God has many names. This devotional reading looks at what some of those mean.
Nuggets
- Jehovah means I AM.
- YHWH, according to Genesis 15: 7, is God’s personal covenant name.
- The use of Attiyq Youm occurs three times in the book of Daniel (7:9, 23, and 22) and in Isaiah.
- Called Elohim, God is not only all-powerful Creator of the universe, but He created everything in it.
- El Elyon means the Most High God.
- El Shaddai means the All Sufficient One or God Almighty.
- Emmanuel means God with us.
- Jehovah-Tsidkenu means the God of My Righteousness.
- El Roi means the God Who Sees Me.
- Jehovah-Rapha means the Lord Who Heals.
- Jehovah Rohi means the Lord is My Shepherd.
- Adonai, generally a substitute for YHWH, translates My Great Lord or Lord Master.
- Abba is even more personal, and we would say this is Daddy.
We don’t put as much stock into name anymore. We pick out names for a variety of reasons. We may name our child after someone – be it a relative, a friend or a celebrity. These days some names may be very … unique. Some would even say weird.
However, Hebrew proper names meant something. It was more than a title. The name was picked to tell something about the person’s character.
Maybe that is why God has so many names. How many? Here are just a few.
Let's Put It into Context
To read devotions in the Habitual Holiness of Heart and Life theme, click the button below.
Here is a running list of nuggets for the theme.
Devotions in the Commit to Grow Our Habits study
Here is a running list of nuggets for the study.
“… ‘Our Father Which art in heaven Hallowed be thy name’” (Mt. 6: 9 (NIV)
God Is Called Jehovah
Jehovah means I AM.
“Then Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “I am has sent me to you.’”’” (Ex. 3: 13-14 ESV).
God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. What He promises, He will deliver — regardless of us and our actions.
God wants to be present and accessible in our lives. We just need to call on Him.
In Psalm 107: 13, we learn He will save us when we call on Him. Even when we turn our back on God, He doesn’t turn His back on us. He remains faithful.
God Is Called YHWH
YHWH, according to Genesis 15: 7, is God’s personal covenant name.
God loves us so much that He gave us His proper name. But like most things, God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isa. 55: 8-9), so we don’t understand it. We need to just let go of our compulsion to understand everything.
A covenant is an agreement between two parties. We enter into this covenant when we believe in Jesus as our Savior, agree to submit our lives to God, and live according to His Will.
God Is Called the Ancient of Days
The use of Attiyq Youm occurs three times in the book of Daniel (7:9, 23, and 22) and in Isaiah.
“Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose” (Isa. 46: 8-10 ESV).
When you think of ancient, you think of long past. Some think of something past its prime and usefulness.
However, you can also think eternal. God is past, present, and future. He is still as relevant today as He was in years past.
Unfortunately, many people don’t want Him to be relevant. They don’t want a Higher Power telling them what to do – or more specifically what not to do.
People see Christianity as a big list of don’ts. It isn’t. The do’s make life so much more meaningful.
God Is Called Elohim
Called Elohim, God is not only all-powerful Creator of the universe, but He created everything in it.
What better verse to look at than “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1: 1 ESV).
I think we sometimes, forget the trees make up the forrest. God didn’t just create the planets and space. He created trees, birds, rivers, flowers — everything, including us.
God made it good. Man may have messed it up, but Genesis 1 tells us what God created was good.
Sin and sickness wasn’t created in God’s Creation. Man let that in because he didn’t want God to be relevant. He didn’t want to be obedient and submit to God.
God Is Called El Elyon
El Elyon means the Most High God.
God is Sovereign God. Isaiah 44: 6 says, “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god’” (ESV).
God is self-sufficient because He is in control. He doesn’t need anyone to bring things about. He can. He is King of kings and Lord of lords.
God is self-sufficient because He can do it all — far more than we mere humans can do.
God Is Called El Shaddai
El Shaddai means the All Sufficient One or God Almighty.
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly’” (Gen. 17: 1-2 ESV).
None of our problems are too big for God. “But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’” (Mt. 19: 26 ESV). He is omnipotent – all powerful.
God Is Called Emmanuel
Emmanuel means God with us.
We usually hear this at Christmas time. So,so we generally associate this more with Jesus than God.
But we know that God and Jesus are One. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1: 1 ESV).
We also know that God has sent the Holy Spirit – with whom He is also One – to remain in us. “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning” (Jn. 15: 26-27 ESV).
God Is Called Jehovah-Tsidkenu
Jehovah-Tsidkenu means the God of My Righteousness.
Righteousness is the indwelling goodness that is the result of a solid relationship with God built by a sincere life of conscientious obedience to God’s laws and commandments and from which all virtues flow.
Jesus was David’s line, making Him our King. He imparts righteousness to us. “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Phil. 3: 8-9 ESV).
God Is Called El Roi
El Roi means the God Who Sees Me.
God knows everything about us. He knows our thoughts and our troubles.
One of the bests examples of God seeing our troubles is Hagar. When Sarai couldn’t get pregnant, she gave Abram her servant girl, Hagar, to sleep with. She felt the children from this union would be considered her children (Gen. 16: 2).
Things went as planned – until Hagar got pregnant. Hagar began to treat Sarai with contempt (Gen 16: 4). Hagar ran away after Sarai started treating her harshly.
An angel went looking for her and gave her a message from God. “So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, ‘You are a God of seeing,’ for she said, ‘Truly here I have seen him who looks after me’” (Gen. 16: 13 ESV).
It doesn’t matter what we are going through. God sees us and will help us through it when we put our trust in Him.
God Is Called Jehovah-Rapha
Jehovah-Rapha means the Lord Who Heals.
We have so many things from which we need healing.
Sin is a disease. God, in His infinite Mercy, sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross to heal us from our sins.
- “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise” (Jer. 17: 14 ESV).
- “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (I Pet. 2: 24 ESV).
We know that God is the One Who heals our physical illnesses. “The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health” (Ps. 41: 3 ESV). Because of this, we call Him the Great Physician.
God Is Called Jehovah Rohi
Jehovah Rohi means the Lord is My Shepherd.
Yes, we may associate this more with Jesus. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn. 10: 11 NIV).
But we also know that God is the Shepherd. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Ps. 23: 1 ESV).
God is so wonderful. He is patient. He directs us. He leads us. He cares for us.
God Is Called Adonai
Adonai, generally a substitute for YHWH, translates My Great Lord or Lord Master.
We would probably see this as YHWH being the formal name and Adonai the informal name.
The word Adonai has for its root sovereignty, which we just talked about. God has total authority over us. He is our master and ruler.
God Is Called Abba
Abba is even more personal, and we would say this is Daddy.
This would denote familiarity. It would signify a loving relationship
We at times call God this when we are in trouble. This is dependence and submission. This is trust and contentment.
Making the Connections
God has a lot of names. But then, He is a lot of things to us.
To me, God can be mostly one thing. To you, He may be something different.
We may need Jehovah-Rapha — the Great Physician — today but Abba — Daddy — tomorrow. We always have to recognize Him as El Elyon — Sovereign God.
God is all those things to all of us at all times.
How Do We Apply This?
- Recognize God for Who He is.
- Call on Him at all times.
El Elyon. You have so many names because You are so many things at once. You are what we need in any given situation. You are the Sovereign Lord, but You are so much more than that. You are Abba – personal. That You love us so is mind-boggling. We love you, Abba.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.
If you have not signed up for the email providing the link to the devotions and the newsletter, do so below.
If God has used this devotion to speak with you, consider sharing it on social media.