Who have you been talking with?

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. (Psalm 8:1)

It has been a while since I have spoken about the various names of God in scripture, but this psalm opens with two different names used for God - LORD and Lord. Sometimes it is easy to miss the subtle differences because we just 'read over' them. When we stop for a moment to consider what is being said by the use of the various names of God, we can begin to see the true meaning of the passage. LORD is God's 'covenant name' used in the Hebrew language. We might think of this as the 'Old Testament' name referencing his entering into 'covenant' with the Israelite nation. Another term for LORD is Yahweh or Jehovah. The meaning: I am who I am, or I am that I am. God is, has been, will always be the God of the universe - there is no other who compares with him, no other worthy of worship and honor.

Yahweh (LORD) references God's creative power. Thinking upon that for a moment, isn't it good to know that the one who creates all, has the power to bring forth something out of nothing, is the one we can enter into relationship with? That is the meaning of a 'covenant' - it is an agreement between individuals that cannot be broken, but there are 'conditions' to every covenant. On God's side, he shows himself faithful and powerful - on our side, we obey his commands and live according to his will. Lord references God's sovereignty, or as we might best understand it - master. When our psalmist opens with LORD - he is revealing the power of God, but when he uses the term 'our Lord', he is referencing God's position as 'master' or 'ruler' over his people.

The first term speaks of his right to rule. The latter speaks of a depth of relationship that results in one being willing to submit to his leadership in their lives. As creator, he is worthy of respect and honor. As master, his worthy of willing obedience and trust. God is not a 'force' - he is not an angry judge or a stern rule giver. He is the one we are to admire and honor. Our psalm is really saying there is absolutely no one else in this entire world 'worthy' of the same honor - no one else we should look up to as we do him. We give him the honor due his name - LORD, the creator of all; and Lord, our master and King. One expresses our awareness of his position, the other shows our heart in seeking the one who loves us so much. Just sayin!

His name?

Christmas is behind us again and a new year is off to a start for each of us.  We may not know what the days ahead will hold, but we do know this...we don't have to worry about them because the one who holds the future also holds us in his hands and will walk us through them with all the grace and goodness he provides.  As we consider who walks with us through this year, I could not help but turn to a very "traditional" Christmas passage found in Isaiah.  It begins with the words, "Hope of all hopes, dream of our dreams, a child is born, sweet-breathed; a son is given to us: a living gift. And even now, with tiny features and dewy hair, He is great. The power of leadership, and the weight of authority, will rest on His shoulders. His name?...."

His name we’ll know in many ways—He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Dear Father everlasting, ever-present never-failing, Master of Wholeness, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 VOICE)

His name we will know in many ways - each suggesting just a little different aspect of his character.  Each suggests a slightly different way he is manifest in our life circumstances, as well.

- Wonderful Counselor.  We might think of a counselor in terms of the one we might go to when we need to talk things out - that one who gives advice in time of being unsettled or when things are just not at ease in our lives.  Think of our Wonderful Counselor as our advocate - the one backs us, defends us, and stands as our chief support in our times of greatest need.  

- Mighty God.  I like to think of "Mighty God" as our "powerhouse" - he is an indomitable force to be reckoned with and he stands as that "force" on our behalf.  With all the hype about the latest Star Wars movie, "The Force" takes on a meaning altogether different than what I mean here, but when you think about a "force", you are thinking of one who stands as all powerful and unable to be resisted.

- Dear Father Everlasting or Everlasting Father.  We all understand the meaning of "father", even though some of us may not have had the best father "example" in the world.  We can somehow associate the Father as the one who is supposed for provide, protect, and be the "overseer" of those under his care.  

- Ever-Present Never-Failing.  Two very distinct characteristics of God's watchfulness over our lives.  He is ever-present without ever taking his focus off any one of us. We probably have the hardest time thinking that one through because we cannot think without limitations - we are bound by what we know and see.  He is not.  As a result, he is never failing - his watchfulness and care knows no bounds.

- Master of Wholeness.  To those of us who struggle with being a little disjointed, with things in our lives which really don't "fit well", we are constantly looking for something or someone to help us "get whole".  It is good to know the one who has control of my life is also the one who not only is "whole" himself, but is the master of wholeness - the one who can make things "fit" in our lives like no one ever would be able to.  Wholeness suggests there is no diminution over the course of time - in other words, his actions are to build up and not to tear down!

- Prince of Peace.  The one thing which wraps it all up is the ability to bring what is missing in so many of our chaotic lives. His peace is perfect, but most importantly, he is the one who is in a place of being able to "influence" whatever it is which is not allowing us to know peace in our lives.  He is the ruler of peace - as such, he pushes back whatever brings a lack of peace and leaves his presence filling that place in our lives.

As we begin our new year, consider who walks with us, guiding more than our steps, but ensuring our safety, making way for our every need, and giving rise to the overwhelming sense of his peaceful presence in the chaos of our lives.  Just reminding!

The gift of laughter

Did you ever stop to consider laughter a gift?  It seems our writer of this psalm did - and it suggests God is actually honored by our laughter.  Not by our mocking laughter, but the laughter of delight, joy, and overwhelming awe. If you have ever seen a little guy shoot a free throw from mid-court and land it with nothing but air, you might have experienced this free-will laughter - delight in his success, joy in his having done what others put down as impossible, or overwhelming awe that a little guy just sank the "hoop of a lifetime".  I wonder just how many times God lands the "shot of a lifetime" in our lives and we take the opportunity to celebrate with the gift of laughter?

On your feet now—applaud God!  Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence.  Know this: God is God, and God, God.  He made us; we didn’t make him.  We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.  Enter with the password: “Thank you!”  Make yourselves at home, talking praise.  Thank him. Worship him.  For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.  (Psalm 100 MSG)

Our writer suggests coming into God's presence with laughter and singing.  In other words - celebrate a little.  God's presence is not just a place of quiet repose - it is a place of delighted ecstasy!  We are to enjoy being there!  Getting into his presence is half the battle, isn't it?  It takes us a while to actually center our focus well enough to shut out the pull of everything else and actually find delight in just being there with him.  Maybe if we took the path of laughter and song a little more, we'd be inclined to travel this path with more frequency!

The statement, "GOD is God, and God, GOD", has some meaning we should not just gloss over.  As our writer instructs, he calls us to our feet.  In getting to our feet, what are we doing?  We are directing our attention because it takes some effort to move from a place of repose to a place of alertness.  Try standing up and see how long you stay in that position if you are not awake!  I think our psalmist is telling us to really enjoy our time with our Lord, we need to be fully aware of having entered into his presence - because we don't just get there accidentally.

So, what meaning does this statement have?  First, understand he uses two terms to describe God.  This was not uncommon in the language of Hebrew.  The attributes of a person were often described in the title they were given.  For example, if you were given a name, it described the foremost aspect of your character, or that of your family.  So, when we see various names of God in scripture, in the Hebrew language they are just proclaiming another aspect of God's character.  As the two terms are used, they have significant meaning:

GOD:  Jehovah - the unchangeable one.  As this term is utilized, it refers to the steadfastness of God's character - he is the unchangeable one who fulfills promises, becoming what it is we need, and every action emanating from his holiness.  

God:  Elohim - the creative one.  As this term is used, it refers to the attribute of possessing all things - having created all things.  In other words, he is the one with the right to govern all things - sovereign in all power.  As such, he is the one holding all things together, bringing life to all things, and maintaining covenant relationship with his creation. 

So, our psalmist invites us into God's presence, first by coming to a place of alertness and attentiveness, then enjoying our entrance into the very presence of the one who invites us into covenant with him and becomes the means by which we actually are able to enter into this covenant relationship.  He is saying we enter by the blood of the Lamb - Christ's shed blood - and we are maintained there by the same blood.  

One of the things we learn in the presence of God is the faithfulness of his love.  Of late, I have read many posts, listened to many sermons, and even caught several conversations by DJs on Christian radio proclaiming much about the unconditional love of God.  I don't think this is by accident.  As a matter of fact, my pastor said it so well this past weekend.  Pastor Chad said, "Our issue is not how much we love God, but how much we realize just how much he loves us."  Let that one sink in a little.  He was saying we spend a whole lot of time working to get God to love us - when all the while God is saying "I already love you beyond measure!"  

I think our psalmist really understood the love of God - it being beyond measure in his life.  No wonder he was comfortable enough to celebrate God's goodness with laughter!  I think God is honored when we can laugh and celebrate his goodness, faithfulness, and compassion in our lives.  There is nothing dishonoring about realizing God's presence and just letting out a little giggle!  I do it all the time - his presence bringing me peace, settling my emotional turmoil and focusing me on what really matters.  Try it some time!  You might just enjoy celebrating the one who gives you both the means of access and the full access into his very presence!  Just sayin!

What's in a name?

What's in a name?  Have you ever heard someone's name and wondered if the person's parents really had it in for the kid when they chose the name? Something like "Lilly Cropp" or "Frank Lee".  There are names which depict something of the "era" into which they were born, such as when you hear a person born into the sixties being called "Star", "Sunshine", or "Rainbow".  Those given these name bear them a long, long time!  Still, others are named "after" someone - such as when they are given the name of the father down to the second, third or fourth generations.  Yet, others are given names which parents do a great deal of deliberation about - looking for "just the right" name which will speak of the character or blessing of the child.  Regardless of the name given, it is what is behind the name which really matters, is it not?  Being called "Star" doesn't make you outstandingly bright - but you could be.  Having the honor of being named after your forefathers doesn't guarantee your integrity as a man - some will just abuse the name they were given.  Names are labels of some sort - a way of identifying us to others.  Yet, if we really begin to consider a name, there is much behind it - especially when it is the name of GOD.

“I am God. I will bring you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I will rescue you from slavery. I will redeem you, intervening with great acts of judgment. I’ll take you as my own people and I’ll be God to you. You’ll know that I am God, your God who brings you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I’ll bring you into the land that I promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and give it to you as your own country. I AM God.”  (Exodus 6:6-8 MSG)

What we don't see in this passage is the preceding paragraph where God begins to speak with Moses about how he will be "known" to Moses and the people of Israel.  He tells Moses that previous to this time, he had been known as The Strong God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (the forefathers of the Israelite nation).  He was known as "I AM".  Now, God was revealing himself in a fresh way - not only through the name "I AM", but also as "GOD".  He tells Moses he is the one who can be known as "I AM Present".  In other words, he is going to reveal himself to Israel as the ever-present God.  

Let's consider this for a moment.  Israel needed a deliverer as they had been under the cruel hand of the Egyptians for years.  They worked as slave labor in the fields and factories of the land.  Their daily needs were provided at the hand of the Egyptian people who would "allot" their provisions.  Now, the I AM speaks to Moses the message of hope - I AM is with you, yes, but the one who will be ever-present is also with you!  I guess there is no greater hope that can be given than the knowledge that even in our struggles, we are not alone!

God is known my many names, but few speak as much as the combination of these two names of God - "I AM" and "GOD".  The first carries the idea of being the one who existed and will always exist.  He is the one who is our becoming one - nothing is out of his realm.  The second hints about the relationship he desires with his creation.  Here he brings us to the awareness of being "ever-present" with us - as not only the one who will always exist, but as the one who will never leave us, nor forsake us.

Imagine having to go up against a huge world power, complete with armies so vast they were almost unable to be counted.  You are charged to go before this leader and to proclaim that he needed to set these people free - to go to another land, no longer being of service to the world power again.  Can you say, "Scary"?  I am thinking this is were Moses found himself at this moment. A little intimidated by the power of Pharaoh, but also a little frustrated because he knew his own natural limitations.  

Moses was 80 years old when God asked him to tell Pharaoh he wanted these people to be freed from their servitude in Egypt!  How many 80 year olds feel really "strong"?  Probably not too many.  In fact, as age comes, physical strength often diminishes.  Mental strength is even affected.  So, I think God was giving Moses a little insight into how he was to proceed - not independent, in his own strength, or with his own understanding, but with the ever-present GOD going before him.

If you are feeling like you have some insurmountable task ahead of you today, take heart.  Not only does the "I AM" (the one who was, who is, and who will ever be) stand with you, but so does "GOD" (the one who is ever-present).  You don't stand alone.  You have at your access all the power of GOD - the becoming one.  What do you need GOD to become in your life today?  Call on his name - he goes before, stands alongside, and will even bring up the rear, if need be!  Just sayin!

Never devoid of substance!

We have much emphasis today on "name recognition".  In fact, there is a process in business referred to as "branding" in which an organization seeks to get its product or service identified with a particular name.  In contrast, the organization never wants its name to be associated with a BAD product or LOUSY service. 


⁷ “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name."  (Exodus 20:7)


The most familiar passage for this verse is probably the King James:  "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain."  Important to see within the structure of this verse is the fact God says it is "OUR" God whose name we are to uphold - to not use his name in vain.


Simply put, God is reminding us of the power in his name.  In other words, whenever we speak his name it is to be with purpose.  His name is to be spoken to offer him praise, to give him thanks, and to seek him for help in our lives.  It is never to be an "idle" word spoken without conscious awareness of its use.


Vain really means something which is void of substance - empty.  It is something with no affect - when spoken it accomplishes nothing.  As you can see, God's name is really not this!  It is powerful - accomplishing far more than humanly imagined.  God is really reminding his people of the importance of his name - it is never fruitless.  


Whenever we trivialize the name of God, we do him a great injustice.  If his name just drips from our lips in every conversation as haphazardly as we'd use the words "the" and "it", we are doing him an injustice!  His name is to be honored, lifted up, and spoken in reverence of all it can and has accomplished.


When something is "misused", it is used wrongly or misapplied.  God's greatest hope is for us to share the "fruitfulness" of his name in the display of the change within our lives.  In this way, his name is associated with the power, majesty, and honor it is entirely due!


This is the third of the "rules" we have explored known as the Ten Commandments found in the book of Exodus.  Look at the progression:  1) No other gods but God himself; 2) Do not attempt to pigeon-hole God into some image of him which limits him to our understanding; and 3) Learn to give his name the honor it is due.  When we get these in order, we see a natural progression.  


First, we come to God and are made a dynamic part of his family.  Next, he opens our eyes to the possibilities of serving him - revealing himself in ways far outside our limited conception of who he is.  In the tendency to exclaim all we can about what has "ignited" us from the inside, we have an obligation to never trivialize who he is to us or what he has done within us.


So, there is your third "rule" to consider.  Remember, as we started this little series, I laid out the purpose of a rule as something to keep us safe - to avoid the hairpin turns of life which would send us askew and in some pit of misery.  Learning to proclaim God's name, value it, and to show the fruitfulness of our God in all we exclaim about him is an outcome of drawing near to him and experiencing his protection and keeping power in our lives.

What is in a name?

^2-3 God, my God, I yelled for help and you put me together.
   God, you pulled me out of the grave, gave me another chance at life
      when I was down-and-out. 

(Psalm 30:2-3)

Sometimes we blast through our scripture reading and never stop to look at how the "names" of God are actually written.  Did you know that the publishers of our Bibles have gone to great lengths (in most translations) to assist us in understanding that the names of God are different in some passages?  As you note above, sometimes GOD or LORD is in all caps and at others it is God or Lord.  That is because David is using two very distinct terms to describe this delivering and very capable God he serves!

David has been in a real mess - he has been hotly pursued by King Saul's armies, betrayed by friends, not very secure in his future (from his vantage point).  He has spent hours pouring his heart out to his Lord and now, at long last, God has intervened.  He is delighted that God has heard his prayers and he wants to celebrate the goodness of God.  He wants those around him to join in that celebration.

He begins with GOD, my God...

GOD or LORD refers to the name of God Israel often used in describing their God - Jehovah.  Anytime that we see GOD in all caps it is translated Jehovah (pronounced Ja-ho-vah).  The meaning of Jehovah is simply put as "the unchangeable one".  When David is crying out, he is laying out his need for intervention to the one who remains steadfast and unchangeable in his promises of protection.  David had been anointed by God to be the next King of Israel - he was calling upon the God of unchanging promises to keep him safe and deliver him from the "mess" he found himself in.

Jehovah carries some other meaning that lend to the interpretation of this passage.  For example, whenever he used the term Jehovah, he was also calling upon the one who would become everything David needed - in other words, the intervention would be exactly what was needed at that moment in his life.  He knew that the attributes of God that were referenced in the name Jehovah revealed the righteousness of God's character - a God of divine compassion, holy in all ways, and permanent in his promises.

Attributes of character were important in Old Testament times - that is why names were not given lightly.  The name often revealed something about the character of the individual, the quality of a location, etc.  The attributes of God that are revealed in the names used in various portions of scripture give us insight into the traits of God.  In this case, Jehovah is a holy and righteous name - it reveals the complete holiness of God - placing God in a position of justice.

David uses a second name for God when he uses the "God" term - Elohim (pronounced El-o-heem).  He is saying, "Just and Holy One, Faithful in your promises to me (Jehovah), my God (Elohim), I yelled for help and you put me together..."  Elohim refers to the God of all creation - the creator God.  As creator, he is the one in possession of absolute power and authority.  Think about making something - as "creator" of that object, you have the power and authority in the outcome of that object.  David is acknowledging that he needs the one who created him to take complete control of his life.

In using this term, he is also referring to the "governing" side of God's character - the right to "rule" what he has "created".  This is the name that Israel used when they thought about God's covenants - Jehovah displayed the moral side of his character; Elohim displayed his loving and faithful commitment to keep that which he created under his care.  This term reveals much about God - creation is dependent upon its Creator.  David is acknowledging that it is "his" mess - but he needs his Creator to intervene to set that mess straight!

It is the all-powerful God that pulls him out of the grave!  Jehovah to the rescue!  That is what David is proclaiming.  He got into the mess - the covenant keeping, totally unchangeable one would deliver him from that mess. It is the Unchangeable One that gives David another chance at life - the holy GOD is also a loving and merciful GOD!  

There is a third name displayed in our Bibles written as Lord - Adonai (pronounced as Add-o-nigh).  This refers to God as our owner, the one who has unrestricted claims on that which he possesses.  It is Adonai that expects obedience from those he possesses - those who have given their hearts to him.  It is he who expects to be the "sole" owner, master and possessor of our lives.  

The next time you read a passage - just stop for a moment to consider what name is being used to describe God.  The very character attributes of God lend much to the frame of the passage.  We see man's attitude toward God in the term he uses to describe God.  We see man's reliance on God as creator, as holy judge, etc.  It can open scripture in a new way to simply focus on something that seems so insignificant!