The Names of God - Psalm 23

THE NAMES OF GOD

The Seven Compound Names of Jehovah

Jehovah-Jireh

Jehovah-Rapha

Jehovah-Shalom

Jehovah-Tsidkenu

Jehovah-Shammah

Jehovah-Nissi

Jehovah-Raah

I want to introduce the seven compound names of Jehovah to you in a very special way, through Psalm 23.  David composed this Psalm toward the end of his life as he was surely reflecting back on his own life as a shepherd and embracing the LORD GOD JEHOVAH as his Shepherd.

In the next 7 sessions we will take an in-depth look into each of these compound Names of Jehovah but for today let us travel back with David as he remembers and fondly looks to his Shepherd, for this Psalm is one of the most intimate relationship analogies between Creator and creature - The Shepherd to His sheep.


The LORD (Jehovah) is my Shepherd,
I shall not be in want  (Jehovah-Jireh, "the LORD will provide")
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters, (Jehovah-Shalom, "the LORD is peace")
he restores my soul. (Jehovah-Rapha, "the LORD who heals")
He guides me in paths of righteousness (Jehovah-Tsidqenu, "the LORD is my righteousness")
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, 'for you are with me;' (Jehovah-Shammah,"the LORD is there")
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies. (Jehovah-nissi, "the LORD is my banner")
You anoint my head with oil;  (Jehovah-M'Qadash, "the LORD who makes you holy")
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD (Jehovah) forever.


To fully appreciate how beautiful this Psalm truly is we need to take moment to search out exactly what an Eastern Shepherd looks like, how he takes care of his sheep, what the relationship truly is between the shepherd and his sheep.

 These shepherds love and protect their sheep.  They will know each of their sheep by name, and when the sheep hears the shepherd's voice they will respond immediately to him and him alone.  There are times when several shepherds pen their sheep together at night; and yet in the morning as each shepherd turns in different directions and call their sheep, they all separate from the masses and follow after their own shepherd. It is truly and awesome sight to behold.

The shepherds have to be constantly alert to wandering sheep.  They immediately take action when one of their sheep goes astray.  The shepherd's use their rod at times to throw at the errant and rebellious sheep in order to get their attention and keep them from danger.  At other times the shepherd would use his staff.  A staff is 6 ft long walking stick with a curved end.  The shepherd uses the curved end of the staff to gently guide a straying sheep back into the herd.  Therefore the rod and the staff work together to keep the sheep with the shepherd and therefore protecting them from harm.  Sometimes for particularly ornery sheep the shepherd may resort to breaking one of the sheep's legs and as he carries the sheep on his shoulders, the sheep will learn the shepherd's voice, and know the shepherd's heartbeat and rest on his shoulders.  The shepherd takes stringent measures to make sure his sheep do not fall off a mountain-side or get caught in thorny briars. They are his sheep and he cares for them.

Shepherd's of the East go to extreme measures to provide water, food, and shelter for their weary sheep. This could include walking miles in search of a spring of bubbling fresh cold water.   Sometimes that would mean that a shepherd would walk endlessly back and forth to a water source with a two-handled bucket, filling troughs for thirsting sheep.  They would allow their sheep to rest on tables of grassy lands and beautiful plains, patches of comfort found in a dry, and dusty land.

The shepherd always leads and the sheep always follow.  At the end of the day the shepherd leads the sheep into a fold, a fenced in area built of clay and rock with thistles on top for added protection.  As the sheep pass by the shepherd he would gently and meticulously examine each one for scrapes, sores, and dried horns; he then would take a healing salve and apply it to their wounds or bind their open sores.  None of his sheep are ever over-looked, he will take precious time with each one and then when the last sheep enters the fold, the shepherd actually sleeps at the entrance of the fold to protect his sheep from wicked men and wild animals.  Nothing could touch the sheep without first touching the shepherd.

As made famous by King David (who had been a shepherd as a young boy), these Eastern shepherds are master's at sling-shot weaponry.  The sing, made of goat's hair or leather could fire a stone far enough and fast enough to take down a large animal with just one shot.  They are fierce protective of their sheep.

The sheep, which are somewhat meek and mild animals tend to startle easily, especially since they do not have great eye-sight.  Thus the sheep find great pleasure and reassurance in the presence of their shepherd.

What a beautiful picture David painted of Jehovah, our Shepherd.  As it says in John 10:27, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."  I am in need of my Shepard, I need him to gently guide me back onto the path and out of danger, I thirst for Him and he fills my cup to overflowing. I find unexplainable peace in His presence and I wait patiently for His anointing of my soul and spirit.  The LORD is my righteousness and he is always near, just a whisper and the LORD tends my needs.  As Isaiah speaks in chapter 40 verse 11, "He will feed his flock like a shepherd.  He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart.  he will gently lead the mother sheep with their young." 


My heart stirs with David's heart.  I feel that he must have known how many times he had strayed from The Perfect Love of The Shepard and how many times Jehovah forgave him and brought his wandering and rebellious lamb back into the fold with open arms and a loving heart. Then Jehovah, the Shepard would hold his broken and bleeding lamb close,  applying the healing salve of love and forgiveness to his wounds, peace to his weary soul, and protection from all that mean him harm.

Do you know the Good Shepard?  Will you recognize His voice when He calls?  You see, The Good Shepard died as a sheep to the slaughter for your sins, so that you could restore your relationship with God, Jehovah, Someday the Good Shepherd will return as the Chief Shepard to gather his sheep into the fold.  As He gathers his sheep from all the earth he will separate them from the goats (the ones that do not know the Shepard).  Until Jesus, the Chief Shepherd returns, there is time to yield your life to Him, for He is constantly searching for the lost sheep.  In Matthew 18: 12 - 14, Jesus says, "What do you think?  If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hill and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it I tell you the truth he is happier about the one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost."  He wants to lead you into His fold, will you heed is calling today?


And for those of us who are His sheep, we can rest in the peace of His presence and perfect love.  We can look to the sky in anticipation and excitement for He is coming soon for his sheep, his bride.  "Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: 'Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.  Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!  For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.  Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.'  Then the angel said to me, ' Write:  'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'"  (Rev. 19: 6-9)


As we bring this session to a close, I just want you to know that I look so forward to studying the seven compound names of Jehovah (Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Shalom, Jehovah-Rapha, Jehovah-Tsidqneu, Jehovah-Shammah, Jehovah-nissi, and Jehovah-M'Qadash), their meaning, where they can be found in scripture and what they mean to you as a child of The Great I AM - Jehovah.

POST SCRIPT: INTERESTING FACTS


1.  Do you know who other Bible Heroes were also Shepherds and shepherdess?
        **Other than King David, Abraham, the Twelve Tribes, the prophet Moses, and even the prophet Amos who was a shepherd around the rugged terrain of Tekoa.  Most surprising though, for me, was that Rachel was a shepherdess.  Rachel who became the wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, worked as a Shepherdess in Haran where she lived.

2.  God's Word never ceases to amaze me.  Is it any wonder that there are '7' compound names of Jehovah in David's 23rd Psalm, for the number '7' in the Bible represents God's (Jehovah's) perfect number.  It has the meaning of being 'perfect' and 'complete.'

Dear Heavenly Father, the Great I AM, Jehovah -  we come before you proclaiming the majesty of your name.  God we praise you for your Holiness, your love, your perfection, your care beyond measure to each and everyone of your sheep for we are exceedingly blessed by You.  We pray for your continued protection, your guidance and your comfort.  Thank you for all that you are and all that you do.  Lead us in the paths of righteousness for your Name's sake.  In Jesus Name we pray, Amen and Amen. 

SOURCES:

1.  NELSON'S NEW ILLUSTRATED BIBLE DICTIONARY

2.  LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE (NIV)

3. THE TRANSFORMATIONAL STUDY BIBLE (NLT)

4. NATHAN STONE: 'NAMES OF GOD'

5. DAVID WILKERSON: 'KNOWING GOD BY NAME'

The Truth about Allah

Allah is not God and God is not Allah 

"Instead, exalt the Messiah as Lord in your lives.  Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you to explain the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15) ISV

 I am taking time to call attention to a name that is NOT another name for God, the One True God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  I am making a short discourse from the Bible Study of the Names of God only because I have been made aware that there are many people, Christians and Non-Christains alike that think that Allah is just another name for the One True God, Yahweh, and this is simply not true!!  It is in fact a heresy, a heresy spread by the Muslims and it must be stopped, people must be informed and the truth be told.  This is my burden of which I cannot discharge myself of until the masses know, they must know, that God, the One True God is a jealous God and will not tolerate any other gods before Him, His wrath will be poured out on those who continue to desecrate His Holy Name and even to those by silence advocate such depravity and slander of His Holiness and Absolute Oneness.(Romans 1:32)

This is an extremely important issue concerning the number of Muslims have entered the United States and therefore by mass alone is spreading lies upon lies about God. Uniformed Americans, whether Jew or Gentile, Christian or not are allowing themselves to be spoonfed these lies and upon digestion have assimilated them into their own minds, families, friends, and affiliations.   It is a cancer that is spreading rapidly and the only cure it the Truth.  Just take a moment to really let this data sink into your cerebral cortex and then your heart and finally your soul, if it does not scare you then maybe you have already been assimilated and that alone is a cold reality of the state of the States.  According to some researchers (this data is approx. 10 years old), there are now more than 4 million Muslims in North America, over 500 Islamic centers in the United States and there are now officially more Muslims than Episcopalians in the U.S.  

This is disconcerting for several reasons that will not be addressed at this time, I really only want to focus on the LIE that we (Muslims and Christians) worship the same God, only called by a different name.  This is simply and irrevocably not true.  I will try to succinctly, yet convincingly demonstrate how this cannot be so.

First we must take the time to examine where Islam actually originated.  This is important to the overall picture, pay close attention to the details.   To do this we have to go back to 7th Century Arabia, because Islam is in reality the "deification" of the culture that was 7th Century Arabia.  Islam is in reality very much more cultural than religious.  It is a very important observation that textbooks and encyclopedias on Islam begin with the historical context of Muhammad and the importance of the culture dated during that century.  Its influence on the Muhammad is multifold and literally shapes the entire scope of the Muslim religion.

Why is 7th Century Arabia important to current day Islam?  It could be entitled Arab racism...a very subtle form of racism, but racism non-the-less.  Because Islam was birthed out of this Arabian culture. It is vital to understand that Islam in underscored by an Arabian culture that essentially it was fueled by and submerged in pre-Isalamic Arabian culture, politics, family traditions, laws concerning foods consumed, clothing restrictions, religious rites, language and more.  All of these are to be imposed, even through violence, on other culture and societies.

Muslims trying desperately to connect themselves to the Bible have created the myth that Ishmael is the line of which they descended.  This is in defense of the Jews tracing their heritage back to Abraham through Isaac.  This again is a lie, a myth, it is simply not so, they have no evidence to prove they have descended from Abraham in any line, let alone Ishmael's.  Their lineage is a conglomerate of traders and cult passing through, trading and worshipping idols in Mecca at that time.

Maybe this is a good time to introduce the Qur'an, the Muslim "bible"; Muhammad, the Muslim 'prophet'; and Allah, the Muslim 'god.'  One needs to understand that Muhammad, who received his revelations directly from Allah, claims that the historical setting of the Biblical Patriarchs was transferred from Palestine to Mecca and even more incredulous has Abraham rebuilding the Kabah in Mecca, the holiest place of the Muslim religion.  It is also crucial to understand that Muhammad received these 'divine revelations' from Allah during epileptic seizures.  These seizures originally marked Muhammad as being demon possessed but his wife convinced him that they were instead messages from god.

Muslims claim that the Qur'an is the Ultimate truth and that truth transcends all other truths, even the Bible from which they erroneous quote and misquote in several places in the Qur'an.  In simple form, if it were ever admitted that Abraham indeed did not rebuild the Kabah and in fact never lived in Mecca and therefore by logical reasoning Muslims were not the descendants of Abraham, then the Qur'an itself would be a lie and would have to be overturned by the Muslims.  They of course defend the Qur'an as being correct and the Bible as being corrupted, but again logic would intervene and state that if the Bible is corrupted and information was taken from the Bible to write the Qur'an, would that not prove that the Qur'an was then corrupted also?  It is interesting to note that massive archeological evidence is proof beyond doubt that Abraham never lived or worked in Mecca.  As the Bible ascribes, Abraham was originally from the city of Ur, which has been found to be in Iraq.  Once Abraham left Ur he traveled west to Palestine.

I have spent enough time on the background of where Islam originated, and must now turn attention toward the god of the Muslims, Allah.  This will be my primary focus for the rest of this informational diatribe on the Muslim religion and their pagan god, Allah.


      ****The attribute of Love constitutes a major difference in the god of Islam, Allah, and the God of Judaism and Christianity.  Allah's love is conditional, meaning Allah only loves those who practice his 5 Pillars and who do good and not bad.  On the contrary, God's love is unconditional, God made man in His own image, and we are his special creation.  God loves each of us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, do die on the Cross for our sins.

      ****The Qur'an claims that humans cannot ever know Allah.  The Bible states that Jesus Christ came to earth as God Incarnate so that we may know Him and Have a relationship with Him.

     ****The Muslims deny the Trinity.  The Bible clearly teaches that there is One God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

     ****The Muslims claim that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God, but that he is sinless.  The Bible clearly states in John 3:16," That God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that who soever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life."

     ****The True God of the Bible cannot act in anyway contrary to His divine attributes, in another words we read in Titus 1:2, "God cannot lie."  We are also told in 2 Timothy 2:13, that God cannot act in any way that would contradict His divine nature.  However, in the Qur'an we are to discover that Allah is not limited by anything including his own nature.  This makes Allah very unpredictable and unstable.

    ****The God of the Bible is described by both positive and negative attribute, however, the Qur'an only lists 99 attributes of Allah, all of which are negative.

    ****The Bible is full of God's Grace and His mercy.  The Qur'an speaks of Allah as having no grace and no mercy, no means of an intercessor or of a savior.


There are many more items of interest that could be discussed, but I believe at this point I have presented a worthy case to prove that Allah of the Muslims and God of Judaism and Christianity are not, I repeat, are not the same God.  Just because Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are monotheistic does not mean they serve the same God.  Think of it like this, if the ancient would have taught that Ba'al or Molech was the god and served him as the only god, does that mean that they would be considered the same as the God, the One and Only God of the Bible? Absolutely Not!!

By the way, Allah is only translated as "god" post Islam, prior to Islam in the mid 600's AD, Allah was the name of a pagan moon god, the same god that Muhammad (the prophet) and his family had worshiped for generations!!

Dear Heavenly Father, our Yahweh, the One who was, is and will always be.  To You and You alone be the glory and honor and Praise forever and ever.  And God we pray that as we near the end of time that You prepare us to fully stand in strength and honor in Your Name: Holy and Mighty. May we never back down, may we stand in Your Presence without shame and without fear, for you are with us till the end!!  Amen and Amen

For more information you can find much more in the books I used for resources:  "The Islamic Invasion" by Robert Morey, and "World Religions & Cults 101" by Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz

The Names of God (El Ro'i)

The Names of God

El Ro'i (EL raw-EE)

The God Who Sees Me

I am so excited about this particular session on the Names of God.  How magnificent is the Name El Ro'i, (The God Who Sees Me).  Yahweh (The I AM), El Elyon (The Possessor of All Things), is also the God of Hagar, the God that she had heard about now became the God who saw her and came to comfort her in her greatest need and time of misery.

How do we have a God so wonderful?  We do not even deserve for Him to listen to our smallest whimpers and yet He will not only allow us to be present in His sight but He will make His Presence known to us.  Wow, I don't know how that affects you, but I just feel the need to raise my hands in praise and fall to my knees in worship.  Our God is truly an awesome God.

As we journey a little further into Genesis, we find Sarai, Abram's wife doing what many of us do, moving ahead of God, flailing a little in our faith, trying to make God's plan happen according to our schedule.  Abram has now been living in Canaan for approximately 10 years and Sarai, his wife, has not been able to bear him any children.  God had promised Abram a few chapters back that his seed would number the sands of the earth and yet he still did not have a son to call his own and to carry on his name.

Now Sarai had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.  Sarai came to Abram on day and suggested that since she was not able to give him a son, that he should take Hagar as his wife and let her be the seed of his inheritance promised by God.  Abram agreed to this plan and took Hagar to be his wife.  He did lay with her and she did become pregnant.  This should have please Sarai because her plan seemed to be coming to fruition.  However, just when we think that God's plans are not greater than our plans or his thoughts higher than our thoughts, we take matters into our own hands and run aground.  God's ways are altogether better than our ways and His timing is impeccable.

Hagar is now pregnant and presumptuous, Sarai is enraged with jealousy, and Abram is in between a rock and a hard place.  Now Sarai in her jealous rage mistreated Hagar and told Abram that he would have to choose between her and Hagar because there was not room for both.  Abram, looked at his more than disgruntled wife and gave her permission to dispense with her maidservant as she wished.  At this point the mistreatment of Hagar became so extreme she decided to run away and that she did.

Now 'The Angel of ADONAI found her by a spring in the desert, the spring on the road to Shur, and said, 'Hagar!  Sarai's slave-girl!  Where have you come from , and where are you going?  She answered, 'I am running away from my mistress Sarai.'  The angel of ADONAI said to her; 'Go back to your mistress, and submit to her authority.'  The angel of ADONAI said to her, 'I will greatly increase your descendants; there will be so many that it will be impossible to count them.'" (Genesis 16: 7 -10)

This is the first appearance or mention of an angel in the Hebrew scriptures.  The NLT version of the Bible states "The angel of the LORD..."  This phrase is referred to as a Theophany.  A Theophany is a manifestation of God, in the Old Testament, that is visible to humans.  God showed himself to Hagar, he was visible to her, and he let her know that he is the God who sees, the God who hears, the God who cares for the broken-hearted and for the unborn.  God reassures Hagar that she will bare a son, and he instructs her to give him the name of Yisma'el [God pays attention], because truly God did "pay attention" to her strife and to her misery.  God let her know that Yisma'el, would be the father of many and that he would be as a "wild donkey" always in battle with his kinsmen. (Genesis 16: 10 - 12)

"So she names ADONAI who had spoken with her El Ro'i [God of seeing], because she said, 'Have I really seen the One who sees me [and stayed alive]?'  This is why the well has been called Be'er-Lachai-Ro'i [well of the one who lives and sees]; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.'" (Genesis 16: 13 - 14 CJV)

Now Hagar listens to and obeys what God has spoken to her.  She returns to the house of Abram and Sarai and submits herself to her mistress.  Hagai eventually gives birth to a son just as God had promised and Abram called his name Yisma'el.  At the time of Yisma'el's birth Abrams was 86 years old.

What an incredible journey we have been on today.  We learned that God manifested himself to Hagar in a form that she could see and comprehend with her own eyes.  We learned that ADONAI, the Great I AM loves us so much that even in the misery and mess of our own wanderings and sin he will come to us and comfort us and forgive us.  We may still have to suffer some consequences of our own persistent will and disobedience, but don't let Satan fool you, God does not leave us there to suffer alone.  If you are a child of the King you can be sure that he hears you and he sees you, He is El Ro'i!!


Before we leave this study today I would like to point out a few interesting facts:

     **El Ro'i is only mentioned one time in the Bible
     **God only gave himself one name: Yud-Heh-Vav-Hey.  This is the very sacred Name of God and is not to be used casually; in fact in the Old Testament only the High Priest could say this sacred Name and then only in the Temple in the Holy of Holies.  Yet, God allowed the people in History to give Him descriptive names to identify more clearly His Holy and wonderful characteristics.
     **There was a marriage between one of Abraham's grandson's and one of Yisma'els daughters.  It happened to be one of these Ishmaelite's traders (also called Midianite merchants) that transported Abraham's great grandson, Joseph into slavery years later.  (Genesis 37:26-28)

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for being exactly that, our Heavenly Father...the One who sees, the One who hears, the One who cares and the One who forgives.  Thank you for your Holiness and your Justice, thank you for your tender Grace and your wonderful Mercies.  Thank you for loving us, so small, so frail and yet you know the number of the hairs on our heads and you knew us before we were knit in  our mother's womb.  Guide us in your perfect way, lead us away from temptation, and lift our faces toward you in wonder, praise and glory.  Amen and Amen

Sources:

1.  Ann Spangle, "The Names of God"
2.  God's Word Translation: "The Names of God Bible"
3.  The NLT Translation:  "The Transformation Study Bible"
4.  David H. Stern Translation:  "The Complete Jewish Bible" (CJB)

The Names of God - El Elyon

THE NAMES OF GOD

EL ELYON (El Ely-OWN)

(God Most High, Possessor of Heaven and Earth)

"...then I shall bow with humble adoration, And then proclaim, my GOD, HOW GREAT THOU ART"   (How Great thou art, hymn)

How appropriate to start out this discussion about the Name of God, El Elyon, with the words of a wonderful old hymn that proclaims to God, God Most High, How Great Thou Art!

Last week we discovered that El was the singular noun used in Ancient times for God.  Elohim is the plural of El, and yet referred to God the Creator, the One and Only True God of Hebrew Scriptures, the Bible.  This week we will discuss a compound Name of El; El Elyon which means God Most High.  

As we move forward into Genesis we will be introduced to Abram, the man who would eventually be named by God as Abraham, the Father of the Nation of Israel along with Isaac and Jacob.  In Genesis, chapter 13, Abram has moved from his home in Haran and set out for the land of Canaan, the land that Yahweh promised to Abram and his descendants.  Lot, Abram's nephew, had started out with Abram when they left their home country, but now Lot and Abram had decided to go their separate ways.  Lot had moved his family and belongings East toward Sodom and Abram moved his tents, family and belongings toward Mamre at Hebron. 

Chapter 14 of Genesis finds Lot in a precarious predicament.  He was captured by invading Kings during the first war ever recorded in human history.  Abram sets out to deliver Lot and his family with 318 "trained servants."  With only these handful of men, Abram traveled over 140 miles defeated the invaders and rescued Lot, and took all the plunder left by the retreating Kings.  By verse 17, Abram is on his way back to to his home; he, his men, Lot and his family, all of the captives and the entire plunder left by the  retreating kings.  While on his journey back home Abram meets two Kings, the King of Salem and the King of Sodom.  Two very different Kings.  One beautiful revelation of just who God is.

The first King was King Melchizedek, the King and Priest of Salem. Melchizedek means "My King is Righteous" and  Salem means "peace." The city of Salem is generally thought of as the ancient Jerusalem.  King Melchizedek is only mentioned three times in scripture of which this is the first.  Many believe that Melchizedek is a typology of Jesus Christ (Prophet, Priest and King).  Jesus serves as our High Priest in Heaven and Melchizedek was serving as God's appointed High Priest to Abram and to his own city of Salem or ancient Jerusalem.  In Genesis 14:18 Melchizedek is described as both the "King of Salem" and the "Priest of the most high God (El Elyon)."   In fact King Melchizedek serves Abram the covenant meal of bread and wine, serving as the High Priest and then he accepts a tithe of all that Abram owns (when translated means "tenth.")  This is very significant, Melchizedec was receiving the first ever tithe even before tithing was instituted by God and he was appointed and anointed as "Priest of the Most High."  Only Jesus was appointed that by God, both foretold in Psalm 110:4 and reaffirmed in Hebrew 7:3.  Jesus was appointed as Priest of the Most High by God after the order of Melchizedek.  Jesus was not a Levite, so therefore he was not a priest of the Levites, the Levitical Priesthood anointed by God for Israel.  Instead, Jesus was anoint Priest of the order of Melchizedek and King of Judah.  Judah was the tribe of which Jesus descended.  Melchizedek introduced a whole new dimension of God through his acts and blessings to Abram and he introduced him to El Elyon, the God Most High, the Possessor of all things.

Genesis 14: 17 - 20 states: "Then King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine.  He was a priest of El Elyon.  He blessed Abram, and said, 'Blessed is Abram by El Elyon, maker of heaven and earth.  Blessed is El Elyon, who has handed your enemies over to you.'  Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything." 


 King Melchizedek took Abram's understanding of God from El, the One and Only true God, to El Elyon, God most High; from Elohim, creator of Heaven and Earth, to El Elyon possessor of Heaven and Earth.

Next the King of Sodom approached Abram.  This is the same King of Sodom of Sodom and Gomorrhha, the evil cities that God would eventually reign down his wrath in judgement upon.This evil king wanted his people back from Abram but suggested that Abram keep the spoils that were taken from him in battle.  Mind you, this 'plunder' was not just junk in your trunk, these spoils would have consisted of thousands of cattle, sheep, donkeys, weapons, clothing, jewelry, gold and precious stones.  But Abram's answer was swift and sure, NO!  Abram had now sworn an oath to El Elyon, The God Most High, The Owner and Possessor of all things, he would not partake in any evil thing from the King of Sodom.  He returned unto the king of Sodom all of his people except Lot and his family and all of the king's possessions; all of the loot from at least two kings and several battles.  Abram was now completely sold out to the God of all things, the God most Loved, El Elyon!!

You see Abram had now come to realize that the God who had promised him descendants to number the grains of sand was God Almighty, the God Most High, the Possessor of Heaven and Earth, the One and Only El Elyon!!  This same God led him into battle against at least 5 kings and all their soldiers and Abram defeated them all with his 318 men...God is Mighty and Most High Indeed.   He wanted God to receive all the glory for his riches, his possessions, not the King of Sodom, Abram would not let Satan steal God's Glory.  Amen and Amen.  He allowed the King of Sodom to take his possessions because he (Abram) served El Elyon the one who possessed all that the King of Sodom owned or would ever own, the possessor of all that was, is and has been.

Are we so detached from this world?  Have our eyes and heart been opened to who God is?  Can we honestly say that we "know" deep inside that He, El Elyon, possessor of all that we own in this world, right down to the very breath that we take?  Have we allowed the Possessor of all things truly possess us in our inner-most being, in all that we have, in all that we are?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for revealing yourself to us in so many ways, through Abram, through Melchizedek, and through your precious Son, Jesus Christ.  May we, through these revelations be able to worship you more truly and praise you more highly.  May we lift our voices in praise of the One True God, the God who possesses the Earth and the Heavens, God most High, Our Supreme God, and Most Beloved God, El Elyon.   May we submit all that we are to you, forever and ever.   Amen and Amen

***References:

Lester Sumrall, "The Names of God: God's Name brings hope, Healing, and Happiness"

Ann Spangler, "The Names of God; 52 Bible Studies"

Nathan Stone, "The Names of God by Moody Classics"

David Wilkerson, "Knowing God by Name"

 "The Names of God Bible", God's Word Translation. Ann Spangle - General Editor

The Names of God - El, Elohim

The Names of God

El - Elohim (el-lo-heem')

(God, Mighty Creator)

This morning while driving to work and thinking about God our mighty Creator (Elohim), a song came on by Selah and the words were "Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD God Almighty and we lift you up in praise and glorify your Name."  How mighty is our God and how glorious to be able to lift high our hands  in praise and exalt His Name.

El in the Bible is a general Hebrew term for God.  It is one of the oldest forms of the name concerning Deity both in the Hebrew Scripture such as the Bible and the Canaanite heathen god(s) (el).  El is the singular form of Elohim.  It is interesting to note that even though Elohim is plural it does not pertain to "many gods" it is the Name of God given to represent the One and Only God and therefore is always accompanied by a singular descriptive adjective or adverb.  Elohim is also often accompanied by a singular pronoun, such is found in Deuteronomy 32:39: "See, I am the only Elohim.  There are not others..."  However, in Genesis Elohim refers to Himself as us:  Genesis 1:26 states: "Let us make man in our image..."  When Elohim is used in the plural with  pronouns it generally is accepted as speaking in the Trinity, the Three in One.

Although El is generally interpreted as "God" in the Hebrew Scripture, the name Elohim has the connotation associated with it as One of Great Power, The Creator, Sovereignty, and Omnipotence.  We can see this displayed clearly in the first couple of chapters of Genesis.   Elohim, alone is used 35 times in Genesis 1:1 to 2:4.  Nathan Stone points out that "it is the Elohim who by His mighty power creates the vast universe; who says, and it is done; who brings into being what was not; by whose word the wolds were framed so that things that are seen were not made of the things that do appear (Hebrews 11:3))

Ann Spangler in her book 'The Names of God,' ties this Name of God from the Old Testament to the New Testament.  When Jesus cried out from the Cross: 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?', He was crying out 'My God, My God why have you forsaken me?' (Matthew 27:46)

Elohim is used throughout the Bible to point to the Majesty of the One true God, in fact the Name Elohim appears approximately 2,500 times in the Hebrew Bible.  Isaiah 41:10 is a great example of this: "Don't be afraid, because I am with you.  Don't be intimidated; I am your Elohim, I will strengthen you.  I will help you .  I will support you with my victorious right hand." Psalms 68:5 exclaims: "The Elohim who is in his holy dwelling place is the Ab of the fatherless and the defender of widows."

Wow, what a wonder to imagine, to ponder, to meditate on...the most powerful, awe-ful, majestic Elohim, the creator of the Universe, the galaxies and the minuscule sub-atomic particle is also the gentle, loving, gracious Elohim, the creator of humans, his most cherished creation, one that he dotes on and adores.  He created the marvelous garden of Eden and then he created man (ish) and woman (isha) in his image and breathed into him the breath of life.  Even in the wake of rebellion and sin our Elohim created us garments to cover our shame, thus providing the first blood sacrifice for his errant children that would foretell of the ultimate blood sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.  Blessed be His Name forever and ever, Amen!!

**Resources:  Ann Spangler, 'The Names of God'

                         Nathan Stone, 'Name of God'

                         The Names of GOD Bible; GOD'S WORD Translation

                          Complete Jewish Bible, Translation by David H. Stern

The Names of God

Knowing God.....this must be and is the most important endeavor of our human existence.  The question being: "What is the chief end of man?"  The answer: "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever."  How can we glorify a God that we don't really know, I mean "know" as in an intimate relationship with Him.  It is not enough to know about God, but we must know him if we are to adequately praise and worship and fall in love with the One who Loved us first.

We must run hard after God, we must seek Him with all of our heart and soul and strength, we must find God, we must know Him.  For it is with this expanse of the Knowledge of God, how well we know Him that is in direct proportion as to the depth of Joy we will find IN Him, and the purest way in which we will Worship Him.

There are many ways to know God.  I am going to embark on a Journey on one of those paths.  For the next few weeks or months or until the Spirit guides me in a different direction I will be studying the Names of God.

Nathan Stone points out: "...that we can only enjoy God to the degree that we know Him.  Little knowledge translates into little spiritual power or life.  Learning about God's names and titles offers us a fresh way of encountering God, and sensing His presence in our lives."

Over the next few weeks we will discover and explore the Names of God such as El-Shaddai (God Almighty), Adonai (Lord and Master), Jehovah-jireh (The LORD who provides), and Jehovah-rophe (The LORD who heals).  These are just a few examples.  Did you know that there are 23 compound names of God found in Scripture and more than 40 compound names of Jehovah.  I am not promising that we will cover them all, but the excitement of delving into just a few is overwhelming.

How great is our God and how Glorious is His Name in all the earth.  I invite you on this life-changing journey into the most intimate characteristics of God revealed to people in the Old Testament and the New Testament as they were needed.  We will be blessed as they were blessed.  We are treading on sacred ground....take off your sandals and let's get started.

                              Dear Lord,  we ask that you bless us with your presence as we endeavor to seek you God with everything we have.  May we acknowledge that you are the God of the Universe, who is mighty to be praised, and whose Name is above all Names.  Let us draw nigh unto you, to love you, to praise you, to worship you, to trust you and to truly fall in love with you.  May you reveal to us all that we may comprehend about who you are, your majesty, your glory, your holiness and Awe.  May we live our lives according to that which, through the Spirit, you have enabled us to know.  For it is in Jesus' Name we pray, Amen

The heart of Prayer

My heart and soul has been very focused for some time on the very essence of prayer.  Pray is not just our only communication with God, it is a very intimate time, a special time of sharing, love, communion in our on-going relationship with our Father, with the Creator of our universe, with God who is Holy and Mighty and loving and compassionate.  Are my prayers quick and sloppy, are they self-centered with always a "help me" at the beginning of every breath I breathe.

God cannot help me if I am nothing and he is everything.  God cannot "help me" love the unlovable, God cannot "help me" be strong in the face of adversity, God cannot "help me" be open to the path of His ways.  I believe that I have been self-centered and selfish and prideful.  Prayer was always meant to be centered on God not on us.  God love the unlovable through me for I am unable.  God lift me up with your strong right arm and rescue me from mine enemies.  God open my eyes, guide my steps along your path, do not allow me to turn to the right or to the left.  Keep me God as it please thee in a place of complete surrender of self to you.  Draw me night unto these, hold me again your heart, sing a song of freedom that will course through my soul for you are the one who has come to set us free unto freedom, you have healed the broken-hearted and exchanged our ashes for the oil of joy.  Amen and Amen.

Watchman Nee says it like this:

"Whenever we see the will of God concerning our need, we should immediately lay down our need and ask Him to fulfill His will.  To ask the Lord directly to supply our needs, whatever such needs may be, cannot be considered prayer of the highest level.  Prayer for personal need should be touched indirectly by first asking the Lord's will to be done.  This is the secret of prayer."

"God's purpose is for us to be so filled with His will that we forget our own interests.  He calls us to work together with Him for accomplishing His will.  The way of working together is prayer.  For this reason He wants us to learn in Him what His will is regarding all things so that we can then pray according to His will."  Amen and Amen