Names of God in the Old Testament
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THE NAMES OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT MinistriesMinistries Ministries 2 Buckskin Road Greenville, SC 29607-5107 Keith Ekberg www.biblespeaks.org e-mail: [email protected] 40 plagues (Deut. 28:22, 27, 28, 35), blindness (II Kin. 6:18), and even removed Israel from their land (I Kin. 14:15). The LORD also smote men with death due to their sin (II Sam. 6:7). When the LORD’s words and commands are violated, TABLE OF CONTENTS mankind can only expect God to smite them for their sin, unless they are willing to turn from their sin to God for mercy. Turn to Him today for mercy and grace through the I. ELOHIM……………………………………………………….2 shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. II. JEHOVAH……………………………………………………..5 III. ADONAI……………………………………………………...10 XVIII. JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH IV. EL-ELYON…………………………………………………...12 V. EL-ROI………………………………………………………..14 The eighteenth and last name we want to consider is Jeho- vah-Shammah . This is the eleventh of the compound names VI. EL-SHADDAI………………………………………………...16 for Jehovah . This name appears only one time in the Old VII. EL-OLAM…………………………………………………….18 Testament, and it is found in the last verse of the prophet VIII. JEHOVAH-JIREH……………………………………………20 Ezekiel 48:35b , “and the name of the city from that day shall IX. JEHOVAH-ROPHE…………………………………………..22 be, the LORD is there.” Jerusalem will be the capital of the X. JEHOVAH-NISSI…………………………………………….24 earth during the 1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth and it will be called Jehovah-Shammah. The English translation of XI. JEHOVAH-M’QADDESH…………………………………...27 Jehovah-Shammah is “the LORD is there.” XII. JEHOVAH-SHALOM………………………………………..29 XIII. JEHOVAH-SABAOTH………………………………………31 The Meaning of Jehovah-Shammah XIV. JEHOVAH-RAAH……………………………………………35 Jehovah-Shammah means the LORD is present . In Psalm XV. JEHOVAH-TSIDQENU……………………………………...36 139:7-12 King David teaches that the LORD is ever present XVI. JEHOVAH-EL GMOLAH……………………………………38 throughout His creation (omnipresent, Ps. 139:7-12). He has been with His creation from the very beginning. When God XVII. JEHOVAH-NAKEH………………………………………….38 seems far from us it is because we are far from Him and not XVIII. JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH……………………………………..39 trusting Him. He has promised the unbeliever to give him rest and salvation if he would only call on Him (Matt. 11:28- 30; Rom. 10:13). The Lord has promised the believer to never leave or forsake him (Heb. 13:5-6). The Lord is ever near to hear our cry for help. Will you call on Him for help today? He is ever near, for His name is Jehovah-Shammah . Suggested Further Reading Stone, Nathan. Names of God. Chicago: Moody Press, 1944. 39 XVI. JEHOVAH-EL GMOLAH The The sixteenth name we want to consider is Jehovah-El Gmo- NAMES OF GOD lah . This is the ninth of the compound names for Jehovah . This name appears only one time in the Old Testament in the Scriptures in Jeremiah 51:56b, “For the LORD God of rec- OLD TESTAMENT ompense shall surely requite” or repay . The English transla- tion of Jehovah-El Gmolah is “the LORD of recompense.” The Meaning of Jehovah-Gmolah INTRODUCTION The word Gmolah or recompense means to give one his just Our goal in this study of the names of God is to gain a deserts or payback . This name indicates that God will repay greater understanding and knowledge of the God of the Holy mankind for any sin he has committed. Jehovah is a God of Scriptures. The names to be studied will come from the Old mercy and grace (Ex. 34:6), but if you reject His offer of Testament Scriptures. To the Jewish people of the Old Tes- mercy and grace through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus tament, a name was very important. They would not just Christ, you are already condemned (John 3:18) and will face pick a name because it sounded nice or because it was differ- God’s eternal judgment in the lake of fire for ever (II Thess. ent, but they would choose a name to convey some truth or 1:7-9, Rev. 20:11-15). What is your choice: mercy and fact about the child born. The name reflected the character grace, or condemnation and judgment? of the child or the circumstances that surrounded the birth of the child. So then, and much more so, do the names of God convey the many-faceted character and work of our God. XVII. JEHOVAH-NAKEH The study of God’s many names will give us a greater The seventeenth name we want to consider is Jehovah- knowledge of our wonderful God. The Lord Jesus said in Nakeh . This is the tenth of the compound names for Jeho- His high priestly prayer in John 17:3, “and this is life eter- vah , and it is only found one time in the Old Testament nal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Scriptures. “ And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I Christ, whom thou hast sent.” No one can get to know God have pity: I will recompense thee according to thy ways and without knowledge of Him. Hosea 4:6 states concerning the thine abominations that are in the midst of thee; and ye shall people of Israel, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowl- know that I am the LORD that smiteth” (Ezek. 7:9). The edge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also re- English translation of Jehovah-Nakeh is “the LORD who ject thee.” Today mankind is in the same condition, he lacks smiteth.” the knowledge of God and the result is spiritual death instead of spiritual life, and a powerless life instead of a life in which The Meaning of Jehovah-Nakeh the power of God exists. These days are days in which man- The word Nakeh means to strike, to wound, to defeat, to kind lacks the knowledge of the one true God. This study pierce or to kill. This term is used to describe the Lord’s will cover 18 of the Old Testament names of God, in which actions towards men’s sin and rebellion towards Him. God reveals some knowledge concerning His person and work. Because of the rebellion of the children of Israel He sent 1 38 Jehovah-Tsidqenu and Mankind’s Need I. ELOHIM During their entire history theThe nation of Israel wa s not known The first of these names that we want to consider is Elohim. for righteousness. The reason for their lack of righteousness NAMES OF GOD The name Elohim is a Hebrew word and is not found in our is the same as it would be for every man. “They are all gone English translation. You might ask, “When will I know aside, they are all togetherin become the filthy: there is none that when this name Elohim appears in the Old Testament?” The doeth good, no, not one” (Ps. 14:3). This verse is also English translators translated the Hebrew name Elohim , quoted in Romans 3:12. The only one who is righteous in “God” 2,606 times which is the plural form, and “God” 245 thought, word, and deed is God alone (Ps. 119:142, 144; times from its singular form El . You only have to open your 129:4, Isa. 45:19, 21, Jer. 23:5-6; 33:15-16). Why is it that Bible to Genesis 1:1 and read, “In the beginning God God alone is righteous, and man is not? Because God by His [Elohim ] created the heaven and the earth.” This name Elo- very nature is holy or completely separate from sin (Lev. him or God appears 31 times in the first chapter of Genesis 11:44-45), and man by his very nature is sinful from birth alone. Why did God give us many different names for Him- (Ps. 51:5, Eccl. 7:20, Rom. 3:10-12, 23). self? Most people have a first name, middle, and last name. Mankind is not righteous but unclean and filthy (Isa. 64:6). But why does God have eighteen names and more? God is Someone who is unclean and filthy cannot perform any an infinite being, that means God is without limits. Since He righteous acts; therefore, he can not do anything that would is a limitless God, He needs many names to reveal Himself make himself acceptable with God. Since I Corinthians 6:9- to mankind. The human language is limited in its ability to 10 and Galatians 5:19-21 teach us that “the unrighteous shall describe an unlimited God. not inherit the kingdom of God,” then in order for a man to The Meaning of Elohim inherit the kingdom of God, he will need God to help him become righteous so he can enter God’s Kingdom. The name Elohim emphasizes God’s strength and power as seen in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the In Isaiah 11:1, 5 the Lord promised that He would bring a heaven and the earth,” and Psalm 19:1, “The heavens de- righteous branch through the line of King David (Jesse). clare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His This righteous branch is the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the handiwork.” El , the singular form of Elohim , stresses God shedding of His blood on the cross of Calvary He provided a the strong one . But the plural form, Elohim , intensifies our way for unrighteous sinners to be made righteous by faith great God’s vast Person and power . The name Elohim , be- alone in that work done on Calvary (Rom.