The Names of God Pt. III
Life & Light Community Church
Message from 9/10/2022
Life & Light Community Church began in the early months of 2020. What began as an opportunity for me, my wife and step-kids to continue to worship together, has now evolved into a ministry that has expanded to include close friends, family, and those who are simply hungry for the word of God. You can find us on Facebook, so please, feel free to reach out and join us.
“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:12–13 (NASB95)
Scripture tells us that “whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13).” But which name are you calling upon? Yes, that’s right, our Lord God has more than one name. The Names of God, which we are looking at today, are found in the Old Testament. Each name shows a different characteristic or attribute of God. These names are revealed to those who needed God, and a specific part of God, at that moment in time. There are some amazing things revealed about God in His names and those things will help the Christ follower develop a deeper faith.
This message will seek to help the Christ follower understand why The Names of God are important to develop a deeper faith.
The Names of God help the Christ follower know the One who has called them into fellowship on a deeper, more personal level.
1). The importance of the name El to the Christ follower.
El is the God we depend on.
The first name we will examine is the name El. El is the generic Semitic name for God. El means the Strong One. Ell is the God we can depend on, El will overcome all, for He is stronger than any false god. There are three Scriptures we will look at to help us understand the importance of El to the Christ follower. First up is Exodus 15:5:
“The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will extol Him.”
Exodus 15:2 (NASB95)
This passage is known as the Song of Moses, a song of deliverance sung by Moses and the people after El, the strong One, had parted the waters of the Red Sea, allowing the Hebrew people to escape the army of Pharoah. Moses exalts the strength of El, calling Him “my salvation.” Not only has El uses His strength to defeat the armies of Pharoah, but He has shown He is the God Moses, and the people can depend on, for when things looked to be at the darkest, El made a way for His people through the waters of the Sea.
Our next Scripture is found in Numbers 23:22:
“God brings them out of Egypt, He is for them like the horns of the wild ox.”
Numbers 23:22 (NASB95)
This passage comes after Balaam has been sent by Balak, the son of the king of Moab, to curse the nation of Israel, but Balaam is unable to curse Israel and instead, blesses the people. It is Balak, the one who wanted Israel cursed, who takes up the discourse of praising the God of Israel. The wild ox is a symbol of great strength, El uses His great strength to bring His people from Egypt.
Our final Scripture comes from Deuteronomy 7:9:
“Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;”
Deuteronomy 7:9 (NASB95)
This verse is found in the passage God has given the Hebrew people the command to destroy the Canaanites. El is preparing to purify the land He has given to the Israelites, and it begins with removing the evil Canaanites and their false gods. El is fulfilling His covenant to give His people a land flowing with milk and honey. Simply put, El is the God we can depend on, He is faithful in His promises and the covenants He makes. El is a God who keeps His promises! El overcomes all, including the evil in the land promised to the Israelites and the evil we face.
For the Christ follower, we need to understand the importance of El in our walk with Christ. We face, sometimes daily, situations that seem impossible to get out of or to find a way around them. Some storms we face seem as though we will never make it through them. As Christ followers, we need El to make a way through these situations and storms we face during our earthly days. Likewise, we need the strength of El to face the spiritual battles we face on a near daily basis. If we try to fight these battles in our own strength, we will fail miserably, and our faith may be shaken beyond repair. Finally, we need El to help us overcome our fears, doubts, uncertainty about the future, what lies ahead, and the spiritual battels we face. We may be facing evil itself, or evil coming through those around us, but we cannot overcome evil on our own, we need El to overcome for us!
Questions for discussion/reflection:
How is El making a way for you during this season of life?
How is El being your strength today?
What is El overcoming for you in this season of life?
The Names of God help the Christ follower know the One who has called them into fellowship on a deeper, more personal level.
2). The importance of the name Immanuel to the Christ follower.
Immanuel is the name used to indicate that Yeshua is more than just a man.
The second name we seek to understand is the name Immanuel. We all know Immanuel is “God with us,” but it also means “I AM,” for Yeshua is God in our midst. Immanuel is the name that indicates Yeshua is more than just a man. We will examine two Scripture references from Isaiah, the first from 7:14, a passage we are all acquainted with:
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14 (NASB95)
We know this passage as the prophecy of the birth of Yeshua, the Son of God, born to the virgin Mary, a young woman engaged to Matthew, a carpenter from Bethlehem and the line of king David. Yeshua is the Word who existed from the beginning, in John 1. Later John would tell us the Word became flesh to dwell among us. This is the fulfillment of the prophecy from the perspective of John the apostle. Yeshua came to this world as a babe, born in the flesh of humanity to live with those He created in His image. Yeshua is “God with us,” revealing God the Farther to all humanity.
The second passage from Isaiah is found in chapter 8, verses 8-10:
“Then it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through, It will reach even to the neck; And the spread of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel. Be broken, O peoples, and be shattered; And give ear, all remote places of the earth. Gird yourselves, yet be shattered; Gird yourselves, yet be shattered. Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; State a proposal, but it will not stand, For God is with us.”
Isaiah 8:8–10 (NASB95)
The Lord is speaking to Isaiah, giving him a prophecy of the coming invasion of Judah, in which only Jerusalem will escape. This invasion will spread like the flowing waters of Shiloah. No matter how bad it seems the situation might be, Immanuel, God is with us, is present in the storm. No matter what the enemy may have planned, it will not strand because God is with us!
For the Christ follower the importance of the name Immanuel comes into sharper clarity in the New Testament, where we learn more about the mission and purpose of Immanuel, in Yeshua, the Messiah. It begins in Matthew with the long genealogy given to prove that Yeshua comes from the line of David and is thus qualified to be the King of Israel. When Matthew comes to the birth of Yeshua, an angel of the Lord tells Joseph that the Son Mary will give birth to will save His people from their sins.
Luke gives us further details to the birth of Yeshua when Luke recounts the story of the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, in the village of Nazareth. Gabriel tells Mary she will give birth to a son, and she is to name Him Yeshua. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High and the Lord will give Him the throne of His father David. He will sit on this throne and His kingdom will never end. Gabriel further tells Mary that she will conceive this son when the Holy Spirit comes upon her so the son born to her will be called the Son of God.
We, as Christ followers, must come to understand that Yeshua has come to save us from our sins, releasing us from bondage to sin, death, and the grave. Not only is He the King of Israel, but He is also the King of the Universe, and the King of our lives as Christ followers.
Questions for discussion/reflection:
How is Yeshua revealing “God with us,” during this season in life?
How is Yeshua, dismantling the enemy’s plan against you today?
How is Yeshua showing Himself as the Son of God in your life?
The Names of God help the Christ follower know the One who has called them into fellowship on a deeper, more personal level.
3). The importance of the name Jehovah-Rohi to the Christ follower.
The name for Yeshua as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life.
The final name we will examine is the name Jehovah-Rohi. This is the name for Yeshua as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life. Jehovah-Rohi is the Lord my Shepherd, protecting, guiding, directing, leading and caring for His people; He is a strong and patient Shepherd. There are two Scripture references we will examine today, the first a very familiar passage, found in Psalm 23.
We will look at the first three verses of Psalm 23 today:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.”
Psalm 23:1–3 (NASB95)
Jehovah-Rohi is my Shepherd, MY Shepherd. He is a personal Shepherd, He knows my every need, therefore, I will not be in want. My Shepherd protects me, cares for me, guides me, and directs me. He finds green pastures for me to settle down, quiet waters for refreshment, not just of my thirst but also my own sense of peace and calm. He guides me in paths of righteousness, He keeps me from wandering from the path the Father has prepared for me. This is my personal Shepherd who knows my every need and see to them faithfully.
Finally, we will look at Isaiah 53:6:
“All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”
Isaiah 53:6 (NASB95)
Isaiah 53 is well known as a description of the Suffering Servant. One of the biggest issues the Jewish people had with Yeshua being the Messiah was the fact that He suffered. In the minds of the Jewish people the Messiah does not suffer! But, in fact, this Suffering Servant laid down His life for those who call on His name. It is by His suffering that we find our victory over sin, death, and the grave.
For the Christ follower, John 10 gives us the best dialogue on the Good Shepherd. Yeshua compares Himself as the Good Shepherd with the hired hand. The hired hand is not one to stick around when trouble comes upon the flock. The Good Shepherd will face any trouble that comes on the flock head-on. He will not turn and run but rather, He will stand and fight, putting His own life on the line for His sheep. The Good Shepherd also knows His sheep and His sheep know the sound of His voice. In addition, the Good Shepherd has other sheep He will bring into His sheepfold, becoming the One Shepherd for the entire flock.
Questions for discussion/reflection:
How is Yeshua being a strong and patient Shepherd for you today?
How is Yeshua, as the Good Shepherd, caring for your needs today?
How is Yeshua laying down His life for you during this season of life?
The Names of God help the Christ follower know the One who has called them into fellowship on a deeper, more personal level.
Why are The Names of God important to the Christ follower? Each name of God reveals a new characteristic or attribute of our Great God. The three names we have examined today offer hope, encouragement, and strength for our journey here on earth. El is the God we can depend on. His strength will make a way for us through the storms of life and see us through the spiritual battles we face. Immanuel is God with us. Yeshua has come to save us from our sins. He is the King of Israel, King of the Universe, and King of our lives. Finally, Jehovah-Rohi is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life. He is my personal Shepherd.
In the weeks ahead when the storms of life come, call on the name El to make a way through those storms. When the enemy whispers in your ear that your sins are too much for God to forgive, call on Immanuel, God with us, for Yeshua has come to forgive and save us from our sins. When life seems to be throwing everything including the kitchen sink at you, call on Jehovah-Rohi, the Good Shepherd. Your personal Shepherd will guide, direct, and care for you, no matter what you are facing.
We do all things for the glory of God, through Christ our Lord,
Amen and amen,
Next Week: John 622-29
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