The names of God provide comfort and assurance to me. When God spoke to Moses in Exodus 3:14 he used the name ‘I AM’.

I Am That I Am — in Hebrew is, ‘ehyeh asher ehyeh’. I am whatever you need me to be. I will become whatever you need me to become for you. That personal assurance from God Almighty allows me to relax and bask in his personal love for me.

All the remaining names of God follow from the Great I Am. The four letter name of God in Hebrew is ‘Y.H.V.H.’  commonly transliterated as Jehovah, but should always be said as YaH-WeH. Yahweh means ‘he will become’.

Dear Yahweh, the Great I Am,

Please enlighten me and become for me all the things you have promised in your word. Help me to believe in you and come to understand the meaning of all your names.

In the footsteps of Abraham

I desire to walk in the footsteps of Abraham. Abraham is to me a model of a true believer. His attitudes and behavior show an understanding of God that wasn’t seen again until Moses.

Known as God Most High, his priest was Melchizedek and blessed Abraham before any covenant was made. Abraham knew all the names of God and did not tell them to his descendants. He knew God as the provider when he provided a substitute sacrifice as Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac. He knew him as Just when he interceded for the righteous living in Sodom and Gomorrah. He knew him as protector  (God my banner) and warrior when he rescued Lot and his family. He knew him as savior when he met Jesus (Abraham longed to see my day. He saw it and was glad.) God my righteousness, God gives peace, God my healer — Abraham knew God and lacked for nothing because he saw all by faith.

Oh God Most High, I hunger to know you better. Give me of your faith that my faith will grow. Give me of your love that my love for you may increase. Speak to me and instruct me as you spoke and instructed Abraham that I may continue to walk in his footsteps.

Covenant of Moses

Continuing with Moses when God spoke to him from the burning bush, he said, “And God said unto Moses, “I will be that I will be” and he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, “I will be hath sent me unto you.” And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Everlasting One, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob hath sent me unto you.

The rest of the Old Testament is a nearly chronological revelation of God and his people as their relationship plays out on the world stage. Through the Psalms and Prophets, we learn of many ways God fulfills his promises and lives up to his various wonderful and beautiful names. In Psalm 23 he is called, God my shepherd.

Immanuel

My favorite Christmas verse is  Isaiah 9:6 set to music by George Frederick Handel.  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Just before the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, Jeremiah spoke of a Righteous Branch in Jeremiah 23:6 The Lord Our Righteous Savior.(Our Righteousness). Isaiah gave him the name of the son of a virgin as God with us, Immanuel.

Oh God, our Righteous Savior, be for us the hope that we long for, the God who is with us always.