On Knowing God in His Name – Part II

Part I

Jehovah-Nissi: The Lord Is My Banner

In chapter 17 of the Book of Exodus, another of God’s names is revealed. During Israel’s wandering in the desert, they encamped at Rephidim and soon encountered fierce enemies called the Amalekites (Exodus 17:1 &8). These descendants of Esau were none too happy with this group of formerly enslaved people tramping through their region. They were a warlike people, highly gifted in fighting, and they laid siege on the Israelites. The Israelites had been in captivity in Egypt for centuries and had no experience in warfare, nor were they equipped with the necessary weaponry. Being at war with the Amalekites created a national existential crisis. Moses was too old to fight, so he relied on his young general, Joshua, to fight off the Amalekites (vs 10). Meanwhile, Moses took Aaron and Hur, climbed up a nearby mountain to gain a bird’s eye view of the battle, and lifted the staff of God in his hands (vs 9).

Israel prevailed as long as Moses kept his hands raised, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight (vs 11). Inevitably, Moses’ hands grew tired, and they had to support him by sitting him down on a rock, holding his hands steadily raised until sunset (vs 12). So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the sword (vs 13). And God made yet another promise, which was to be remembered and recited to Joshua (i.e. every soldier of God); that the Lord would completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens (vs 14).

Take up the banner of the Lord! The Lord has a war against Amalek through the ages (Exodus 17:16).

Then Moses acknowledged God’s victory, and in an act of worship, he built an altar in praise of God and named it Yahweh-Nissi.

We live in a world of conflict, with the devil before and the flesh within us (Galatians 5:17). We must go out and engage many Amaleks in battle (vs 9), but we have to visualise God’s banner waving above us (vs 16). When the hot and dry sun scorches our bodies, and the sandy and windy desert storm rages about, we pray that the Lord stands before us (vs 6). We pray with both hands lifted (Psalm 63:4), with passion, trusting that Jehovah-Nissi will conquer on our behalf (Psalm 37:5). The Lord will enable us to run, not be weary, to walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). We keep in mind that the battle is the Lord’s. We are His people. He is our Victory (1 Corinthians 15:57). Our identity must be the Lord – God Himself, Jehovah-Nissi. We need to get under His banner – Jesus Christ, the Lord who is my Banner – and the victory will be ours (1 John 5:4).

Jehovah-M’Kaddesh: The Lord who Sanctifies

Another great name of God is found in the Book of Leviticus. Here, we learn the rules of doing what is right and the regulations for doing it correctly. The sacrifices, regulations, and ceremonies described in Leviticus are about serving a holy and righteous God (Leviticus 11:44-45). Our sinful nature keeps us from being holy as God is holy. We are predisposed to turn from God and to sin (1 Peter 1:15). But the Lord God is a loving parent who does not leave us to our own devices. He comes alongside us to correct and teach us how we should live. Then, He helps us to experience the joy of right living.

Sanctify yourselves, then, and be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy. ⁸ Be careful, therefore, to observe my statutes. I, the Lord, make you holy. – Leviticus 20:7-8

God gives this command to be holy with the promise that He will work holiness into us (Philippians 1:6). The Lord, Jehovah-M’Kaddesh, makes us holy. The Lord sets us apart for Himself (Exodus 8:22-23) and perfects what concerns us (Psalm 4:4). Even today, the Lord distinguishes between His people and unbelievers.

As St. Paul asserts in 2 Timothy 2:19,

Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands, bearing this inscription, “The Lord knows those who are His”; and, “Let everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord avoid evil.

We must understand that the Lord Himself – Jehovah-M’Kaddesh – is sanctified. He is apart from and holy above all else in the universe (Deuteronomy 4:35). None is holy as He is (1 Samuel 2:2), and beside Him, there is no God (Isaiah 44:6). The Lord Jesus Christ, who is our High Priest (Hebrews 4:15 & Hebrews 7:26) is sanctified and sanctifies us (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Spirit of God is so holy and thus set apart from the presence of sinners. His eyes are too pure to look upon wickedness and cannot endure the sight of evil (Habakkuk 1:13). He alone is the Holy One, before whom all nations shall come and worship; for the righteous acts of the Lord who sanctifies have been revealed (Revelation 15:4).

Whether society yields to the authority of Jehovah-M’Kaddesh or not, we must choose to serve the Lord who sanctifies us Revelation 3:14-16). We must draw near and get to know Him as the Lord who sanctifies us. We must worship God in the beauty of sanctification.

Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord Who Is Peace

The Book of Judges recounts a period where the ancient lands of Israel were divided between the many Jewish tribes. The Israelites lived through cycles of sin, redemption, and return to sin. By this time, Joshua, who led them into the Promised Land, was dead, and there was no earthly king. The times were chaotic, and everyone did what they deemed right in their own eyes (Joshua 17:6). God’s chosen people rebelled through idolatry and disbelief, God brought judgment through foreign oppression, God raised a deliverer (also called a judge), and the people repented and turned back to God. Then, the people fell back into sin, and the cycle started again.

Chapter 6 of the Book of Judges accounts for one such cycle when Midian held Israel subject for seven years. All of Israel lived constantly on edge because the Midianites would raid, rape, pillage and kill almost at will. At the time, the whole nation of Israel was a bunch of tribes without national unity. Israel was thus reduced to utter poverty by Midian, and seeing they had reached rock bottom, they cried out to the Lord. In response, God sent a prophet to rebuke Israel for how they had forgotten their deliverance from Egypt. And then God called a deliverer – a young Hebrew man named Gideon – who was hiding in a winepress so that he could thresh out some grain for his family. The messenger of the Lord greeted him with remarkable words, “The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior!” (vs 12).

But oppression can make us doubt our capabilities, and Gideon was cynical and convinced that God had abandoned them (vs 13). The angel assured him that this was not the case; he had been appointed Israel’s new deliverer. The angel indicated that Gideon had what was needed to save Israel from Midian, but Gideon was focused on poverty and societal status (vs 15). God knows who we can become when under the influence of the Holy Spirit and guarantees to be with Gideon as he defeated Midian to the last man. However, Gideon is still reluctant and asks for proof (vs 17). Gideon reacted with awe to the miraculous sign but realising that God Himself was speaking to him, he was terrified (vs 22). God comforted Gideon (vs 23), who responded in worship and consecration to the Lord by building an altar there (vs 24). He called it Yahweh-Shalom, meaning the Lord is Peace. He was no longer terrified of God, who gave him inward peace so that He could send him out to war.

When we are gripped in fear, we can use this name, Jehovah-Shalom, in prayer. The Lord is our Peace (Ephesians 2:14) and is always near us. We should not be anxious for anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, we make our requests known to Jehovah-Shalom with thanksgiving. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The Lord Who Is Righteous

In the Book of Prophet Jeremiah, God promises an unrighteous people that He will send a king to be their righteousness (Jeremiah 23:5-6 & Jeremiah 33:15-16). The Jewish monarchy had produced successive kings who were worse from one to the next. The nation of Israel was in a spiritual death spiral, but few listened to the prophet’s warnings. Jeremiah was deeply discouraged, so the Lord gave him the prophecy of the coming Messiah to reassure him, help him, save him from the people’s wrath, and strengthen him in ministry. God promised to take the remaining stump of David’s line and bring forth a green shoot. This Branch of righteousness would lead God’s people as a successful King whose reign would be marked by prosperity, justice, and righteousness. This just reign would extend to the earth, not only the boundaries of Israel. In this King’s days, rescue and security would be for all God’s people, who would become a united monarchy once again. And this King would be named Jehovah-Tsidkenu, The Lord who is our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6 & Jeremiah 33:16).

Since we have no righteousness of our own, we fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:10, 23). Yet we can’t achieve righteousness by our efforts (Jeremiah 13:23). The Lord Jesus Christ is our only source of righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Therefore, Jehovah-Tsidkenu, the Lord Jesus Christ who is our righteousness offers to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. When we accept Him as our Saviour, He gives us a gift of His righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30), which covers our sins (Isaiah 61:10).

When we feel like giving up, Jehovah-Tsidkenu, who does not reject anyone who comes to Him (John 6:37), will send His timely word (Ecclesiastes 3:1): to direct you (Psalm 37:23), to enable you to enjoy today’s every moment (proverbs 27:1), to increase your hope (Jeremiah 29:11), to strengthen you in faith (Isiah 40:28-31) and to reward you (Galatians 6:9).

Jehovah-Shammah: The Lord Who Is There

The Temple was built as a place for God to dwell, but the Israelites repeatedly rebelled and stubbornly took to worshipping other gods. As a result, God’s presence withdrew from both the temple and the city of Jerusalem. However, God’s desire has always been to dwell with us (Exodus 25:8 & Leviticus 26:11-12). That is why He pursues us (Luke 15), and His dwelling place is with us (Psalm 27:4 & Psalm 90:1). We acknowledge that God acts with intensity and intentionality to move closer to His people so that He might dwell with them again. This is why the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. And His glory was seen, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth (John 1:14 & Philippians 2:7). In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul reminds us that we are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in us (1 Corinthians 3:16).

In the last verse of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, God promises that the Nation will be restored and His Presence will return to the City. But this new city would be called Jehovah-Shammah, which means the Lord is there (Ezekiel 48:35). In this name, God promises His presence with us every moment of every day (Matthew 28:20 & 2 Corinthians 6:16) – a time of glory, and peace, and joy, and truth, and righteousness. This name tells of the complete satisfaction of God and man. It tells how God is at rest among His people, with His original purpose fully realised. Man is also at rest in God, having finally reached his true destiny.

This principle of Jehovah-Shammah will carry on into the eternal state (Revelation 21:3). My prayers should call on this name often so that I may experience God’s being there because He is Jehovah-Shammah.

Take-Home Message

We will find many more names of God when we continue reading through scripture. God wills that we know Him in His name, rich with meaning. They point to who He is and give us a clear picture of what He has done, is, and will do. They remind us of His holy attributes. They help us to honour and worship Him. A mention of any of these names fills us with peace, comforting and reassuring us in time. They affirm our hearts, minds, and souls in faith, hope, and love. The more we study the names of God, the more we trust Him.

*NB: Unless specifically stated, all Bible quotations are from the NABRE Version.