The Names and Titles of God

So it is a blessing to come together and sing hymns together and rejoice before God. I'm always struck by the hymns that we sing. They're so meaningful because so many of them are pulled from the scriptural record themselves. And as we sing, we sing the hymns and the verses and the psalms in which David wrote. And I sometimes try to imagine maybe what the tune was that he would have had them put to.

But it is a blessing, and the song we just sang is actually a good lead into what I'd like to talk about today. It concluded with the Lord who dwells in Zion, singing praise to him and remembering his name. And that is very much what I'd like to talk about today. This last week in Spokane at the Women's Bible Study Group, we walked through a series of questions that I had received as part of a Bible study from the congregation in Ghana.

And a couple months ago, we had started through those questions and had managed to get through two of them. There were nine total. So this last week, we went ahead and worked our way through the other seven questions and answers. And one of those questions was in regard to the name of God. And the question specifically was, does God have a name? And if so, what is it? Well, we spent some time. We discussed that question. Various ladies kind of presented what they had seen in Scripture as they were studying that throughout the last few weeks. And we discussed the topic, but then we had to move on and move through the other questions in the remainder of the study.

So I would just say my sermon today has spawned from that topic. Does God have a name? And I'd like to go back and answer that question maybe a little more fully than we were able to do so in the Women's Bible Study Group. And then hopefully add to it some things for us to consider. God's names and titles tell us a lot about Him. And during the announcements, Lionel passed out a handout for you. And the reason for that is I will be covering a lot of names and titles as they relate to God.

And quite a bit of it's in Hebrew. And rather than...it's hard enough to pronounce the Hebrew sometimes, but rather than try to spell it all out for you and have you write it down, I just decided it's better to give you at least a snapshot of my notes there so you can have those names and scriptures as we go forward. But God's names and titles reveal a lot about Him. They reveal His position of power and authority. They reveal God's eternal existence and His unchanging nature. God's names and titles show us the many unique characters and qualities of God that you and I need to learn to depend on, brethren, as we live this Christian life.

Because God's not just far out somewhere as sort of a concept or an idea or someone that we pray to without really a concept of who and what He is. God's Word shows that He is very near unto us if we draw close to Him. And so understanding who God is and how He reveals Himself in Scripture is important for us today. And it's my hope as we go through the message that you and I will be both encouraged and comforted as we see the way in which God reveals Himself to us through the pages of Scripture.

Now what we're going to find again as we walk through this is there's going to be a lot of Hebrew names and terms because most of what we'll look at today is contained in the Old Testament. And hopefully your handout will help you with that. The first thing we need to consider and what we'll see in Scripture as it pertains to God is that the first term you find in Scripture is that of Elohim. The first term translated God in Scripture is Elohim, and it's spelled E-L-O-H-I-M. And again, I'm not going to spell necessarily all these out for you, but Elohim is a very common Hebrew term, Hebrew word, which is translated God, simply G-O-D, in Scripture.

Elohim is used over 2,300 times throughout the Old Testament record, and its primary usage was to refer to the one true God. Elohim, simply translated God, appears frequently. The first time it's used is in Genesis 1, verse 1. We won't turn there, but it says, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and the word translated God is Elohim. Now, it's also important that we acknowledge that Elohim is a word that does not exclusively refer to God. You know, most of the time, or many of the times, you read God in Scripture.

It is translated from Elohim, but Elohim is not always translated God. There are places in Scripture where Elohim references other gods, besides the true God. It can reference false gods or pagan deities in that way. Elohim is also, at times, translated as judge and angels. And so, as such, Elohim is a word translated God, but it's not what we'd necessarily would call a proper name or a personal name for God. The one true God, as we find him referenced in Scripture, is called Elohim, but not all references in Scripture translated from Elohim are a reference to the one true God.

And so, it's important that we be able to understand that and make that distinction. Elohim appears to be closely related to the root noun, El, which is also translated God in Scripture. And as we read through our Bible in English, we wouldn't necessarily know, because it's all just simply translated God, which is Elohim and which is El. You could pull it apart and look at the original Hebrew and determine that for yourself if you wanted to, but just know that most commonly is Elohim, and El is common in that translation as well.

El is a generic term for God, and it comes from a root word meaning might and strength and power. And as we would consider God, certainly he fits all those categories in so much more than any man or anyone else could. But El simply means might, strength, and power. El is a common term meaning God in many ancient languages. It can be found in the Hebrew, in the Aramaic, as well as the Arabic language. And before that, actually, its root goes back to more of an unknown origin. And so El is sort of a universal term, not just specific to the Hebrew.

And again, like Elohim, it's not always specific to the one true God. El is a common term for God, as I said again in many languages. Now, the Hebrews used the term El to refer to the God that they worshiped, the supreme God, the all-powerful God. And, you know, God didn't seem to indicate that there was a problem with the usage of that term in relation to him. Again, it wasn't a personal name, but it was a word that meant something. In fact, God revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through that term El.

Did you recall the name El Shaddai? El Shaddai. And we'll talk about that in a little while. God also used the term El in relationship to people and things that He identified with. Let's go to Genesis chapter 35 to begin today. I'm going to take a look at the manner and the means by which God is revealing Himself in Scripture. Genesis chapter 35, and beginning in verse 9. We do have a lot of Scriptures to cover today, which is why those are in your handout as well. I may be moving a little faster than what we're generally comfortable with, but a bit of ground I'd like to cover.

Genesis chapter 35, verse 9 and 10. It says, Israel, as it referred to Jacob himself, means perveiler with God. You'll recall that Jacob wrestled with God all night and would not let go until he was blessed. We have that account earlier in Genesis. Again, the translation, as it would pertain to Jacob, means perveiler with God. Now, Israel, as it pertains to the nation of Israel, means God rules, or ruled by God.

The point is, the nation of Israel was intended to be in name and deed, a nation whose king was God. As we go through the Bible today, what we're going to see is that you and I, as spiritual Israel as well, acknowledge God as our king. Ishmael is a name translated with L, contained within it as well. Ishmael means God hears. We're familiar with one of the names for Jesus Christ, Immanuel. Immanuel means God with us. There's the term, Beth-el, in Scripture as well, referring to the house of God.

There are a number of names and terms and places that were named after individuals that had relationship or interaction with God that contained this term, L, as it referenced God. Even though L, again, is a generic term for God, it is often used in combination with other Hebrew words to reveal various characteristics of God's nature. We're going to take a look at some of those. In these Hebrew word combinations for God, we gain what I believe is not only understanding but comfort and encouragement. Because in the manner in which God reveals Himself to people, we begin to see His nature and His character and the love He has for us as His people.

God revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in a particular way, and it was related to the type of relationship that He had with them. Same in the way He revealed Himself to Israel as well. Let's take a look at some of the Hebrew word combinations that we can find in Scripture that form the various descriptive names for God. Taking, again, the term L and combining it with a descriptor.

The first we'll look at is L Shaddai. L Shaddai. That's probably one of the more well-known and common names for God. I think back on, I believe it was Amy Grant who made that song popular, L Shaddai. L Shaddai means Almighty God, or All-Sufficient God. This name describes the God who is above all else. He's the most powerful, the most majestic, the Almighty God.

Now, L Shaddai is the name by which God revealed Himself to the patriarchs, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We can find that in Genesis 17. Turn back there, please. Genesis 17, beginning in verse 1. It says, when Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am Almighty God, walk before me, and be blameless. Almighty God is translated from the term, L Shaddai. Verse 2, and I will make my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.

Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but you shall be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. And so God revealed Himself to Abraham, and then later to Isaac and Jacob, as well, as L Shaddai. It's a name for God that appeared seven times in the Old Testament record. What's interesting to note, and as I mentioned, the way God reveals Himself has a lot to do with the type of relationship He has with the individuals He's revealing Himself to.

One of the common root words for L Shaddai, or actually Shaddai, the root word comes, it comes from the root word shad, spelled S-H-A-D. Again, shad, a common root word for L Shaddai. And shad means breast or breasted in Hebrew. And it refers to the provision and the sustenance that comes from the breast, as the milk of the breast that feeds and nourishes that baby as it's growing into maturity. And so in many ways, as you read through the biblical record, you can see that trait and that relationship which God had with the patriarchs.

God was the one who was their provider. He was their sustainer. He was the one that guided and directed their lives in a very intimate way. You recall that God told Abraham, He said to get out of your country, you know, from your family, from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. And so Abraham packed up and left, followed where God would lead him, dependent on God's provision and God's blessing along the way.

Because of Abraham's obedience and faith, God blessed Abraham and Isaac and Jacob as well. And as we would describe it, the shad was poured out on them as they made their way, as Abraham did, out of his country to the land that God provided. Brethren, you and I worship the Almighty God. We worship the all-sufficient God in our lives today. God has called us out of this world. He says, Leave that country to the place that I will show you. And He is our provider.

He's our sustainer. He's one who pours the blessing out on us that allows us to walk in this way of life without injury and harm as we live in obedience to Him. Again, El Shaddai, Almighty God, or All-Sufficient God. Brethren, hopefully that attribute of God's nature and character is an encouragement to us as well.

God watches out for us, and He provides for us. The next term we'll look at, this name for God, El El Yon. El El Yon. And it means Most High God, or God Most High. It's a reference to the Exalted One. The name expresses God's strength and sovereignty and supremacy. He is the Most High God, and there is none above Him. No king, no judge, no angel. He is Most High God.

Notice Genesis chapter 14 and verse 18. We see this term used. Genesis chapter 14 and verse 18. Here Abraham had gone out after Lot, and the company that was hauled off in addition to him, and Abraham and his men fought, and God blessed them, and he returned Lot and came back with the plunder as well.

And in verse 18 it says, Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and he was the priest of God Most High. He was the priest of God Most High, El El Yon, God Most High. And as best as we can understand, this individual Melchizedek was the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. He was that eternal being, that pre-existent word, who later, again, became Jesus Christ and who serves as our high priest today.

It says here he was the priest of God Most High. Verse 19, it says, And he blessed him, Abram. And he said, Bless be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, and bless be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. And Abraham gave him a tithe of all. So El El Yon is God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth. And again, you don't get any higher than that. No king, no judge. There's only God Most High. Again, brethren, part of the lesson I want us to take from these names and these titles that we're going through today is that God is all-powerful, and he is almighty, and he is the God that is directing our lives.

We are in his hands if we submit ourselves to him. He watches over us. He guides and directs our life in a very personal and a very intimate way. So understanding who he is gives us strength and courage as we live this Christian life. Psalm chapter 9, verse 1 and 2, and continuing with the concept of God Most High, Psalm 9, 1 and 2, here is Psalm of David. And David says, I will praise you, O Lord, with my whole heart.

I will tell of all your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in you. I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Nearly a thousand years after Abraham encountered Melchizedek, priest of the Most High, David here is singing praises to El-Yon, O Most High.

Next name we want to look at is El-Roy, and it means the God who sees me, or the God of vision. Let's go to Genesis 16, verse 9.

Genesis 16, verse 9.

Here we have Hagar fleeing from her mistress who was abusive to her, and now she has an opportunity here to encounter the angel of the Lord, verse 11. Let's just back up to verse 9, chapter 16, verse 9. The angel of the Lord said to her, return to your mistress and submit yourself under her hand. Then the angel of the Lord said to her, I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.

And the angel of the Lord said to her, behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son, and you shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard your affliction. He shall be a wild man, and his hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him, and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

Verse 13, then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, you are the God who sees. For she said, have I also here seen him who sees me? And so the God who sees is El-Roy. Continuing on in verse 14, therefore the well was called Be'er L'chayah Roy. Observe it is between K' and Be'red. So the well itself was called the well of one who lives and sees me.

Brethren, God is the God who sees everything. There's nothing that escapes his vision, nothing that sort of passes by that he didn't notice, that he kind of missed while he wasn't paying attention. God is the God who sees everything. If you're walking through a trial, if you're experiencing a difficulty, if you think that somehow you're alone or God's abandoned you or doesn't even know what's happening in your life, rest assured, the God you and I worship is the God who sees you and he sees me.

That is of great encouragement to us. He is El-Roy. Next we'll look at El-Olam. El-Olam. It means the everlasting God, the God of eternity. Genesis 21, verse 33. Here we see El-Olam expressed. Genesis 21, verse 33. It says, then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and he called on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

The everlasting God is El-Olam. Olam essentially means everlasting time or space. And so God is a God who never grows old, who never tires, who never needs a break. He's referred to as the ancient of days, and that doesn't mean that he's getting close to retirement. That means he's eternal. That's his nature. That's who he is. He is self-existent.

He has always existed. He will always exist. He is the everlasting God, El-Olam. Psalm 90, verse 1. Psalm 90, verse 1. Again, we see David expressing. Rather, this is the Psalm of Moses expressing this aspect of God's eternal nature. Psalm 90, verse 1. It says, This is describing God's everlasting God's eternal nature. Verse 5, You carry them away like a flood.

They are like a sleep. In the morning, they are like grass which grows up. In the morning it flourishes and grows up. In the evening it is cut down and withers. Again, God is the everlasting God, the eternal God. Psalm 93, just over a couple of pages. Psalm 93, verse 1. It says, The Lord reigns. He is clothed with majesty. The Lord is clothed. He has girded himself with strength. Surely the world is established so that it cannot be moved.

Your throne is established from old. You are from everlasting. Again, God is from everlasting. He has always existed. He is eternal. He will always exist in eternity. For us, brethren, that gives us an assurance that the God that we serve is there. He is faithful. As an element of His nature, He does not change. And He will always be as He is. So as we consider our relationship with Him, honestly, the weak link here is us.

We change. We fall short at times. Hopefully we're changing for the positive, but God is everlasting and He is eternal. It is God who is El-El-Roy. El-Olam is the eternal God. This is why I gave you a handout. I can even keep my own notes straight. El-Olam, the everlasting God. Now, as I mentioned before, the generic term for God is El, and it's not a proper name in terms of God's personal name. However, there did come a time when God decided to reveal a more personal name for Himself. And it's a name that's considered the covenant name of God.

It's a name by which Israel came to know the God in which they served. God revealed Himself to Israel in a covenant manner, in a covenant relationship, by this name. Now, the name to the best of our estimations is pronounced Yahweh. Yahweh. I'll comment on that estimation a little more in a few minutes. But Yahweh is designated in Hebrew by four consonant letters. You've seen it probably translated either YHVH or YHWH. The YHWH is actually a more common English translation, but there is a little, sometimes, confusion or even disagreement between if it's YHVH or YHWH.

If you go from the Hebrew to the English, it's necessary to seek the equivalent letter that best expresses the sound of the letter that it is in the original. And so, modern scholars agree, for the most part, that the ancient pronunciation of the letter in question was more like a W than a V. Historically, it had been translated more often with a V, but as we see it more often than not today, Yahweh is YHWH.

This is what's referred to as the tectogramaton, and it basically means four letters. That's not a biblical term. It's just a grammatical term that means four letters. And this is what the Hebrew would look like that we have translated to YHWH for Yahweh. It was read from right to left. So, you know, at some point, I think we'll see it's not necessarily the technical translation of the letters or even necessarily the pronunciation of the sound, but what it is that is important, brethren, is the being, the God we have a relationship with, how He reveals Himself to us. And there is much that we see revealed by God through this covenant name Yahweh. Yahweh is God's formal name. It's not a general term like L. It's not like Elohim that applies to God but can apply to other beings or physical individuals as well. Yahweh applies to God alone. It is His personal name. Exodus 6 and verse 2, we see this described a little more for us. Exodus 6 and verse 2, it says, When you see the word Lord, capital L-O-R-D, in all caps, that is a translation from the four letters for God's name. So God spoke to Moses and said, I am Yahweh. I appear to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, El Shaddai. But by my name Yahweh, I was not known to them. So God was known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, not as Yahweh, but as we've seen, His relationship to them was as El Shaddai. Now His relationship as it is being expressed here to Moses and as it will be for Israel and even unto us today, the name of God as He gives it to us here is Yahweh. What's interesting is if you read your Bible, you probably noticed in some of the scriptures we looked at earlier back in Abraham's day, even back before that, you see the capital L-O-R-D in Scripture. And that's because Moses wrote Abraham's story by God's direction. Moses knew who God was. He knew the covenant name of God. And so as Moses wrote the record, he wrote the name of the being who interacted with Abraham, although God was known to Abraham simply as El Shaddai. Continuing on to Isaiah 42 and verse 8, we see God expressing this name.

Isaiah 42 and verse 8 simply says, God says, God said, No other king, no other judge, no other God, My glory is mine. According to the United Church of God booklet, The Ten Commandments, I want to read you a short quote about the name of God. It says, God used this in Exodus chapter 3 verse 14 when Moses asked God his name, and God responded that his name is, I am who I am, or perhaps more accurately, I will be what I will be.

The name Yahweh expresses God's self-existent and eternal nature. It's the name that pertains to the past, the present, and the future. Again, God is eternal, and his name essentially means, I have been, I am, and not only am I, I am what I have been, and I will be. I will be what I am and what I have been. God's name pertains to the past, the present, and the future, and expresses his self-existent and his eternal nature.

The name Yahweh appears 6,800 times in the Hebrew writings. Again, it's referred to often as the tetragrammaton, which simply means four letters. That's a grammatical term, not a Biblical term, but you might hear that thrown around on occasion. The accurate pronunciation of the name is not certain. In the Biblical Hebrew writings, only the consonant letters are recorded. The vowel points are not there, and as a person would read that, they would understand what the vowel points were.

The entire record is this way, not just the name of God. The full pronunciation of God's name was oral, and it was spoken, and it was passed from person to person. However, due to caution, I suppose, and the fear of using God's name in vain or irreverently, God's name ceased to be spoken.

Yahweh was replaced with Adonai, which means my Lord. So now, as we come down through the generations, a known sound in the exact pronunciation of the name was lost. Again, as I said, Yahweh is our best estimation as to how that name is pronounced. Some have pronounced it Jehovah, or Yehova, but most agree it's pretty clear that's not an accurate rendition of that name.

As we look at God's name, Yahweh, we see it's not in the exact pronunciation of the name that's essential, but rather it's the recognition and the acknowledgement of who God is, because that knowledge frames the relationship that we have with God. It helps us understand His character and His eternal nature. So just like the term El, there are compounds to the name of Yahweh. There are Hebrew words, descriptive words, which have been added to God's name in Scripture, and they lend to a fuller understanding of who and what God is, His nature, His character, and how He interacts with His people.

So through the remainder of the message, I want to look at these compounds contained with the name Yahweh and the Hebrew, descriptive, added to it. So the first one we're going to look at is Yahweh Yera. Yahweh Yera. And it means the Lord will provide. Genesis 22, verse 13. We see Yahweh Yera. Genesis 22, verse 13. Here Abraham is directed to go up and offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice unto God.

And we know the story. He was just about ready to put the knife to his son, and he was stopped. And now we have the ram which was provided as the offering. Genesis 22, verse 13. It says, Then Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place the Lord will provide. Yahweh Yera. The Lord will provide. As it is said to this day, the Mount of the Lord, it shall be provided.

God provided for Abraham, and it is God who provides for you and I in our spiritual lives today. Matthew 6, verse 30. Matthew 6, verse 30. We're going to see, again, as God's nature, as we come forward in Scripture, does not alter. He is our provider as well. Matthew 6, verse 30. Hear the words of Jesus Christ. He says, Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek. If your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things, but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. It is God who is our provider today. So seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Put God first in your life, and He'll see that you don't lack in these other ways. His provision, His blessing, His care come to us, brethren, because He is Yahweh Yira, the Lord will provide.

Next name we'll look at is Yahweh Salom. Yahweh Salom. And it means the Lord is peace. Judges 6.

Judges 6, verse 23.

You're kind of jumping into the middle of the account with Gideon. Judges 6, verse 23. It says, Yahweh Salom. It was God who brought peace to Gideon, and it is God who is the greatest source of peace in our life today. We can see that characteristic of God if we turn forward to the New Testament. Philippians 4, verse 6 and 7.

Philippians 4, verse 6 and 7. You hear the Apostle Paul writing. He said, The peace in this world negotiates cease fires and peace treaties that are maybe easily made and quickly broken. The peace of God, brethren, is not dependent on the conditions on the ground around us. The peace of God comes from submitting yourself to Him first. It's dependent on putting your relationship with God first, trusting Him and looking to Him as your peace. Verse 9, continuing on, it says, The next one we'll look at is Yahweh Nisei. Yahweh Nisei, the Lord is my banner. Exodus 17, verse 13.

Exodus 17 and verse 13. Kind of the run-up in the story here, you recall, Israel went into battle against Amalek, and as Moses held his arms up, then Israel would prevail over Amalek. But as soon as he dropped his arms, then the tide of the battle would turn. Moses' arms got tired. Then you had Aaron on one side and her on the other side, holding his arms up until the battle was complete, and Israel was victorious. And we find here, again in Exodus 17 and verse 13, it says, Then the Lord said to Moses, Write this for a memorial in the book, and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar and called its name, The Lord is My Banner. For he said, Because the Lord has sworn, the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. The Lord is My Banner, Yahweh Nisi. In the midst of physical and spiritual battle, God is the banner, brethren, that you and I run to for safety. It is to Him we look. He is the rallying point. He is the one who fights for us. He is the one in which we run to for our refuge and our safety. Notice Psalm 60. Psalm 60. Once again, a Psalm of David. The context of this chapter relates to a battle that David and his army are engaged in. Psalm 60 and verse 1, David says, O God, you have cast us off. You have broken us down. You have been displeased. He says, O restore us again. You have made the earth tremble. You have broken it. Heal its breaches, for it is shaking. You have shown your people hard things. You have made us drink the wine of confusion. Things didn't seem to be going so well for David and his army at this point, but in verse 4 we see that the deliverance and the hope that is extended to them is an account of God, their banner. Verse 4, it says, You have given a banner to those who fear you, that it may be displayed because of the truth, that your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and hear me. The New Living Translation renders verse 4 and 5 this way. It says, But you have raised a banner for those who fear you, a rattling point in the face of attack. Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power. Brethren, to have God raise a banner against the disobedient is a fearful thing, but to have Him raise His banner over those who fear Him and trust in Him, it is a source of comfort and strength and encouragement. It's the type of relationship that you and I can have with God when we look to Him and we trust in Him for our deliverance. God is our banner, Yahweh Nisei.

The next name for God we'll look at is Yahweh Savioth. Yahweh Savioth means the Lord of Hosts or the Lord of Armies. Lord of Hosts or the Lord of Armies. It's a name that occurred some 261 times in the Old Testament. It's actually the most used term when we have it in one of these compound combination names with Yahweh. It's the most used term that expresses God's great power. 1 Samuel 17.

1 Samuel 17, verse 45. Here we have the giant Goliath that had been challenging the nation of Israel, and David now is going out to face him. 1 Samuel 17, verse 45. Then David said to the Philistine, 2 Samuel 17. 1 Samuel 17.

The name the Lord of Hosts denotes God's sovereignty over the armies both physically and spiritually. God was the Lord, the God, the King over the physical army of Israel, and he is the God and the King over his spiritual and angelic army as well. The name denotes God as the Almighty God who is over all heaven and earth, over all powers, and over the armies of his creation. Jeremiah 32 and verse 17.

Jeremiah 32, 17. We continue looking at the Lord of Hosts.

Jeremiah 32, 17. Jeremiah says, He guides and guides and guides the great and mighty gods whose name is the Lord of Hosts.

Yahweh Seviat. The great God, the mighty God, again, as Jeremiah said, the God who made the heavens and the earth is the Lord of Hosts. Hopefully it's a comfort, brethren, to you and I as we realize that that great and mighty God watches over us. He guides and directs our lives. He watches our back. He protects us as we walk through this life. The concept of the Lord of Hosts and the armies of heaven reminds me of 2 Kings 6, the story of Elisha.

2 Kings 6, verse 11.

We're jumping into the middle of the context here. 2 Kings 6, 11. It says, One of his servants said, But Elisha, the prophet who was in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom. And so he said, Verse 14 says, And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army surrounding the city with horses and chariots, and a servant said to him, Alas, my master, what shall we do? So Elisha answered, saying, Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. And Elisha prayed and said, Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see. Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Again, brethren, God is our defender. He sent a portion of his spiritual army as the Lord of Hosts, sent a portion of that army in defense of Elisha. It is God who is the Lord of Hosts, and it is God who can bring that same power to bear in our lives in accordance with his will as he intervenes and guides and directs the course of our steps. Again, Yahweh Seviat, the Lord of Hosts.

The next one is Yahweh Sidknu. Yahweh Sidknu, and it means the Lord our righteousness. The Lord our righteousness. Jeremiah 33, verse 14.

Jeremiah 33, verse 14.

It says, Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that it will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David a branch of righteousness, a prophecy of Jesus Christ. He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called, Jerusalem will be called, the Lord our righteousness.

Yahweh Sidknu, the Lord our righteousness. Brethren, it is God who is the source and standard for all righteousness. His character is righteous, His words are righteous, His laws are righteous, His judgments are righteous. God is the source of all righteousness. Psalm 89, verse 14.

It says, righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Mercy and truth go before your face. And so everything that God does stems from His righteousness. God's judgment, His mercy, His love, His care, all the actions that spring forth from God are according to the righteous nature and character of God. Verse 15, blessed are the people who know the joyful sound. They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance, in Your name they rejoice all day long, and in Your righteousness they are exalted.

Apart from the righteousness of God, you and I are nothing.

The righteousness of man is described as filthy rags in the sight of God, but you know what? We can become the righteousness of God through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, through repentance, through forgiveness, through reconciliation with God, and in the righteousness that He imputes to us, we can become the righteousness of God.

Yahweh, sich nu, the Lord our righteousness. The next we'll look at is Yahweh, mekaddishkim. Yahweh, mekaddishkim is translated the Lord our sanctifier. Exodus 31, verse 13.

Exodus 31, verse 13, It says, Yahweh, mekaddishkim is God alone who sanctifies us. It is God who sets us apart as holy. Just like righteousness, holiness is not of us. Holiness springs forth from God and Him alone. You and I don't have the ability to make anything holy of and by ourselves. Holiness, as it pertains to our lives, comes as a result of God's relationship with us, God dwelling in us through His Holy Spirit. That is why and that is how we are considered God's holy people, spiritual people of God. Apart from God, we are not holy. We are not righteous. But it is God who is our sanctifier who sets us apart before Him. Leviticus 20, verse 7.

Leviticus 20, verse 7.

It says, Consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. And you shall keep my statutes and perform them I am the Lord who sanctifies you. Again, Yahweh, make a dishkim. It is God who sets us apart as holy. It is God who has the right to set the standard as to how we live our life as His holy people. Holy God, the righteous God, is the God that we serve. Next, we'll look at Yahweh, Rofica. Yahweh, Rofica, and it's translated, the Lord who heals you. Exodus chapter 15, verse 24. Exodus 15 and verse 24. It says, And the people complained against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And so he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. And when it was cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There he made a statute in an ordinance for them, and there he tested them. And he said, If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, and will put none of these diseases on you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you. Yahweh, Rofica. Psalm 103.

Psalm 103 and verse 1.

David says, Bless the Lord, O my soul, all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.

It is God who is our Creator, He is our Sustainer, and He is our Healer. It is God we come to, and when I anoint somebody, I lay hands upon them, setting them apart before God. We come before His throne, seeking His intervention, His healing, His mercy. Again, He is our Healer. Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the stripes that Jesus Christ took on our behalf, again, we can have access to that ultimate spiritual healing that comes through a personal relationship with the Father.

Yahweh, Rofika, the Lord who heals you. Next, we'll look at Yahweh, Roy. Yahweh, Roy, the Lord is my Shepherd. I don't think I have to go too far for any one of you to know what this refers to. Psalm 23.

Psalm 23, the Lord is my Shepherd.

Brethren, this isn't just some far-out concept or a theoretical idea. This is how God relates to us, interacts in relationship with us, and hopefully it is an encouragement to us. Psalm 23, the Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Brethren, the Lord is our Shepherd today as well. As we submit to God's lead in our life, He guides us. He cares for us. He directs us. He leads us in a way that is right and true and fulfilling and brings us to where it is that we need to be in this life. God protects us, just as the loving Shepherd cares for and nurtures and guides and directs the sheep of His pasture. The Lord is our Shepherd, Yahweh Roy. Final one we'll look at today is Yahweh Avinu. Yahweh Avinu, the Lord our Father. Isaiah chapter 64, verse 8.

Isaiah 64, 8. Isaiah says, But now, O Lord, you are our Father, And we are the clay, and you are Potter, And all we are the work of your hand. I'm going to read that again. He says, But now, O Lord, you are our Father, And we are our Father, we are the clay, And you are our Potter, And all we are the work of your hand.

The Lord our Father, Yahweh Avinu. It is God who is the Father of all creation. All things that exist are from the Father. He's molding and shaping us, brethren, today into the image, just as a person would work with a lump of clay and form it into the image that you desire. God is forming and shaping us into the image that he desires, that which is pleasing in his sight. He is the Potter, we are the clay, and there is no better place to be but then in the hands of God. Yahweh Avinu, the Lord our Father. There are a number of other names throughout Scripture and titles for God that we could walk through and look at. Obviously, we don't have time today to go through everything, so I would just encourage you, and hopefully this has gotten your mind rolling on this, but I'd encourage you to pursue and continue to look into Scripture to see how it is that God reveals himself through his name, through the way in which he interacted with his people down through history. You'll come to recognize that the way he interacted with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are the way that he interacts and maintains this relationship with us today. For me, it's encouraging to look into God's Word, see who he is, see his character, to see his eternal existence and know that he is steadfast. Today, we've seen that the God we worship is Almighty. He is all-sufficient. He is the Most High God. He is the God who sees everything. He is the God of eternity. And as a God of eternity, he is our provider, our defender, our peace, our righteousness, our sanctifier, our healer, our shepherd, and our Father. To me, these aspects of God's character and nature are of incredible comfort and encouragement as I live this Christian life, and I hope they are for you as well. The God we worship is not far off from us. He is not in some distant corner of the universe just waiting to meet us and interact with us. God is directly and personally and intimately involved in our lives today. Brethren, let's take courage and the knowledge of the majesty of God as we live this life seeking him and calling on his name.