NAMES OF JESUS

“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be upon his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6

At a time when the world seems to be trying to take Christ out of Christmas, it’s great to spend time reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas and the reason we celebrate. What better way to do that this season than to consider some of the numerous names for Christ and what they mean personally to us.

Here are some favorites in addition to the ones mentioned in Isaiah, but there are also numerous others mentioned throughout the Bible:

• Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8; 22:13) 
• Anointed One (Mark 8:29) 
• Author of Life (Acts 3:15) 
• Bread of Life (John 6:35; 6:48) 
• Chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20) 
• Friend (Matthew 11:19) 
• Gate (John 10:9) 
• Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14) 
• Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14) 
• Holy One (Acts 3:14) (Mark 1:24) 
• Hope of Glory (Colosians 1:27) 
• I Am (John 8:58) 
• Immanuel (Matthew 1:23 and Isaiah 7:14) 
• Jesus (Matthew 1:21) 
• King of kings & Lord of lords (Revevelation 19:16) 
• Lamb of God (John 1:29) 
• Light of the World (John 8:12) 
• Lord of All (Acts 10:36) 
• Master (Luke 5:5; 8:24; 9:33) 
• Messiah (John 4:25-26). 
• Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6) 
• Morning Star (Revelation 22:16) 
• Redeemer (Mark 10:45, Titus 2:14) 
• Resurrection and Life (John 11:25) 
• Righteous One (Acts 7:52; 1 John 2:1) 
• Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4) 
• Savior (Ephesians 5:23; Titus 1:4; 3:6; 2 Peter 2:20) 
• Servant (Matthew 12:18) 
• Son of God (John 1:49; Hebrews 4:14) 
• Way, Truth, and Life (John 14:6) 
• Word (John 1:1)

What are your favorites and what special meaning do they have for you???

                                         Joyce

ADONAI

“But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD . . . “
Genesis 15:2

The portrait we see of God in the name Adonai, which is Hebrew for “Lord,” is owner or master.  The Jews used the name Adonai in prayers and instead of pronouncing the name Jehovah (Yahweh) when reading the Scriptures.  It speaks of a relationship where God is the sovereign authority figure and the One to whom His servants owe allegiance and submission. 

Some of the promises associated with the name Adonai:

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
          Colossians 3:23-24

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”          John 15:5

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
          Romans 8:28
                               Joyce

ELOHIM

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Genesis 1:1

The portrait we see of God in the name Elohim is creator.  In Hebrew, it is the common name for God that is used most often and has to do with the first experience of man with Him through the power of creation.  Elohim is the masculine plural of El – the first name of God given in the Old Testament – although it is used with a singular verb or adjective indicating the existence of the Trinity.   The original meaning from El would be "the strong one" or "the foremost one" or "the mighty one" and is used in combinations such as El Shaddai, to describe the characteristics or attributes of the one true living God.

Some of the promises associated with the name Elohim:

“Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

            Psalm 100:3

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

            Psalm 139:13-14

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

            Romans 8:38-39

“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

            Ephesian 2:10

                                                                                          Joyce

JEHOVAH MEKODDISHKEM

“. . . thou anointest my head with oil;

my cup runneth over

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalm 23:5-6

The portrait we see of God in the name Jehovah Mekoddishkem, also spelled M’Kaddesh or Maccaddeshem, is transformation.  God shares His own character and nature with us through Christ and wraps us in His very own holiness to set us apart for His purposes.  As revealed to Moses in Exodus 31:12-13, Jehovah Mekoddishkem comes from a Hebrew word meaning "sanctify," "holy," or "dedicate" and can be translated as "The Lord who sanctifies or sets you apart."  Followers of Jesus Christ are transformed into someone we could not be except for God’s grace.

Some of the promises associated with the name Jehovah Mekoddishkem:

“The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
          Psalm 84:11

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
          John 10:27-30

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
          John 14:1-3

                                                                                          Joyce

JEHOVAH NISSI

“Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me

Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies“
Psalm 23:4-5

The portrait we see of God in the name Jehovah Nissi is hope and victory.  Banners or flags give a feeling of hope and a focal or rallying point, but the most important thing banners or flags do is mark victory.  God revealed himself as Jehovah Nissi over a great battle in Exodus 17:8-16.  As long as Moses held up his hands - a sign of surrender of self and a position of praise - the battle was sure. God is the one who wages warfare on behalf of His people, wins our battles and has secured our victory.

Some of the promises associated with the name Jehovah Nissi:

 “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
          Deuteronomy 31:8

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
          1 Corinthians 10:13

                                                                                          Joyce

JEHOVAH SHAMMATH

“Yea, though I walk through the valley

of the shadow of death I will fear no evil

For You are with me . . .”
Psalm 23:4a

The portrait we see of God in the name Jehovah Shammah or Samma is faithfulness.  Shammah is derived from the Hebrew word sham, which can be translated as "there," and occurs only once in the Old Testament in the very last line of the prophetic book of Ezekiel 48:35.  Jehovah Shammah is symbolic and indicates that God has not abandoned Jerusalem, leaving it in ruins, but that there will be a restoration, even a New Jerusalem.  It also portrays the Lord’s omnipresence and personal presence in our lives through the Holy Spirit.

Some of the promises associated with the name Jehovah Shammah:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.”          Psalm 46:1-3

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”           Isaiah 41:10 

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.”           John 14:16

                                                                                          Joyce

JEHOVAH TSIDKENU

“. . .he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness

for his name sake”
Psalm 23: 3

The portrait we see of God in the name Jehovah Tsidkenu is guidance and purpose.  Also spelled Jehovah Tzidkaynu and Jehovah Tsidqenuw, it means He is the sole source of all that is righteous and good.  When God revealed this name in Jeremiah 23:5-8, the promise was for a “righteous branch,” one who would provide a permanent sin solution and thus, this name applies to Jesus as well as the Father and is one of the most powerful and comforting names given to us.  Even though all of us have sinned, as believers the Father accepts Jesus’ righteousness as if it was ours.

Some of the promises associated with the name Jehovah Tsidkenu include:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  
               1 John 1:9

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”
               Psalm 32:8

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
               Jeremiah 29:11

                                                                                          Joyce

JEHOVAH RAPHA

“He restores my soul . . . “

Psalm 23:3

The portrait we see of God in the name Jehovah Rapha, also spelled Rophe, Rophecha and Raphah, is healing.  In Exodus 15:26, the Lord wanted to be known as their healer, all they had to do was remain faithful to Him and His commands. "Rapha" in Hebrew means “to restore,” “to heal” and “to make healthful” in both body and soul.  The physical needs by preserving from and curing diseases and the emotional needs by pardoning sin.  God has numerous ways of healing through Jesus Christ – changing circumstances, turning sorrow into joy, restoring relationships, interjecting something unexpected or simply giving us satisfaction with His will for our lives.

Some of the promises associated with the name Jehovah Rapha include:

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases.”
                    Psalm 103:1-3 

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
                    2 Corinthians 12:9 

"Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."
                    Isaiah 53:4-5

                                                                                          Joyce

JEHOVAH SHALOM

“He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside quiet waters,”

Psalm 23:2

The portrait we see of God in the name Jehovah Shalom is rest and refreshment.  He is the means of our true peace in all circumstances – the real thing we need, especially when we are up against a wall.  This is the name Gideon used when God clothed him in the power of His peace and enabled him to defeat Israel’s enemies.  God's peace can sustain us through impossible circumstances and is an antidote for fear and weakness making us able to be conquers in Him.  This name speaks in practical ways of the effects of having a personal relationship with the Lord.

Some of the promises associated with the name Jehovah Shalom include:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
                                                                           Philippians 4:6-7

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
                                                                           Matthew 11:28-29

                                                                                          Joyce

JEHOVAH JIREH

“. . . I shall not want”  
Psalm 23:1

The portrait we see of God in the name Jehovah Jireh is supply.  This is God’s name used in Genesis by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of his son Issac.  “Jireh” translates to “provide” which means “to see before” revealing that God has provision ready for us even before we know that we have a need and stresses His provision for His people.

Some of the promises associated with the name Jehovah Jireh include:

“Do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

                                                                                    Matthew 6:25-32

“Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

                                                                                    Psalm 37:4

                                                                                          Joyce

JEHOVAH RAAH

                                                                         "The Lord is my shepherd . . ."
                                                                                        Psalm 23:1

The portrait of God in the name Jehovah Raah is relationship.  Also spelled Rohi and Ro’eh, as our Shepherd, God keeps continuous watch and knows each of us by name – He cares intensely for His people.  God desires intimacy between Himself and His people and Jehovah Raah can also be translated as “The Lord my Friend.”

The promises associated with the name Jehovah Raah include:

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

                                                              Romans 5:8-10

“I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
                                                              Romans 8:38-39

“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”
                                                             1 John 5:14-15

                                                                                          Joyce

I AM

"I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.”

Isaiah 42:8

In the Bible there are many different names given to the One True God.  The four Hebrew consonants, YHWH, also referred to as the Tetragramaton or Tetragram, is God’s holy Covenant name.  It is used over 6500 times in the Bible, rendered in English as LORD (all capitals) to distinguish it from Adonai, “Lord,” and is used more than any other name of God.  YHWH comes from the Hebrew letters: Yud, Hay, Vav (v in Hebrew can also be rendered w in English), Hay.

There is a lot of controversy over the pronunciation of YHWH however – Yahweh vs. Jehovah.  The original pronunciation was restricted to worship by the priests and so with the destruction of the Temple, the covenant name was no longer spoken, but in Greek records vowels were included and indicate that in all likelihood the name should be pronounced "Yahweh.  “Jehovah” is the English equivalent of “Yehovah” – “Yahweh” with the vowel points removed, because by Jewish tradition, the name of God is too holy to voice.  Compound names of God in the early English translations of the Bible such as the King James Version use “Jehovah.”

The letters YHWH form a verb which means “to exist, be” and most scholars translate it as "I AM who I AM."  God revealed His names to His people rather than allowing them to choose their names for Him.  The names God chose for Himself declare much about His person and its usage shows that this name, YHWH, stresses God as the eternal, self-existent, and all-sufficient God of revelation and redemption.

                                            Joyce

PSALM 23

The names of God are like miniature portraits and promises.  

Several are represented in Psalm 23.  

Here’s a quick glimpse:

The LORD
JEHOVAH
"I AM"

is my Shepherd
JEHOVAH-ROHI
"The Lord my shepherd"

I shall not want

JEHOVAH-JIREH
"The Lord will provide"

He makes me to lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still waters
JEHOVAH-SHALOM
"The Lord is peace"

He restores my soul
JEHOVAH-RAPHA
"The Lord our healer"

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake

 JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU
"The Lord our righteousness

Yea, though I walk through the valley

of the shadow of death I will fear no evil

For You art with me

JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH
"The Lord who is present"

Your rod and Your staff they comfort me

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies

JEHOVAH-NISSI
"The Lord our banner"

You anoint my head with oil

My cup runs over

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever

JEHOVAH-M’KADDESH
"The Lord who sanctifies"

                                                                                          Joyce

NAMES OF GOD