In Their Names

/ MOUNT VERNON GRACE BRETHREN CHURCH/

Names Are Full of Meaning

Prior to being called into the pastoral ministry I worked to develop brands as a visual design communicator. It was during my time in this line of work that I began to understand the importance of brand names and really names in general. Over time I have come to understand that God created names to be filled with meaning and character. 

I’d like to go back to design and branding to make my point. Michael Beirut is a famous graphic designer and he once said that ‘logos are containers that meaning is poured into.’ His point is that a logo is a visual symbol for a whole host of additional perceptions, messages, experiences, etc. A person’s name works in a similar manner. Imagine a lady (let’s call her Jill) who desires to be seen as punctual, reliable and compassionate. In order to be known as these qualities, she simply needs to regularly show up on time, genuinely care and seek to soothe or alleviate other’s trouble and pain. As she faithfully lives these traits, in time her name Jill will become synonomous with her chosen traits.

God’s Name

As a Person, God’s name works the same way. As you and I learn about God’s works, thoughts and intent, His name becomes packed with events, qualities and choices that help to describe Him. But as we learn about Him, we begin to realize that there is so much depth and richness to God, that we need to inquire “Does a single name have enough volume to hold all of God’s goodness and character?” This is similar to the question King Solomon poses about The Temple in 2 Chronicles 2:3-6... ‘If the sky and galaxy cannot contain The LORD God, how can I expect to build an earthly home for Him?’ 

I have been reading The Hiding God by Raymond L. Scott when I came across a similar question which Mr. Scott also answers for us. He writes...

“What one name could ever sufficiently describe God’s personality and character? If this vast universe cannot contain God who created it, then how could any single name, however noble and expressive, describe Him adequately? Is it any wonder that we encounter a number of single and compound names for God in the Old Testament, names which mirror some particular aspect or attribute of His character in dealings with mankind? There are three primary names of God and a number of secondary or compound names, each having particular significance. In this study, however, we shall confine ourselves to examining the three primary names: ELOHIM, ADONAI, and YAHWEH. These names are like jewels that reflect the brilliance of God’s nature, and like precious jewels they need to be removed from the treasure chest of Scripture and used regularly to adorn our study of God’s Word and to enhance our devotional life. As we become familiar with all of God’s glorious names, may our faith and confidence in him be strengthened, and may our lives become His precious jewels reflecting the many virtues which God’s names represent.”

And so, in this line of thinking, I want to share a brief taste of the meaning behind God’s 3 primary Hebrew names.

Elohim

Chronologically the first name of God that we encounter is Elohim which technically means “Gods” (plural) and is an immediate hint of The Trinity. Elohim is the only name used in Genesis 1:1-2:3. Of course in this section of Scripture we see The Trinity of The Father, The Word and The Holy Spirit making decisions, speaking, moving, making, judging (by dividing and declaring), etc. Elohim sounds like a Person. And of course He — better said They — are Persons! When you encounter the name God in The Old Testament you will find a living, personal, creative, powerful and present God. Elohim is real and all-powerful. Man originates and is made in the image and likeness of this personal God. And thinking back to the portion of Mr. Scott’s quote about compound names, you will discover names of God such as El Elohe Israel or El Shaddai which are based on the simple primary name Elohim (note that the singular form of Elohim is translated into English as “El”). More “compound names” are listed at the bottom of this post.

Interestingly the title Elohim is sometimes used of angels (Job 1:6) and humans (see Exodus 22:8 where it’s translated “judges” NKJV). This communicates to us that like humans, The One True Elohim is personal and approachable. This is logical since mankind is made in the image and likeness of Elohim. 

This is just a brief taste of the meaning of the name Elohim. To dig further into the name Elohim, see Strong’s H430 and Strong’s H410.

Adonai

When you see “Lord” or “lord” in the Old Testament, the name Adonai is being invoked. Similar to how the name Elohim is sometimes used of men, there are human adonai or lords*. This makes sense of God’s title “The King of kings and Lord of lords” (see Deuteronomy 10:17 and Revelation 17:14). Another similarity between the names Elohim and Adonai is that both are plural masculine nouns.

Adonai is The Master, One who we are to submit to and unquestioningly obey. Sarah showcases this pliability and compliance to her lord Abraham, as she was known to respond with the phrase “yes adonai” (1 Peter 3:5-6). Adonai is The Master God so He is served. Of course The New Testament is written in Koine Greek and so we will not find the Hebrew word “Adonai” there, when Paul writes about being a bondservant of Christ (Romans 1:1) he’s referring to Jesus as our Adonai or Master. And Adonai isn’t just Master of Israel or the church, He is Lord of the entire earth (Zechariah 6:5). As Adonai, God is the sovereign, exclusive ruler of heaven and earth!

To dig further into the name Adonai, see Strong’s H113 and Strong’s H136.

Yahweh

Finally we come to the third primary Hebrew name for God. Unlike the other 2 names, this name is never shared this name with humans or angels. Because of how the Hebrew language works and how Jewish scribes have written this name there is some complexity to this name which has manifested in a variety of English spellings for this name. You will also encounter this name spelled as: YHWH, YAH, Yehovah, Jehovah and even as a suffix ( -iah ) in Hebrew names like Moriah (2 Chronicles 3:1). Here I’m using the simple English transliteration, Yahweh. Also note that in English translations like the NKJV this name will appear as LORD (either A. all caps or  B. capital, large L and capital, small -ORD). 

The meaning that is poured into this name is highly sacred, highly unique and fascinating! Packed into this name is the Truth that God is eternal, self sufficient and self existent. This means He is always living and He requires no one and nothing else to exist — He IS in and of Himself. He is of no lineage, He has no beginning and therefore can have no end (Hebrews 7:1-3). In this vein, He declares to Moses at the burning “I AM.” Even the wonderful Greek description of God as The Alpha and Omega in Revelation 1:8 (this means essentially “The A-Z”) doesn’t express much as the name Yahweh. Yahweh is forever and ever.

To dig further into the name Yahweh, see Strong’s H3068 which is connected to Strong’s H1933. Note that H1933 is used 3 times in Exodus 3:14!

Conclusion

The three names above set the foundation for Who God Is. Sometimes all three names are used in a single verse and knowing which name is being used can help to bring another level of clarity to your reading and study.

As you read The Bible, I encourage you to soak in the richness that permeates God’s specific names. Let’s personally KNOW God!

*For clarity and precision: Throughout this post, when Hebrew names are used an effort has been made to capitalize the names in cases where the names are used of God and the names are not capitalized when the names are used of humans.

Additional “Compound Names” (Primary Name + Secondary Descriptor)

  • Adonai Elohim (Lord God) — Genesis 15:2

  • El Elohe Israel (God, The God of Israel) — Genesis 33:20

  • El Elyon (God Most High) — Genesis 14:20

  • El Olam (The Everlasting God) — Genesis 21:33

  • El Shaddai (Almighty God) — Genesis 17:1

  • Yahweh Elohim (LORD God) — Genesis 2:4

  • Yahweh Nissi (The LORD-Is-My-Banner) — Exodus 17:15

  • Yahweh Rapha (The LORD Who Heals you) — Exodus 15:26

  • Yahweh Shalom (The-LORD-Is-Peace) — Judges 6:24

  • Yahweh Shammah (THE LORD IS THERE) — Ezekiel 48:35

  • Yahweh Tsabah (The LORD of Hosts) — Zechariah 8:3