“O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9).
“And those who know Your name will put their trust in you.” (Psalm 9:10).
How well do you know God? His character? His heart?
It’s not enough to know about God. It’s through His biblical names that you can become intimately acquainted with Him. When you understand the meanings of God’s names then you will understand His character and His heart. He wants you to know Him. He wants to be in Close Personal Relationship with you.
1. He is Called: Elohim
God is Elohim. He is your Creator.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
Have you given much thought to the power God used to create the universe? How about God’s insanely creative imagination as He designed planet earth?
My favorite vacation is visiting gardens throughout England. The majesty of the Cedars of Lebanon and the beauty and variety of the flowers is breathtaking. Whether it’s hiking in the mountains, enjoying some time at the beach, or taking a leisurely walk through the woods, there’s no denying that nature is one way to connect with Elohim.
“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)
What about the intricacies and beauty of the human body?
Do you ever feel worthless? Unlovable? You are supremely valuable for one primary reason. You have been created in the image of God. He loves and cherishes you more than you can fathom because you are His image bearer.
“I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Psalm 139:14a)
2. His Name is : El Kanna
God is El Kanna. The Jealous God.
“You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.” (Exodus 34:14)
How is Christianity different than any other pagan religion? God is in relentless pursuit of you. He wants nothing to take His place in your life or in your heart. Idolatry runs rampart in hearts today, anything from material possessions to personal relationships. If Satan can distract you from what is most important—an intimate relationship with God—then he thinks he can win the battle to be lord in your life. So beware of what you spend your time on, what consumes your thinking, and what your hobbies and habits are.
“For, I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.” (Exodus 20:5)
El Kanna’s affection for you runs deep.
3. God is called: Abba
God is Abba. He is your Father.
“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)
We adopted a baby girl from China 17 years ago. We are her forever family. She identifies herself as a Holland child. Our friends can tell from her mannerisms that she is part of the Holland family.
When you place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, God adopts you into His forever family. You bear His name—Christian. And you are known as one of His children by your behavior. How wonderful to be able to call God such an intimate name—Abba.
4. He is called: Jehovah-jireh
God is Jehovah-jireh—the Lord will provide.
“When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven…Don’t lay a hand on the boy! Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Jehovah-jireh (which means the LORD will provide). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: On the mountain of the lord it will be provided.” (Genesis 22:9-12; 13-14)
The drama and significance of this event in Abraham’s life was a test to prove his faithfulness to God and God’s faithfulness to Abraham. He wanted to see if Abraham would trust Him with the promise He had fulfilled for him in giving him a son in his old age. Abraham passed the test and the ram proved that God is Jehovah-jireh.
Just a short distance from where God provided a ram in Isaac’s place, He provided the ultimate sacrifice in our place, the Lamb of God, Jesus, who took away the sins of the whole world.
5. He is called: Jehovah-Shalom
God is Jehovah-Shalom. The Lord is Peace.
“When Gideon saw he was the angel of the Lord, he said, ‘Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel face to face. The Lord said to him, Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die. Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it The LORD is Peace.” (Judges 6:22-24)
There is a peace that only God can give. It is a peace that the world cannot understand. When in the midst of tests and trials the peace of God that passes all understanding can overwhelm us and bring us to a place of great comfort. Only a serious Christ-follower can truly understand the mystery of the workings of the Holy Spirit in this way. This is a peace that the world can’t understand, a peace that only Jehovah-shalom can give.
Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).
