Isaiah 48:9-16, Adonai YAHWEH (Lord GOD)

In our study of the names of God we have seen that some of the prominent titles are often joined.  For example, in Gen. 2, it is the LORD God, YAHWEH Elohim, who establishes a relationship with Man. 

Another illustration is Lord GOD, Adonai YAHWEH.  Some English versions (NIV) translate this as Sovereign LORD.  This name appears 298 times, with 213 being in Ezekiel.  In Ezekiel it is always the Lord GOD who speaks to and through the prophet.  Isaiah (25), Jeremiah (14) and Amos (21) make up most of the other uses, so you see that it is a term used mostly in the Prophets.

However, two early references to the Lord GOD might give us a clue as to the strength of this name.  In Gen. 15:2,8.  Abraham refers to God with this name when he believes God and it is credited to him as righteousness.  In both cases he is seeking for clarification from God.  Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless … Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?  This passage results in God’s confirming the covenant with Abraham through the shedding of blood.

In 2 Samuel 7, David was speechless as the prophet Nathan told him of the covenant God was going to establish with him.  David responded with amazement and thanksgiving, referring to God six times as Lord GOD (7:17-29).  The use of this name by the prophets, especially Ezekiel who serves God in Babylon among the captives, might fit the need to assure Israel that the God of Israel, YAHWEH, is the master, the sovereign, the Lord.  Even though they are ruled by the Gentiles, God is still the One who will fulfill His covenants with Abraham and David.

·       Several times Lord GOD is tied to YAHWEH Tsaveot (LORD of hosts; e.g. Isa. 10:23).  This also emphasizes God’s great power to accomplish all His purposes.

·       In today’s passage from Isaiah 48 we see this very powerfully.  God has spoken of judgment to come on Israel.  But now He is bringing comfort.  For My name’s sake I will defer My anger (v9).  I have tested you in the furnace of affliction (v10).  But God will not let His name be profaned by completely destroying Israel.  I will not give My glory to another (v11).  He is the only God (v12), the Creator (v13); He loves Israel and will deal with Babylon (v14).  Then hear these amazing words: And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit have (lit. has, singular) sent Me (v16).  Who is saying these words?  It is the Messiah.  He is the LORD; He is Creator; He will save Israel.  And He is sent by the Lord GOD and His Spirit.  Do we not see the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit here? 

Oh, that we might know the Lord GOD, the One who will and can keep His word.  What might that mean to us when we come to Him in prayer, to know that the God of Israel, YAHWEH, is the Master, Lord of all?  To address God by His names is to come into His presence with bold humility!

Psalm 137

This Psalm, in three equal stanzas, presents a discouraging picture of God’s people in Babylon but shows God’s people in all ages that hope is bound up in clinging to the promises of God.  Let us learn from this personal testimony.

·       137:1-3: How strong is Israel’s discouragement as they are on the way to Babylon?  Arriving at the border their captors torment them requesting some of their music.  They want songs about Jerusalem, the location of the temple (Ps. 76), of the Messiah’s rule (Ps. 2), the city that was a great refuge (Ps. 46), the place where praise is made to God (Ps. 65) and that brought joy as they sang the many songs of pilgrimage on their way to the city of God.  The Babylonians want to ridicule God’s people because their confidence in the LORD was not well-placed; they are just interested in mirth.  “Sing us one of the songs of Zion, the city we just burned.”

·       137:4-6: But the captives have no desire to sing of Jerusalem while they are in captivity in Babylon.  Jerusalem is the source of all blessing for Israel.  In Zion is the house of David; on the mount of the LORD (Moriah) is the house of God.  Those thoughts were meant to bring joy and to encourage pilgrimage (Ps. 122).  But now pilgrimage is out of the question.  To sing songs of joy about Jerusalem would be to join in the mirth of their captors.  Thoughts of Jerusalem bring no joy as they remember the last they saw of it.  Furthermore, the reason for all this cannot be laid at the feet of the Babylonians.  Jerusalem on fire is a reminder to Israel of her sin, her idolatry, her back-slidden hard-heartedness against her God.  Is there no hope?

·       137:7-9: These words are imprecatory.  It is a prayer against enemies.  Against Edom, Jacob’s brother (Israel’s brother), who proudly rejoiced in the destruction of Jerusalem.  As Obadiah 1 and Ezekiel 35 tell us, they could hardly wait to take the land of Israel for their own as soon the Babylonians hauled them off.  But those passages also made clear that God promised He would punish Edom.  Even as God promised He would punish Babylon after Israel’s 70 years of captivity (Jer. 25:1-14).  Yes, Israel was being punished for her sin.  But this punishment was not the end; the day would come when God’s people would return, be saved, and restored in the land.  So as the 70 years began, discouraged Israel found hope in the promises of God. 

Discouragement is not unexpected for God’s people today, partly because we and our loved ones are also sinners.  God disciplines us as a father does his children.  And as we follow Christ, bearing our cross, we also experience trouble; Jesus made us that promise (John 15:33).  But we have the promise of God: a hope that this is not the end of the story, that a place is being prepared for us (Jn. 14:1-3), and that Jesus has overcome the world!  Therefore let us sing, even in this foreign land (Jn. 15:19; 17:16).  Hope in God’s promises!

YAHWEH Rapha, YAHWEH Ra'ah

Read Exodus 15:22-26, YAHWEH Rapha

In our previous posts we studied 5 compound names of God.  These are names that in English are hyphenated, but in Hebrew are one compound word.  Today I want to mention two important references to God that are not so much names as they are descriptions.  Each appears once, in the Hebrew “active participle.”  The describing word is a “verbal adjective,” a term describing God as performing an action.  Here is what we are saying.

·       In Exodus 15, in the first stop after leaving the Red Sea, God healed the undrinkable waters of Marah (Marah means bitter).  This incident set a pattern, that God would test Israel in the desert to see if they would follow Him.  This was preparation for the covenant God would make with Israel at Mt. Sinai (if you obey Me you will be my special treasure, Ex. 19:5).  In this passage God promised that if Israel followed Him, He would put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians.  He described Himself, saying, I am the LORD who heals you (I am YAHWEH Rapha, the LORD healing you).

o   “Rapha” appears 67 times in the OT, first found in Gen. 20:17 where God healed the Gentile Abimelech and his house, in answer to Abraham’s prayer.

o   In Isa. 53:5 it is used of Messiah:  By His stripes we are healed.  Peter quotes this of Christ in 1 Peter 2:24. The context in both passages indicates Jesus’ stripes brought healing from sin and its effect, so that we can live to please God.  The total healing will not be complete until the complete redemption of the body when we are in His presence (Rom. 8:23-25).

Read Psalm 23:1-6, YAHWEH Ra’ah

·       The Shepherd Psalm begins, The LORD is my shepherd, YAHWEH ra’ah.  The term is general, in the sense that it applies to a person who does all the things that sheep need to have done.  Thus He leads them, makes sure they have food to eat, cares for their scratches and sicknesses, and so forth.  The Psalm itself, of course, is a tremendous description of what the LORD does as the Shepherd for His people.  The result is that they have no want, no lack of anything.  This provision applies to the needs of this life as well as the one to come.

o   Another great description of what a shepherd does is found in Ezek. 34:4: they strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the broken, bring back those driven away, and seek the lost. 

o   The connection with Christ is hard to miss.  He is the good Shepherd (John 10), who gives His life for the sheep (10:11,17-18).  As the door of the sheep (10:7-10) He sees every one of the sheep as they enter the fold; thus, He fulfills Ezek. 34:4.  He gives eternal life to His sheep (10:28), which is the full and rich life described in Psalm 23.

Jeremiah 23:1-6; 33:14-16, YAHWEH-Tsidkenu

Today is the last of five “hyphenated” names for God.  The first three were names given to altars where God was worshiped.  Like the last one, this name is related to a prophesy concerning the Messianic reign.  YAHWEH-Shammah (The LORD is There) is a name given to Jerusalem.  YAHWEH-Tsidkenu, The-Lord-Our-Righteousness, is the name given to God. 

As with all of these names, we again see a direct connection with the Lord Jesus with this name.  Jesus is YAHWEH-Tsidkenu.  This is a common New Covenant truth for Christians, that “in Christ” we have the righteousness of God.  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).  But we should remember that the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ was testified to by the Law and the Prophets (Rom. 3:21-22). 

·       Isaiah 45:22-25: This passage has Jesus in mind.  Paul applies the last part of v23 to Jesus in Philippians 2:10: That to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.  This is the One to whom the ends of the earth must look to be saved (45:22; cf. John 3:14-16; remember YAHWEH-Nissi in our post just a few days ago).  We also see that, In the LORD all the descendants of Israel shall be justified (45:25).  To be justified is to be declared righteous; this is found in the Lord, The-LORD-Our-Righteousness.

·       Isaiah 53:11: In the song of the Suffering Servant, our Lord Jesus, we hear the same truth.  By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.  We cannot be justified, declared righteous, apart from the One who bears our sins in His body on the tree.

·       Jeremiah 23:5-6: There is no doubt that v5 describes the Messianic reign.  Jesus is the Branch, the King who shall reign and prosper.  In “His” days, when the Branch of David is raised up, Judah will be saved, and the Branch will be called The-LORD-Our-Righteousness.

·       Jeremiah 33:14-16: The prophecy is repeated here, although note the great line in v14: I will perform that good thing which I have promised.  It truly is a “good thing” for God to raise up the Branch of righteousness, the One through whom Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety.  But now, it is Jerusalem that will be called The-LORD-Our-Righteousness.  Is this a contradiction?  No, of course not.  Those who become righteous through the Branch bear the same name and glory as the One who is the Branch, even as “Christians” bear the name of “Christ.”  Given the oneness of believers in the New Covenant, this all makes sense.  It is a truly, good thing that God has promised.  YAHWEH-Tsidkenu, The-LORD-Our-Righteousness.

Nehemiah 9:1-19, Thanksgiving Day 2020

I want to take this Thanksgiving Day USA and devote it to my thanks to God for His marvelous and multitudinous blessings.  In today’s reading, the people were gathered, for the reading of the Law, and to confess the sins and the iniquities of their fathers.  Throughout the chapter they speak of God’s greatness in taking them from Egypt to dwell in the land, and His grace, blessing Israel in spite of their sins.  All of this response comes under the heading of: Stand up and bless the LORD your God forever and ever (v5).

We bless the LORD when we speak of His wonderful works; that is easy to see.  But hopefully, we also see that we bless the LORD when we confess our sins.  I can never forget the word of Joshua to Achan: My son, I beg you, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me (Josh. 7:19).  To his credit, Achan very boldly did just that.  Indeed, I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel … when I saw … I coveted them and took them (7:20-21). 

So, the Levites call them to stand up and bless the LORD.  It’s good to stand in the presence of the Sovereign LORD.  You could bow, for certain.  But standing is important because there was a need to be totally open before the LORD.  From the standing position they were able to put all their strength into blessing God. 

I love the way their response begins: Blessed be Your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise (v5).  As we have noted, the “name” speaks of who the person is.  What they said was, that there is not enough blessing and praise in the universe to match the glorious name of the God of Israel.  Yet, they are standing, and they will give their personal rendition of blessing the LORD.

In 9:7 we read, You are the LORD God, who chose Abram.  YAHWEH Elohim is the name used of God in Gen. 2, when the creation story moves from the grand creation of the heavens and earth (Gen. 1) to the personal creation of man in anticipation of God’s dwelling with mankind.  God’s choice of Abram was, an integral part of the restoration of sinful man so that God could complete His plan.

In 9:17, did you see the “manifold name of God?”  But you are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and did not forsake them (cf. Ex. 34:6-7).  On this Thanksgiving Day, God’s self-revelation through that name, given to Moses, should give us ample reason to stand up and bless the LORD your God!  May this day not pass without doing this!  Bless the LORD for His greatness!  Bless the LORD for His mercy!  Bless the LORD by boldly telling Him how much you have needed that greatness and mercy this year.  What great conversation we can have around the table if we do this.  It beats getting bogged down in elections and masks.  After all … You alone are the LORD!

Haggai 2:1-9; 2 Cor. 6:14-16, YAHWEH-Shammah (3)

The glory departed from Israel.  Ezekiel saw it happen.  Yet, the same prophet, would record the promise of God, that He would still be YAHWEH-Shammah.

·       Haggai 2:3,7,9: Before we hear from Ezekiel, hear the prophecy of Haggai, one of the prophets who ministered after the return from Babylon.  As the people were building the second temple, Haggai encouraged them, saying, ‘the glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts.  How can this be?  For one thing, do you remember YAHWEH Tsaveot, the LORD of hosts?  He is the God who can marshal all the hosts of heaven to do His will; nothing can stop Him.  In fact, Jesus walked and talked in this temple.  In fact, the second temple was honored more than the first. 

·       Ezek. 43:1-5:  We noted earlier that Ezek. 40-48 gives detailed instructions as to the construction of a temple, we believe, in the Millennial reign of Christ.  This passage speaks of the return of God’s glory to the temple.  In his vision, Ezekiel is taken to the eastern gate, where he earlier saw the glory departing for the Mt. of Olives.  But now the glory is returning, through the eastern gate, into the temple.  And the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 

·       Ezek. 48:35: And then we come to where we started.  Jerusalem will bear the name, YAHWEH-Shammah, The-LORD-Is-There! 

Jesus is YAHWEH-Shammah.  We have seen this in His Millennial reign.  Because Jesus rules from Zion, the LORD is there.  His entrance into the city fulfills Ezekiel’s prophecy of the glory of the LORD entering through the eastern gate.  Remember how  Jesus rode the donkey down the Mount of Olives and into the city.  He will come again, in a similar manner.  What a glorious day that will be.

But Jesus was YAHWEH-Shammah in His first advent.  John 1:14 says, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  He dwelt, or literally, “tabernacled” among us, just as the LORD tabernacled with Israel in the wilderness.  In what sense did John behold His glory?  Did He have a halo?   In John 2:11: when Jesus performed His first miracle, at the wedding in Cana, John says Jesus manifested His glory.  His glory was evident on occasion in His first advent; in His second it will be on full display.

Given this, what should we do concerning YAHWEH-Shammah?  We must be a holy place, a sanctuary, for we are the temple of the living God (2 Cor. 6:14-16).  God’s desire to dwell with men has not changed.  By His Spirit, He dwells in the believer in Christ.  We cannot be His temple and the temple of another god, or a temple to ourselves. 

Exodus 33:1-17, YAHWEH-Shammah (2)

·       Exodus 25:21-22: We noted that God’s first dwelling in Israel was the sanctuary in the tabernacle.  More precisely, His dwelling in the holy place was on the gold mercy seat on top of the Ark of the Covenant.  Blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat once a year on the day of Atonement.  Atonement had to be provided in order for sinners to fellowship with the holy God.  Again, dwelling and atonement are inseparable, when we think of God dwelling with men.

·       Exodus 33:14-16: Before the tabernacle was made, and before Israel ever left Mt. Sinai, there was a crisis in terms of God’s dwelling with Israel.  That crisis was precipitated by the golden calf incident.  God tells Moses to lead the people on, but that He will not go with them, lest He consume the stiff-necked people along the way (33:1-3).  Our actions do affect our fellowship with God (1 John 1:8-9).  This news causes grief among the people; God’s presence was a blessing in many ways for Israel (33:4-6).  But there was one man who could enter God’s presence; that man was Moses (33:7-11).  Thus, Moses pled with God (33:12-17).  And notice the basis of his plea: how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth (33:16).  God’s Presence with Israel set them apart; without it, they were just another of the many nations. 

·       Exodus 40:34-35: What a glorious day, when the tabernacle was completed, the proper sacrifices performed, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle!  God had come to His resting place.

·       2 Chronicles 7:1-3: A similar scene occurred when Solomon dedicated the temple.  Again, the glory of the LORD filled the temple.  It was so intense that the priests could not enter the house of the LORD to do their ministry.  When the people saw this, they bowed before the LORD and proclaimed, For He is good, for His mercy endures forever.

·       Ezekiel 8-11: Grievously, this did not last.  Oh, it lasted for 450 years,  But the Babylonians, as God’s servants, destroyed Solomon’s temple and the Holy of Holies, where God’s glory had come.  Ezekiel details, from a vision, how the glory of the LORD departed …   

     … from the temple (Ezek. 8:1-4);

     … departing the mercy seat to the threshold of the temple (9:3);

     … filling the house with a cloud, and the court with brilliance (10:4);

     … departing the threshold for the eastern gate (10:18-19);

     … departing Jerusalem for the Mt. of Olives east of the city (11:22-23).

What a sad day for Israel.  But it is not the end of the story, thank the LORD!

Ezekiel 48:30-35, YAHWEH-Shammah (1)

The context for this name of God probably needs a little explanation.  Ezekiel 40-48 is an interesting, rather detailed description of a temple and the political layout of Israel that has not yet been seen.  Most, myself included, see it as belonging to the Millennial reign of Christ.  Today’s reading describes the twelve gates into the city of Jerusalem at that time, when Messiah rules from David’s throne in Zion.  And the very last thing, after all the details, is to say: the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE.  What is more important about Jerusalem is, YAHWEH-Shammah, The LORD is there. 

The Millennial reign is not the last chapter in the story of the kingdom of God; what follows is eternity, the new heaven and earth.  But it is the chapter where this sin-corrupted world and its inhabitants finally experience what God intended from the beginning.  Man, through Christ, will have dominion; peace and righteousness will be the norm.  And God will dwell with men.  The LORD is there.

God came to the Garden to visit with Adam and Eve, but that relationship was filled with enmity after sin.  Nevertheless, God’s desire to dwell with man never waned.  God worked to overcome the sin and guilt, promising a Savior and establishing the blood sacrifice. 

God had promised, before Israel ever entered the land, to appoint a city where He would put His name (Deut. 12:5).  Jerusalem was called the city of God (Ps. 46:4; 48:1,8).  But God’s dwelling was hampered by the idolatry of Israel.  It was not the way it was supposed to be.  But Ezekiel is telling us that the time will come when God will so much be “there” that the city will truly bear His name: YAHWEH-Shammah.

We would like to survey the history of God’s dwelling in Israel, and then show that Jesus Himself is the fulfillment of the name, YAHWEH-Shammah.

·       Exodus 15:17: In Israel’s birth as a nation, having escaped Egypt at the Red Sea, Miriam sang of God’s deliverance and the promise, You will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which You have made for Your own dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.  Note v18: The LORD shall reign forever and ever.  The promise to dwell with Israel is joined to the promised to rule Israel. 

·       Exodus 25:8-9; 29:44-46: Miriam’s song mentioned the sanctuary.  This is a sacred place, devoted to God.  This is where God would dwell.  The first “holy place” in Israel was in the tabernacle, the “tent of meeting,” made at Mount Sinai and carried from place to place throughout Israel's wilderness wanderings.  In this setting God said, I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.  God must dwell in a holy place.  It cannot be any other way.

Psalm 136

First, let us note the simple outline of this Hymn.

·       136:1-3: the call to give thanks for God's eternal mercy.

·       136:4-9: thanks for God’s eternal mercy in creation.

·       136:10-22: thanks for God’s eternal mercy to Israel.

·       136:23-26: again, a call to give thanks to God for His eternal mercy.

What a wonderful Psalm.  The message is clear: give thanks to God for His mercy endured forever, a phrase repeated 26 times in 26 verses.  But the message of God’s faithfulness is even more profound if you consider the backdrop.

Mercy is the Hebrew checed.  It is translated sometimes as lovingkindness, favour, goodness as well as mercy.  At its root is the idea of zealous desire.  God only does good; He has a deep desire to do good.  Meditate on that for a moment.

Then there is olawm, forever.  The root of this term is hidden; it’s as if the clock is hidden.  There is simply no thought of time.  So that’s a definition.  But look at this word in the context of Israel and you will understand why this Psalm reflects on God’s zealous love in the particular historical events it mentions.

·       Gen. 13:15: God promised to give to Abraham and his descendants the land he had come to and it would be theirs forever (olawm).

·       Gen. 17:7,13,19: God promised Abraham that the covenant He made with him would be an everlasting (olawm) covenant.

·       Gen. 17:8: Again, God promised to give the land to Abraham and his descendants forever (olawm).

·       Gen. 21:33: For years Abraham did not own any of the land on which he lived, though God promised it to him.  But after many years there came a time when he made peace with the inhabitants of the land in the South (Negev area) and they recognized Beersheba as belonging to Abraham.  At that point Abraham a tree and there called on the LORD, giving Him the name El Olawm, the Everlasting God.  Note: he did not build an altar; he did that many times.  But he planted a tree, something in the land that would outlive him.

Psalm 136 recognizes God’s eternal mercy to Israel and to all flesh (v25)!  Meditate on this today, especially if you have entered into the New Covenant.  It also is a forever covenant.  Give thanks to God, and trust in His zealous love.

Judges 6:1-24, YAHWEH-Shalom

Perhaps you recognized the familiar Hebrew term shalom and understand the meaning of this name: The LORD is Peace.  But it is quite possible that you are not aware that shalom is much more than the absence of conflict in a relationship.  Shalom speaks of the satisfaction of the soul; it is a sense of fulfillment or fullness.  It is the end point of the Aaronic blessing in Num. 6:24-26:

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you; and be gracious unto you.  The LORD lift up His countenance on you and give you peace!

That blessing makes it clear, that in Scripture, God is the source of shalom.  All we have said here is illustrated in the calling of Gideon.  This was a time when Israel had no national experience with shalom.  Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites (v6).  In Gideon’s initial view of things, God had abandoned them (v13); Gideon had no strength in himself to do anything to save Israel (v15).  Further, Gideon found himself in the presence of the LORD (the Angel of the LORD); and this brought fear, not shalom.

In all this, the LORD assured Gideon that he need not fear.  The LORD preached peace to Gideon: Peace be with you.  Gideon believed God, that He could and would bring shaloam to Israel.  Thus, he was compelled to worship God.  No longer afraid, he now had a desire to draw near to God.  He named his altar of worship according to the God who would bring peace, fullness, soul satisfaction to Israel.  YAHWEH-Shalom, The-LORD-Is-Peace.  The altar stood as a testimony to God for a long time in the hill country community of Ophrah.

Again, there is a strong connection to Christ; He is YAHWEH-Shalom.  Remember how He brought fullness, soul satisfaction, for those who trust in Him.

·       Col. 1:20: He made reconciling peace through the blood of His cross. 

·       Rom. 5:1: Through faith in Christ, we are justified, giving us peace with God.

·       Eph. 2:14-18: He is our peace in the body of Christ (v14), making peace for all (v15).  He has reconciled men to God; thus He came and preached peace (v17).

·       John 14:27: In the upper room, Jesus gave peace to His disciples, a peace unlike what the world could give.  Again, it was soul satisfaction; let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  It was a peace that had nothing to do with their external circumstances.  Everything He said to them, and for us, in the upper room, He said, that in Me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (Jn. 16:33).

Peace with God, peace with others, peace inside ourselves; Christ, YAHWEH-Shalom, is the source of all this peace.

Exodus 17:8-16, YAHWEH-Nissi

The all-wise God was careful in the way He led Israel out of Egypt and on to the Promised Land.  At first, He led them on a path that avoided war, Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt (Ex. 13:17).  But after leaving the Egyptians behind, in the overflowing waters of the Red Sea, God began to prepare Israel for war, for fighting their enemies in the power of God.

The first skirmish (Num. 24:20), if you will, was with the descendants of Amalek, a grandson of Esau.  The battle took place at Rephidim, where God provided water from the rock to satisfy the needs of Israel.  The story involves everything Israel must remember when they go to war: they must obey the LORD by being willing to face the enemy, they must trust in the LORD, and the LORD will, in fact, fight for them.  It is a great story of intercession and the “fellowship of prayer” as Aaron and Hur support Moses’ hands.  At the Red Sea Moses had just lifted his rod and the seas parted; then he brought his rod down and the sea returned over the Egyptians.  This battle lasted throughout the day until sundown.  Moses needed others to support him in his role.

When it was over, the LORD told Moses to record this event in a book.  Many years later, the memory of this incident would be God’s reason for telling King Saul to attack and annihilate the Amalekites, a command that Saul would not fulfill and that would result in his loss of the kingdom to David (1 Sam. 15).  God’s promise to have perpetual war against Amalek was the reason Moses gives for naming the altar he built, YAHWEH-Nissi, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner.  The idea of the “banner” is that, in time of war, it is the rallying point for the people as they gather for action.  Literally, it is something lifted up.

This is the only reference to God as YAHWEH-Nissi; but several references to “nissi” (the banner or standard) relate to the Lord Jesus Christ.

·       In Num. 21:8-9, the bronze serpent is a “nissi,” something lifted up.  The people look to it and are healed.  This is a profound picture of what the cross of Jesus is about (John 3:14-15; 12:30-33).

·       In Isaiah 11:10, the Root of Jesse … shall stand as a banner to the people, for the Gentiles shall seek Him.  Jesus is that Root, the Root of David (Rev. 5:5; 22:16), Who, when lifted up, draws all men to Himself.  Paul quotes Isaiah in Rom. 15:12 as part of glorifying God for His mercy to the Gentiles.

God has given a banner (nissi) to those who fear Him, that it may be displayed because of the truth (Ps. 60:4).  We are in a warfare, a spiritual and very real warfare.  And the banner of the truth of the gospel is our rallying point, our standard.  That is the battle, and at stake are the glory of God and the souls of men.  May we take our stand in the full armor of God!

Gen. 22:1-14, YAHWEH-Jireh

We begin a series of posts on five compound names of God: YAHWEH-Jireh, Nissi, Shalom, Shammah, and Tsedeq.  These names were one word in Hebrew.  The first three were ascribed to God in connection with an altar.  Prior to God’s choice of Jerusalem as the one place of worship, it was common for worshipers to build an altar.  As part of their worship at the altar they sometimes gave God a name that expressed their thanks for His part in some particular event.

One of the most profound events in the OT is what Jews call “the binding of Isaac.”  You may recall, that prior to this testing of Abraham, his walk with God had some ups and downs.  But in the passage immediately preceding today’s reading Abraham had planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God (Gen. 21:33; see the previous post on El Olam).  Perhaps this tree-planting worship, showing Abraham’s trust in God with respect to the land, prepared the way for the greatest test of Abraham’s life, a test of faith in God with respect to the promised son, Isaac.

Abraham’s faith was evident from the beginning, when he showed no hesitation when God told Him to take Isaac to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering.  It was evident in how he instructed his servants: the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.  Then it was evident in his answer to Isaac’s question, where is the lamb for a burnt offering?  Again, without hesitation, Abraham answered, My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.  As Hebrews says, Abraham concluded that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead (Heb. 11:19). 

The word “provide” in Hebrew (ra’ah) means “to see, look at, have vision.”  The idea is that God would make the lamb for burnt offering a reality, something you would be able to see.  Again, Hebrews says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1).  When the Angel of the LORD called from heaven and stopped Abraham, Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram. 

There is so much going on here.  Abraham and Isaac are a picture of God and the Son of God.  It turns out, the Father and the Son are observing Abraham’s actions: the Father showed him the specific mountain in the land of Moriah, and the Son (the Angel of the Lord) spoke from heaven.  When Abraham named the place The-LORD-will-provide, it’s not just because of what happened.  The name has a future tense.  It’s about what will happen there in the future, an event that will involve the Word that becomes flesh, the Son of God.  Moses is aware of this.  He says, that to his day, the people still look back to “the binding of Isaac” and say, In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.  Praise to YAHWEH-Jireh!

Heb. 1:1-14, The Angel of the LORD (2)

There are many connections between the Angel of the LORD and our Lord Jesus Christ.  In today’s post we will meditate on these. 

·       Jacob referred to the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil (Gen. 48:16).  In (Him) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (Co. 1:14).

·       Of Israel, God said through Isaiah, So He became their Savior.  In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old (Isa 63:9).  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, … He saved us, through … the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3:4-7).

·       The Angel of the LORD pronounced judgment on the people of Israel (Jud. 2:1-4).  Of Jesus it is said, For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son (John 5:22).  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10).

·       It was the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel (Ex. 14:19).  Jesus is the Head of the Body, the Church (Col. 1:18).

·       The Angel of the LORD played the prophetic role when He spoke of the coming Messiah, My Servant the BRANCH (Zech. 3:6-8).  So, Christ played the prophetic role; God spoke through Him in the Incarnation (Heb. 1:1-2).

·       God appeared as the Angel of the LORD in the call to ministry of Moses (Ex. 3:2-6), Gideon (Jud. 6:11-22) and Samson (Jud. 13:3-21).  Of Christ, Paul said: I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry (1 Tim. 1:12-17).  To each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift (Eph. 4:7).

·       The Angel of the LORD interceded with the LORD of hosts, seeking mercy for Israel (Zech. 1:12).  Christ also makes intercession for us (Rom. 8:34).  He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Heb. 7:25).

·       The Angel of the LORD brought victory to Israel: the Angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the time of Hezekiah (Isa. 37:36; 2 Ki. 19:35).  Christ brings victory over death for believers: But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:57).  Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ (2 Cor. 2:14).  In the future, heaven will be opened, and behold, a white horse.  And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war (Rev. 19:11-16).

Judges 13:11-23, The Angel of the LORD (1)

It may seem strange to refer to God as an Angel.  So, first, let us correct the previous sentence.  Todays name is not “an angel of the LORD” but THE Angel of the Lord.  In that form (some 65 times in Scripture), the Angel of the Lord, we believe refers to God, and specifically, God the Son.  Here are the reasons for this.

·       The OT speaks of the Angel of God (e.g. Ex. 14:19) and the Angel of His Presence (e.g. Isa. 63:9).  These also, likely, refer to the Angel of the LORD.

·       The Angel of the LORD is said to be God (Deity) on several occasions.

o   Gen. 31:11-13: The Angel of God tells Jacob, “I am the God of Bethel.”

o   Ex. 3:2-6: The Angel of the LORD tells Moses, from within the burning bush, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham … Isaac … and Jacob.”  Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

o   Gen. 22:1,11-12: On Mt. Moriah, God tested Abraham.  Yet, the Angel of the LORD spoke from heaven, telling Abraham not to take Isaac’s life, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.

o   Hagar (Gen. 16:9-13), Gideon (Jud. 6:11-22), and the parents of Samson (Jud. 13:17-18,22) identified the Angel of the LORD as God.

·       The Angel of the LORD is a special appearance of God in the OT times; He is to be identified with Christ.  Why do we believe this to be true?

o   The Angel of the LORD is both God (as noted above) and the mouthpiece of God, even as Christ.  John 1:1 refers to Christ as the Word who was God and was with God.  When the Angel/the Word speaks, it is the word of God (cf. Gen. 16:7 & 13; 22:1,11-12,15-16).

o   The Angel of the LORD appears as a “man,” in a physical form (e.g. Zech. 1:10-11).  Jesus was the Word who became flesh (Jn. 1:14).  He did not have a human body until He was conceived and born into this world.  But if God, for His own purposes, came to men in OT times as a Man, it would make sense that it is as the second member of the Godhead, the Son of God.

o   The Angel of the LORD (Jud. 13:18) and Christ (Isa. 9:6) bear the name Wonderful.

o   One other interesting thought is that, the Angel of the LORD does not appear in the NT after the birth of Christ.  The obvious reason is that the Son of God had come in the likeness of man. 

This fits Heb. 1:1-2.  God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets (including appearances as the Angel of the LORD) has in these last days spoken to us by His Son!  God revealed Himself to the prophets through His names.  But once God became Man, there was no greater revelation that He could make beyond that.  We will consider more evidence in our next post on the connection between the Angel of the LORD and Christ.

Haggai 2:1-9, 1 Ki. 17:45, YAHWEH Tsaveot (LORD of Hosts)

Nearly all English versions translate this name LORD of hosts (NIV: LORD Almighty).  The Hebrew tsava appears 485 times, and refers to “hosts” whether of men (Jud. 4:2), angels (Deut. 4:19), or stars and planets (1 Ki. 22:19).  It is used 285 times in the name, LORD of hosts.  It appears twice in the NT, once quoting Isaiah (Rom. 9:29) and once by James writing to Jewish believers (Jas. 5:4).

The name, LORD of hosts, is never used in the Pentateuch.  The first use is in 1 Sam. 1:3,11 in the story of Hannah.  Hannah prays to the LORD of hosts.  Of the 285 uses, 230 of these are found in 5 prophetic books: Isaiah (62), Jeremiah (77), Haggai (14), Zechariah (53) and Malachi (24).

The basic picture in this name is of God marshalling the hosts of heaven, especially on behalf of His people.  It is when the battle is upon us that we call upon the LORD of hosts.  There is no better illustration of this than the story in 2 Kings 6:8-18, where the name is not even used.  The city of Dothan was surrounded by the hosts of the Syrian army.  Elisha asked the LORD to open the eyes of his servant that he might see the mighty host of the LORD’s army around the city.  Another illustration appears in Joshua 5:10-15, again with no mention of the name.  Instead, Joshua is met by, we believe, Christ Himself, as “the Commander of the LORD’s army.”  It may be this experience of Joshua, at the time Israel entered the land, that might have been behind Hannah’s reference to God as LORD of hosts.

Why did the LORD reveal Himself in such a way through the five prophets mentioned above?  Isaiah and Jeremiah wrote at different stages leading up to the Babylonian captivity.  Thus there are lines like this: the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment (Isa. 5:16); the wrath of the LORD of hosts (Isa. 13:13); and thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I will refine them and try them (Jer. 9:7).  The LORD marshaled all His hosts in judgment.

On the other hand, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi wrote after the return from Babylon.  The nation was weak, and submitted to the Persians.  In Haggai, even though the new temple seemed insignificant compared to the one Solomon built, the LORD of hosts promised, I am with you (2:4) in the work.  The LORD of hosts, promised to shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land, and … all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory (2:6-7).  The LORD of hosts could do this because His army has no limitations.

This name can encourage our faith any time, especially when we are overcome by the burdens and hindrances on our path.  David’s words should echo in our hearts, as he stood before Goliath: You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin.  But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  Praise the name of the LORD of hosts!

Psalm 135

To my family and friends: pay careful attention to this Psalm.  It is a Hillel Psalm, meaning it begins and ends with praise the LORD!  That in itself is not unusual as there are several of these in God’s Hymnbook.  It calls for praise from the Levitical servants who served in the temple, as did Psalm 134.  Thus you might say it was placed here after the Songs of Ascents because it sounds like someone who has made pilgrimage to the temple.  Again, that is not why we need to pay attention.

The reason is because this call to worship is to the faithful God, and the proof of His faithfulness is for a reason that has always been important to Israel but is also critical to all mankind, and especially in our day and in the days to come.  The layout of this Psalm is simple; it’s message profound.

·       135:1-4: The Call to Praise.  Those called are, as we noted, the servants of the LORD, you who stand in the house of the LORD.  The reason they are singled out is because of what we find about God at the end of the Psalm (v21): He dwells in Jerusalem.  The reason for this call is the goodness of God (v3), but specifically that fact that He chose Jacob to be His special treasure, God’s own description at Mt. Sinai when He first established this relationship with the nation (Ex. 19:5) and again when they prepared to enter the land He gave them (Deut. 7:6).

·       135:5-18: The God who is to be Praised.  Israel’s God is great and is above all gods.  In other words, He not only chose Israel; He is able to fulfill His plan to make them His special treasure.  Consider the nature of Israel’s God.

o   135:6-7: He is able to do whatever He pleases in heaven and earth.  He is the Creator and Sustainer of Creation.

o   135:8-12: Thus He was able to do what He needed to do with the nations in order to give Israel the land He promised, a land that was commensurate with them being His special treasure.  It was a good land, flowing with milk and honey (Ex. 33:3 and many others).  The LORD delivered them from bondage in Egypt by using His creation to bring Pharaoh to let them go.  When they approached the land the LORD gave them victories over Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites.  Then He gave them victories over the Canaanites.  God ordered the nations in such a way as to honor His special treasure Israel.

o   135:13-14: God’s enduring name and fame revolve around His goodness to Israel.  We believe this is still the case and will be the case in the future days of tribulation.  Through God’s faithfulness to Israel the nations will come to know Who is the true God (e.g. Ezek. 37:28; 39:21-29).

o   135:15-18: God’s greatness is set against the lifeless frailty of the gods men devise and in which they trust.  Idols means empty, vain; all other trusts are empty compared to the faithful, great God of Israel.

·       135:19-21: Thus all Israel and in fact all who fear the LORD are called to ascribe praise to God. 

Let us take this to heart.  Take it according to its interpretation: even today’s presence of a nation in the land, as imperfect as it may be, is something to note in terms of God’s faithfulness.  Then apply this truth.  God will be faithful to His word to each of us in our day by day situations.  This is His fame, that He is a God and the only God of whom this can be said.

Exodus 34:10-17; 20:1-6, Jealous

Exodus 34:14 is clear: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.  This name of God is problematic for us because we tend to think of “jealousy” as a self-centered quality.  Here are some thoughts from the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Jealous speaks of strong emotion whereby some quality or possession is desired of the object by the subject.  It is used in both a derogatory and favorable way.  Think of zeal from which envy (zeal for another’s property) and jealousy (zeal for one’s own property) come.  The essential meaning is found in the marriage relationship.

We have difficulty with “jealousy” because our minds are conformed to this world.  Our culture even considers it wrong for a husband to be possessive of his wife; the Bible disagrees (1 Cor. 7:1-4).  Further, for humans, who are by birth self-centered, we don’t want a God who owns us or who demands “complete devotion.” 

But like it or not, that is exactly what this name of God reveals.  We are all His possession by virtue of creation; He is the Maker of heaven and earth.  Furthermore, He is the God who redeemed Israel out of Egypt, the house of bondage.  He alone did this, and in the process glorified Himself above all the gods of Egypt.  So, by virtue of Creation and Redemption, He alone has the right to say, You shall have no other gods before Me.  You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or … the earth beneath, or … in the water under the earth!

God’s jealousy for His people, His wife (Israel) is a fact.  Consider these truths.

·       Ezek. 16:38,42: The jealousy of God is behind His righteous judgment.  You may have noticed in today’s reading that God’s jealousy was spoken of in a context of idolatry.  Israel was to destroy the places of idolatry in the land so as to keep their hearts for the LORD.  But throughout her history, Israel turned again and again to idols, other lovers.  Thus, God warned of judgment to come.

·       Isaiah 9:7: On the other hand, God’s jealousy is at the root of His salvation.  The salvation described here is performed by the “zeal” (lit. jealousy) of the LORD.  He not only wants the devotion of His people; He is devoted to them.

·       Num. 25:1-13:  Read this passage about Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, who, the LORD said, was zealous with My zeal (lit. jealous with my jealousy).  His actions saved the Nation from God’s chastening zeal for their lack of devotion.

Jesus fulfilled Ps. 69:9, Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up (John 2:17).  He was jealous/zealous in His devotion to His God and Father.  The Church is called to have this same devotion for her Husband, Jesus Christ.  For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy.  For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2).