is that God is extremely greater than us, and deserving of our greatest respect and reverence. Anybody who wields these names as God does, ought to be approached with tremendous care. I mean, guard your steps when you go to the house of God, lest you offer the sacrifice of fools.

Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and verse 1. You better pay what you vow. He’ll go on to say in verses 4 and 5 of Ecclesiastes chapter 5. I mean, he’s not one to be trifled with.

People don’t have respect for God. They don’t exalt him in their thinking. But these names of God should help us to humble ourselves and realize that we’re dealing with a being that is so infinitely greater than ourselves. And that’s the only way to say it. First of all, his understanding is infinite. He is infinitely greater. And so I guess I’m asking you, how big is your conception of God? And I guess size is the only way to look at it.

But I think we sometimes struggle. We’ll talk about this more as we go on in the study of picturing God as the book, Your God is too small, begins with God as the grand old heavenly father, the heavenly gentleman. And we think of a guy about six feet tall with a flowing gray beard. And we not only act as if he’s old because he’s been around a long time, but that he’s he’s out of date and out of touch. But we should not, I don’t think we should think of God in terms of a six-foot human being. He is immeasurable. He is spirit, John 4 24. He is limitless. He is so much larger than our grandest conception of him. You know, I’ve said this before.

If you take all of our thoughts about God, however grandiose they could be, and we could put them all together, they would not even come close to accurately representing the greatness and the magnitude of God. And I really believe that. We ought to think more about Him, more frequently, greater thoughts than we do. Tim will pick up here next week, lesson number three.