Knowing God by Knowing His Names (part 27)

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

"Hallowed be Your name," Jesus prayed. For us to actively hallow God's name, we need to actually know those names. Over the last few weeks, we have considered all of the names of God used in Scripture and how to honor (or hallow) those name. Today, I have made a "summary sheet" of all the names of God and included a sentence or two about each one with the hope that we can use it as a reference when we pray. 

Remember that we serve One God (One Triune God - Father, Son, and Spirit) who has many names. Although people call me a variety of "names" (Mama, Leanna, Dr. Hollis, Alderman Hollis, etc), all those names refer to the same person. The name is an indication of how that person knows and interacts with me, just as with God's names. 

People who come to me for medical care do not approach me on the basis of my job as Alderwoman. They approach me as "doctor". It makes sense, then, to approach God on the basis of Who He is and What He does. Using His names is an indication that we know Him and acknowledge His ability in the area of our need.  

When I pray for my brothers and sisters who are persecuted in the name of Jesus, I often use the Arabic word for Father, Aba-na. When I have a need that only God can meet, I approach God and call Him El Shaddai. 

Recently, I was involved in a situation that appeared (on the surface) utterly hopeless, and I approached God as my Jehovah Nissi, asking Him to make a way for me, to go before me, and bring His perfect Will to pass. He did. 

As I pray for forgiveness and cleansing, I call on Jehovah Tsidkenu and Mekoddishkim (my Righteousness and the One who Sanctifies me) to do what only He can do. 

There is never a situation in which our God is not sufficient. There is never a time when we cannot call on our Lord and find Him able to handle anything that comes our way. As we pray, let us remember Who we serve and call Him by name.

~~~~~~~

El Shaddai: Lord God Almighty. The all-powerful God.
There will never come a time when El Shaddai lacks the power to provide for our needs.

El Elyon: The Most High God

Our Most High God, El Elyon, is not only the God above all Gods, the highly exalted one, but also our Redeemer who fights our battles for us and clears a path for us.

Adonai: Lord, Master
When we acknowledge God as Lord, we are recognizing that He is the owner of heaven and earth and that He is in charge with all authority and all power. It is no surprise then that Adonai was the word that came to mind when Isaiah saw God seated on His throne, in all His glory and power, surrounded by seraphim calling out "Holy, Holy, Holy".


Yahweh: Lord, Jehovah
God's proper name. When we make a profession of God's name but do not live up to that profession, we have taken His name in vain (hypocrisy). When we make a promise to God but do not carry out the actions we promised, when we break our covenant with God, we have taken His name in vain. 

Jehovah Nissi: The Lord my Banner
No matter how it looks, no matter the circumstances, any victory that is achieved is not because of our ability, because of how well we obeyed, nor because of the ones who helped up to accomplish the task. All the credit, all the glory, must go to God alone. When we know God as Jehovah Nissi, we look to Him for our hope and our courage. We look to Him in the midst of battle, and He is the banner to which we look when our faith falters. As long as the flag still flies, an army is not defeated, and we serve a God whose banner never falls. 

Jehovah-Raah: The Lord my Shepherd
If I want Jehovah to be my Raah, my Shepherd, then I must be the kind of lamb that follows, no matter the path. 

Jehovah Rapha: The Lord Who Heals
When God says He is our healer, our Rapha, He means that He can, and will, heal our hurts, our physical ailments, our sorrows, and the results of our sin. 

Jehovah Shammah: The Lord is There
No matter what trial, difficulty, sorrow, or circumstance we face, the presence of God in the midst of it is certain. We are not alone, for He is with us. 

Jehovah Tsidkenu: The Lord our Righteousness
If I am willing to turn back to the Lord with my whole heart, nothing held back, He can change me from the wasteland that sin causes to a life so filled with Christ that, when people look at me, they will know our Lord rules in us. There is nothing sin offers that can compare to the beauty of a life lived for our Lord, our Teacher, our Redeemer, and our Righteousness. 

Jehovah Mekoddishkem: The Lord Who Sanctifies You
Our Lord did not sacrifice His only, much loved Son as the payment for our sins in order to leave us as we were. He intended His sacrifice to cleanse us and change us, yet we kick against the change. I cannot achieve holiness on my own, yet choose it I must. Once chosen, God Himself will handle the sanctification process. He is our Jehovah Mekoddishkem, and He will sanctify me, if I am only willing, but obedience to His calling to holiness is required. 

One day, I will stand before our Lord and answer for my choices. I shudder to think of it. The Grace of Christ will be sufficient, and I rejoice in that, but I will be accountable for my choice of the world or the way of Holiness, the way of Sanctification. 

Did I love my Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength? Did I love my neighbor as myself? The life I live now will give the answer to those two questions, and I must prepare for the accounting to come. 

El Olam: The Everlasting God

If we are a "Christian", a disciple of Christ, then we are bondservants of Christ in an everlasting commitment. Scripture is clear about this truth. If we are not bondservants of Christ, then we need to reconsider whether or not we are His disciple at all. 

There will be a day of reckoning and I will give an account of the life I have lived. I will give an account of my service to Christ. When that day comes, I want to stand before Him and say with truth, "I was the bondservant of Christ". 

Elohim: God
He loves us all, but He pays particular attention to those who cannot care for themselves. He gives the strong their strength and gives His strength to the weak. He bears our burdens Himself, and delivers us from our troubles.

How, then, do I honor the name of this One who cares so much for me? I must care about the ones He cares about. I, too, must love the fatherless, the widows, the lonely, those who are in prison, the poor. I, too, must be concerned and take action for those who cannot care for themselves. 

Qanna: Jealous

That which takes first place in my life becomes my god, so I must be very careful that first priority is given to my Lord. 

Jehovah Shalom: The Lord is Peace
How do we hallow the name of Jehovah Shalom? Paul makes it clear that you cannot choose to have anxiety and peace simultaneously. Which do we want? Peace or fear. If we want the Shalom of Jehovah, it can be ours. Honoring His name begins by focusing our hearts and minds on the Peace Giver, allowing Him to give us His peace until we are completely filled by it and kept in it.

Jehovah Sabaoth: The Lord of Hosts
The truly amazing truth about Jehovah Sabaoth is that, even though He is commanding everything in heaven and earth, He still cares about one woman with a need that is breaking her heart, and He cares enough to meet her need. He provides. Nothing is so small that it escapes His notice. No need is so trivial that it escapes His care. It is true for me, and it is true for you, as well. He knows your name. He knows your need. He cares, and He will provide.

Teach us to pray, part 26: Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

Jehovah Sabaoth

(This is the last of the names of God, but tomorrow I will post a summary of all the names for our review.)

Sabaoth is used more than 285 times, most frequently in the books of Jeremiah and Isaiah. Sabaoth means "armies" or "hosts", so the name can also be translated "The Lord of Armies". The book of 1 Samuel uses this name for God first, and it is a surprising place. It seemingly has nothing to do with armies. 

You probably remember the story of Hannah. She was married to Elkanah, a man who had two wives. Every year, Elkanah took his wives and went to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to Jehovah Sabaoth. Hannah was much loved, but barren. She desperately wanted children and, on one particular trip, she was praying with such fervor that Eli the priest thought she might be drunk. He spoke to her, she told him her need, and he spoke a word of prophecy that God might fulfill her request.

It seems odd that the story of a barren woman unfolds around worship to the Lord of Armies, until I realize that the Lord of Armies is sovereign and rules over every power in heaven and in earth. He is the Supreme Commander who has ultimate power over everything, from powers and principalities to the youngest fetus in the womb. Everything. 

Sabaoth is one of the names used to describe God in the vision of Isaiah described in Isaiah 6. The seraphim cried to one another, saying "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts (Jehovah Sabaoth.) (Is 6:3) As I was pondering this today, I realized that the seraphim are honoring God for being in charge of everything, Lord of All, and I was reminded of something I had written back in 2013 about "the Boss of the World". You can click on the link to read it. 

I mean this in the most worshipful, respectful way when I say that Jehovah Sabaoth is the Boss and we are not. He is, in fact, the boss of everything and is literally the Boss of the world, including everything and everyone in it. 

I don't really have a point of reference for hosts of armies, but bosses are something I do understand. When I can begin to see God as the Boss of all Bosses, it helps me to understand that he is the Lord of Armies. He is the One in Charge. Of everything. Of everyone.

The truly amazing truth about Jehovah Sabaoth is that, even though He is commanding everything in heaven and earth, He still cares about one woman with a need that is breaking her heart, and He cares enough to meet her need. Hannah found that to be true, and I have found that to be true, as well. He knows my name. He knows my needs, and He cares. He provides. Nothing is so small that it escapes His notice. No need is so trivial that it escapes His care. Whether I need a name for a character, a plot twist for a novel, or food for my table, He cares and provides.

It is true for me, and it is true for you, as well. He knows your name. He knows your need. He cares, and He will provide.

How do we hallow the name of One so powerful, so personal? We recognize our sinfulness in comparison to the righteousness of His presence, allow His cleansing, and answer His call. Here am I, Lord. Send me.

Teach us to Pray, part 23: Qanna, Jealous

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

Qanna

Qanna is a Hebrew word that "relates to a marriage relationship". It is used to describe our relationship with God and indicates that He is a jealous God, not willing to share our praise or our loyalty. It is first used in the passage known as the Ten Commandments. 

You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God...

Genesis 20:5 NASB

For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Deuteronomy 4:24 NASB

For the Lord you God in the midst of you is a jealous God...

Deuteronomy 6:15 NASB

From the beginning of our relationship with God, He has made it absolutely clear that He is in charge and we are expected to obey Him. He has also made it clear that He does not tolerate infidelity in our relationship with Him and, in fact, will not let it go unnoticed. 

All these passages go on to say that worshipping other gods will also not go unpunished. The frightening thing to me is that idolatry has consequences for our children and our grandchildren, as well as for ourselves. Scripture makes it clear that, when we worship other gods, it has consequences, and is replete with examples of those who worshipped Molech and ultimately offered their own children as burnt offerings to their false god.

Worshipping other gods changes my priority, it changes the way I think and the way I live. Before I know it, I am no longer following God's way, but the way of the world and that is always costly.

It is easy for me to say that I would never worship a false god, but what should I call it when my desire for money, position, authority, power, or fame exceeds my desire to be wholly pleasing to God, to serve Him, to love Him with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength? That which takes first place in my life becomes my god, so I must be very careful that first priority is given to my Lord. 

How do I hallow the name of our God, Qanna? I must do what Jesus told us to do. Love Him with everything I have and, as an outpouring of that love, I obey Him. 

Hallowing the name of Qanna is easier than you might think. Love and obey. That sounds simple, and it is. It's a relationship, and we are to do for Him as we would have Him do for us. When our Lord is the most important love of our lives, doing whatever pleases Him becomes the most important action of our lives. We hallow Him when we treat Him as we love Him. 

He is in our midst, a consuming fire, and He longs to have our love, our worship, our praise. 

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, " 'Y OU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR G OD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'Y OU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' (Matthew 22:36-39 NASB)

Teach us to pray, part 11: Adonai

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

Adonai

Adonai is a word that means "Lord". This is a pleural form of the word "adon" which is used to refer to men who are "lords". (Nowhere did I find that the pleural is used because we serve a triune God, but that is my opinion.) Adonai is sometimes used in Scripture as a substitute word for Yahweh, which we will study tomorrow, and occurs in the Old Testament 434 times. It is used frequently in Isaiah, Ezekiel (where it occurs 200 times), and Daniel. 

Adonai is the word used in that beautiful passage in Isaiah 6 in which Isaiah describes seeing God on his throne.

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the Lord (Adonai) sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple...

Also I heard the voice of the Lord (Adonai), saying, Whom shall I sent, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

                                                                                                       Isaiah 6: 1,8 NASB  

In this country, the concept of "lord" is foreign to us, but in countries with kings and royalty, it is better understood. A "lord" is defined as "someone having power, authority, or influence; a master or ruler." When we acknowledge God as Lord, we are recognizing that He is the owner of heaven and earth and that He is in charge with all authority and all power. It is no surprise then that Adonai was the word that came to mind when Isaiah saw God seated on His throne, in all His glory and power, surrounded by seraphim calling out "Holy, Holy, Holy". 

If we could, even for a moment, see God as He is, enthroned in heaven, we might understand His lofty position and our meager place in comparison. If we could understand Him as Adonai in the way Isaiah did, we, too, might be compelled to serve without reservation, and we would almost certainly join him in responding, 

"Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, 

and I live among a people of unclean lips; 

      For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of  Hosts." 

                                                               Isaiah 6:5 NASB

I found something heartbreaking in the dictionary when I looked up the meaning of the word "Lord", and I am compelled to mention it. The word "lord" is reportedly used as an exclamation to express surprise, worry, or to make an emphasis. When I read that, I knew it was terrible, but true. We, the people of God, have used His name so carelessly that it has made it into the vernacular as nothing more than a casual word of emphasis. We would do well to remember the commandment "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain," (Exodus 20:7) and to be careful with the way we use His name, for it is to be hallowed.

It is one thing for me to say the words "hallowed be thy name" when I pray. It is another thing altogether for me to say "hallowed be thy name" with the way I live, with my speech, with the way I use that name I supposedly hallow. As the people of God, we need to take care to handle His name with respect and honor, just as He has asked us to do. 

Adonai 

What a beautiful name to describe the One who is owner and authority over everything! Let's be sure we treat Him and His name with the honor due Him. Hallowed be His name.

                                                       

Teach us to Pray, part 20: Jehovah Mekoddishkem, The Lord Who Sanctifies You

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

Jehovah Mekoddishkem

Jehovah M'kaddesh

The Lord Who Sanctifies You

M'kaddesh is an alternate spelling of Mekoddishkem and comes from the root word qâdash, a verb meaning to sanctify, dedicate, or make holy. It means to "set apart". It is used twice in Scripture and, in both instances, it indicates that the Lord sanctifies His people. (Exodus 31:13 and Leviticus 20:8). The passage in Leviticus begins with a prohibition against human sacrifice, cursing parents, and witchcraft. It is particularly interesting because, in the verse immediately prior to the name of God, the instruction to "Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy" is given. 

1 Thessalonians 4:3 tells us, "This is the will of God, your sanctification..." Oswald Chambers wrote about this process of sanctification and the difficulty of it in My Utmost for His Highest. "There is always a tremendous battle before sanctification is realized - something within us pushing with resentment against the demands of Christ. When the Holy Spirit begins to show us what sanctification means, the struggle starts immediately... In the process of sanctification, the Spirit of God will strip me down until there is nothing left but myself, and that is the place of death. Am I willing to be myself and nothing more? ... We say, 'But this is strict. Surely He does not require that of me.' Our Lord is strict, and He does require that of us."

I have recently been reading a classic book by J.C. Ryle, Holiness, and I strongly recommend it. Ryle speaks of sanctification and emphasizes that there can be no holiness without sanctification. In fact, he suggests that those of us in the church prefer grace to the exclusion of sanctification. That can never be, he says, because we serve a holy God who has called us to holiness, as well. 

Our Lord did not sacrifice His only, much loved Son as the payment for our sins in order to leave us as we were. He intended His sacrifice to cleanse us and change us, yet we kick against the change. We want grace without change, without sanctification, don't we? 

I am not exempt from this rejection of holiness. Although I know the beautiful truth of His divine cleansing for my sin-riddled soul, it is entirely too easy for me to embrace sin long rejected. Pride, self-righteousness, critical and judgmental spirit are welcomed back into my life before I even realize it, and then I have a choice to make. 

Will I choose holiness or continue in the sin that seems so insignificant to me in comparison to so much happening in our world today? My sin is not insignificant to God. His Son had to die to redeem me from the price of that sin, and God does not take that lightly, nor should I. 

He demands holiness, and I am to choose holiness. Even when I long to be holy, I find that it is too high a goal for me. I can never achieve it, and that is why I needed the grace of God and the mercy of Jesus' sacrifice for me. 

I cannot achieve holiness on my own, yet choose it I must. Once chosen, God Himself will handle the sanctification process. He is our Jehovah Mekoddishkem, and He will sanctify me, if I am only willing, but obedience to His calling to holiness is required. 

Every day, every moment, I stand at a crossroads with a choice to make. Will I choose the way of the world or the way of the Cross? Will I choose my own path or the path of holiness? 

This is a hard word, but must be spoken. The problems in our nation and in our world are a result of sin. It is not the responsibility of a lost world to act like Jesus, and it is foolishness to expect it. That is the responsibility of His people. I am to be salt and light in a dark and desolate place. Unless I choose sanctification, I can never be the light I am called to be, and those living in darkness can never be drawn to the light of Christ.

One day, I will stand before our Lord and answer for my choices. I shudder to think of it. The Grace of Christ will be sufficient, and I rejoice in that, but I will be accountable for my choice of the world or the way of Holiness, the way of Sanctification. 

Did I love my Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength? Did I love my neighbor as myself? The life I live now will give the answer to those two questions, and I must prepare for the accounting to come. The words of Joshua are as appropriate today as they were when he stood before the children of Israel thousands of years ago.

"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." 

Joshua 24:15 NASB

Teach us to pray, part 15: Jehovah Rapha, our Healer

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

Jehovah Rapha'

The purpose in studying the names of God is to learn more about who He is by learning what He says about Himself, as well as what people say about Him as they experience His grace. Today, we look at one of my favorite names of God, Healer. Rapha comes from root words that mean "to sew together, to mend" and is used in Scripture in several ways. It is used to indicated healing a wound or a wounded person (as in sewing up the wound) as well as to heal a sick person of illness. Rapha is also used to indicate "healing" of a group of people, a nation, or land and, in this use, it carries the idea of restoration and pardon. Rapha is also used to indicate the giving of comfort, with the idea of healing a sorrow. 

When God says He is our healer, our Rapha, He means that He can, and will, heal our hurts, our physical ailments, our sorrows, and the results of our sin. In fact, the first time the word is used in Scripture is when He heals the barrenness of Abimelech's household as a result of Abraham's prayer. (Genesis 20:17) In Exodus 15:26, God promises that He will protect those who obey Him from the diseases of the Egyptians, "for I am the Lord that healeth thee". The Hebrew words translated as "I am the Lord that healeth thee" are actually "Yehovah rapha'" (Jehovah Rapha). 

Rapha is the word used when Elijah restored the altar of God (1 Kings 18:30) and for healing the land (2 Kings 2:21). It is also the word used when Elisha healed the poisonous water in the spring (2 Kings 2:21). Two years ago, I sat with my picnic lunch beside the spring of Elisha and drank from the water. Thousands of years ago, that water was miraculously healed by God and it is still clear and fresh, still healed, today. Isn't that how it should be with us? Healing is one of the ways that God demonstrates His power, as well as His love, for His people. When we have a hurt, be it physical or spiritual, that is completely healed by God, we should not only stay healed, but be a monument to His power for centuries to come. 

We will look at Rapha in greater depth as we go along, but, for today, let's remember the ways in which God has brought healing to our lives. Has He healed us physically, healed us of the blight of sin and it's consequences, healed our land, restored us when we were brokenhearted? Let's be sure to thank Him for the gift of healing He has accomplished and live in such a way that all can see the remarkable difference He has made in our lives. Let's be sure our lives are a monument to His power and love.

Teach us to to pray, part 12: YHWH

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

Yahweh 

Yahweh is the most frequently used name of God, and is used 6,519 times in the Old Testament. It literally means "the existing One". Considered too holy to speak aloud, it is commonly written YHWH, omitting the vowels. YHWH comes from four Hebrew letters, Yud, Hay, Vab, Hay, and is called the Tetragrammaton. It is also pronounced as Jehovah. Yahweh is first used in Genesis 2:4, in reference to the account of the creation of the heavens and earth "in the day that YHWH made the heavens and the earth." Prior to that, the word used for God was Elohim.

Are you ready for the most incredible piece of information I have found in a long time? YHWH is God's proper name (according to BLB and to Thayer's). I'm absolutely astounded by this. {In case you've forgotten, a "proper name" is your given name, like mine is Leanna, or the Son of God's is Jesus.} In that same way, God's given name is YHWH (Yahweh). It is no wonder that YHWH is considered too holy to speak aloud. It is the proper, given name of the Most High God, one that might be used only by His closest friends and by His equals. 

This is a difficult thing to say well, but it is important enough that I feel I must try. God is definitely the friend that sticks closer than a brother, and I consider Him my dearest friend, but I am certainly not His equal. If I am honest, it's not likely I am His closest friend, either, and I should be very careful and considerate about My use of His proper name. 

Both Matthew and Luke record a model prayer given by Jesus to His disciples. In each instance, Jesus began by saying "Hallowed is your name." Hallowing a name is to greatly revere or respect it, to treat it as holy and sacred, so treating the proper name of God with reverence and respect is absolutely critical. Why? The third Commandment tells us the importance of hallowing God's name.

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.  Exodus 20:7

That will give you pause, won't it? 

We can easily understand that curses using the name of God are taking His name in vain, but Matthew Henry described five categories of behaviors that are taking God's name in vain. Three of those involve swearing, as we would expect, but the other two are areas we should consider. The first action that constitutes taking the name of God in vain is hypocrisy. When we make a profession of God's name but do not live up to that profession, we have taken His name in vain. The second action is equally as sobering. When we make a promise to God but do not carry out the actions we promised, when we break our covenant with God, we have taken His name in vain. 

It behooves us then to be careful to honor God's name, not only with our speech, but with our lives, with our actions. May we live in a way that honors God so that all who see us will recognize the Lord our God in us and be drawn to Him. Hallowed be the name of YHWH, in our words and our actions, too. 

Teach us to pray, part 10: El Elyon

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

El Elyon

As we discussed in a previous post, El is a word meaning "God" and is often paired with an attribute of God as His name. In this name, El means "God" and Elyon means "most high". It indicates that God is the most highly exalted and deserving of all honor and praise. 

El Elyon is introduced by Melchizidek in Genesis 14:19-20 when speaking to Abram after he had rescued Lot in the battle of the valley of Sidim. 

And he blessed him and said, 

Blessed be Abram of God Most High (El Elyon),

Possessor of heaven and earth;

And blessed by God Most High (El Elyon),

Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.

Genesis 14:19-20 NASB

From Melchizidek, we learn that El Elyon owns all of the heavens and all of the earth. He is able to bring victory and deliverance.

King David also acknowledged God as El Elyon when he fled from Saul and was protected by God.

"I will cry to God Most High (El Elyon),

To God who accomplishes all things for me.

He will send from heaven and save me;

He reproaches him who tramples upon me.

God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth.

Psalm 57:2-3

When the most powerful man in the nation was obsessed with murdering him, David turned to El Elyon and found that His help was all that was needed. God Himself not only "sent from heaven" (a reference to sending angelic assistance) to save David from the assassination attempts, but also reproached Saul. As if that were not enough, God sent forth His lovingkindness and His truth. David did not have to worry about justifying himself. God took care of that for him. David did not have to bad mouth Saul and spread the stories of his insanity. God handled that and made sure the truth was known. David's job was to keep his eyes on his Lord. God handled all the rest.

Psalm 78 speaks of the sin of Israel and how, despite all the miracles God performed on their behalf, they turned away from Him. It was only after extreme discipline that they returned to Him. In the time that they returned to God, the psalmist says, "they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God (El Elyon) their Redeemer."  Psalm 78:35 NASB. Even after they remembered their God, they turned away again. In the midst of their rebellion/our rebellion, two of the most breathtakingly beautiful verses of Scripture are given.

But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them;

And often He restrained His anger,

And did not arouse all His wrath.

Thus He remembered that they were but flesh. 

A wind that passes and does not return.

                                 Psalm 78:38-39

Our Most High God, El Elyon, is not only the God above all Gods, the highly exalted one, and our Redeemer who fights our battles for us and clears a path for us. Our El Elyon is compassionate, restrains His anger when we disobey Him, and chooses not to give the discipline we so richly deserve. Instead, He remembers that we are flesh. God knows we are not divine, understands our failings, and loves us anyway. He knows our limitations and yet He loves.

What a beautiful picture of our Lord! He knows who I am, He knows my limitations, He remembers that I am "but flesh", and loves me anyway, and He does the same thing for us all. Our Redeemer, the Most Highly Exalted One deserves our honor and our praise. Hallowed by His name of El Elyon. Join with me today as we thank Him for His faithfulness and His incredible mercy, and exalt Him for his power and His love. 

Fear not, dear ones, El Elyon is on His throne, high and lifted up, and He is your Deliverer and Redeemer. As David did before us, let us cry out to God Most High, confident that He can handle anything that comes our way.

Teach us to pray, part 9: El Shaddai

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

In learning to pray, that is a tendency for us to rush to a discussion of making requests in a way that insures our prayers will be answered to our liking. We want what we want, and we want to know how to get it. I'm as guilty as the next person of rushing to the asking. When we do that, however, we leave undone the very thing for which God created us. 

In His perfect world, before we introduced sin into it, man had ongoing communion with God. They walked and talked together every day. As 1 John 1:3 describes it, "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." Before Sin, we had unbroken fellowship with our God. Sin caused a break in that fellowship and nothing could restore the breach until Jesus shed His precious blood on our behalf. Now, because of our relationship with Christ, we have the opportunity to walk and talk with God on an ongoing basis, as a friend with a friend.

If all our time of talking is spent asking for favors, however, it is not much of a friendship, is it? When Jesus modeled prayer and taught His disciples to pray, He did not start with the asking. He started with an acknowledgement of God, His name, and His attributes. So, too, should we.

Today, we turn to the first of those names. El Shaddai   (Lord God Almighty). This name of God is first used in Genesis 17:1. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God appeared to him and referred to Himself as El Shaddai, Lord God Almighty. It was in this conversation that He made a covenant with Abram and promised that He would make him a great nation and that Sarai would have a child. 

El is a word that means God and is often paired with an attribute of God, as it is in this name. There is a fair amount of controversy as to the original meaning of the name "Shaddai". It is thought to come from a root word "shadad" meaning to be strong or powerful. When used as a verb, it is usually used in a negative sense, but when used as an adjective to describe an attribute of God, it indicates that He is all powerful. Some theologians think, instead, that the name comes from the root word "shad", which means "breast" and that it indicates He is "completely nourishing, satisfying". 

When we gather all this together, we find that God is not only our sustainer and provider, He also has the power to sustain and provide. His power to provide and sustain us is not limited and will never run out. Hear this beautiful truth with your heart. There will never come a time when El Shaddai lacks the power to provide for our needs. 

Consider how many times, how many ways El Shaddai has provided for you, met your needs, how many times He has shown Himself powerful on your behalf. Before we ask for provision, let's spend some time honoring Him for His power, His goodness, and His generosity toward us. Thank Him for those things He has already done. 

The All Powerful One has chosen to offer us the opportunity to fellowship with Him. It is the most unlikely relationship in the world, yet the most enriching, rewarding, joy-filled friendship imaginable. Let us treasure that fellowship and honor the One who offers it with the respect due Him. Let us begin our prayers with the hallowedness of that name.

Teach us to Pray, part 8: Hallowed be thy name

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

A solid understanding of God as our Father is such a vital part of the life of a disciple that we could linger on the word "Father" for weeks, but we move now to the holiness of His name. The word translated as "name" is onoma and means more than just the word by which one is called or identified. According to Thayer, it "is used for all those qualities which are summed up in that name, and by which God makes Himself known to men." 

"Hallowed be Your name" does not simply mean that the name we use to call on God is hallowed. It means that His nature, all the attributes of God are hallowed, as well. The word used here is hagiazō and indicates that His name is holy, consecrated, sacred, pure. We, who as a society are so casual with the name of God, would do well to understand the absolute sacredness of His name and treat it with the respect it deserves.

Over the next few days, we will look at the sacred names of God in detail, but for today, let's just look at His names in Scripture and their meanings. Remember that each of the names reveals an attribute of God, a way in which He makes Himself known to us. Understanding His attributes helps us to understand this Amazing God we serve. As we read through this list, Let's think about the ways in which God has made Himself known to us and how we have seen Him active in these ways. As we pray, let's use the names of God to thank Him for the ways He has showed Himself at work in our lives and on our behalf. 

El Shaddai   (Lord God Almighty)

El Elyon   (The Most High God)

Adonai   (Lord, Master)

Yahweh   (Lord, Jehovah)

Jehovah Nissi   (The Lord My Banner)

Jehovah-Raah   (The Lord is My Shepherd)

Jehovah Rapha   (The Lord that Heals)

Jehovah Shammah   (The Lord is There)

Jehovah Tsidkenu   (The Lord Our Righteousness)

Jehovah Mekoddishkem   (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)

El Olam   (The Everlasting God)

Elohim   (God)

Qanna   (Jealous)

Jehovah Jireh   (The Lord Will Provide)

Jehovah Shalom   (The Lord is Peace)

Jehovah Sabaoth   (The Lord of Hosts)

Father, even Your name is holy, pure, sacred. Help us to treat it accordingly.