The Names of God

A lot of people may wonder why we should understand the names of God, we are often of the view that the word “GOD “is sufficient to understand that He is a supreme being and we move on with our lives. By doing this we miss a great deal of revelation and comprehension of his majesty and we also miss an opportunity of intimacy with our creator.

We can only reverence love and appreciate God to the degree that we know him. Jesus prayed for us in the book of John saying - Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. Paul then makes his exclamation in Philippians 3:10 saying That I may know him and the power of his resurrection. The knowledge of God builds confidence and stability, it is on this premise that the prophet proclaimed in Isaiah 33:6 wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times.

Names in the Hebrew language have always encapsulated the function, character, and purpose of their bearer and in the quest to know God, his various names bring us into an encounter with dimensions of himself that cannot be captured in one name only. God is eternal and we need to put eternity in view of our own time scale to understand that someone who is eternal cannot be fully captured in one setting, this is the reason that we see God reveal his name to his people over time and in moments of need.

God appeared to Moses charging him to go to Pharaoh to release his people, it is at this point we see how God chooses to introduce himself when Moses asked him who should he mention sent him.

“Genesis 13:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

There were many gods in Egypt and Moses had to say who this God was and the introductory name I AM, conveyed His dominion over all things, the source of His power, and His eternal nature: I AM. He is the self-sufficient, self-sustaining God who was, who is, and who is to come.

The wise man goes on to say in proverbs 10:13 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. He mentioned this because he knew that there is a fortification in the name of the Lord as revealed. King David charged into battle trusting in one thing and one thing only which is the name of the Lord, we see this as he defied the insults of Goliath before the army of Isreal. Watch closely as he mentions one of the names of God when he faces Goliath, he calls God The Lord of Hosts – Which means The Lord of Angel Armies. He simply told Goliath that he is going to be defeated/ Killed by a supernatural power, not by his own might but the might of the God of Angel Armies.

1 Samuel 17:45 “You come to me with a sword and 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

There is so much for us to learn from this one narration about the supernatural power of God, the supernatural is the reality of God together with the Kingdom of God, and the moment you grasp this dimension, the miraculous treasures encapsulated in his names will be unraveled before you. There are over 100 names of God in the Bible which I strongly recommend you take time to dig into their mysteries, for the purpose of this introductory article we will look at only a few alongside scriptures where God revealed his names.

ELOHIM – GOD

The name Elohim means God signifying supreme power, sovereignty, and Glory. It is used in

the most popular sentence of all times found in Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth. We see this name also signifying covenant relationship which he is ever faithful to keep and we see God mentioning this to Abraham as he asked him to leave his family and walk before him.

El ROI – THE GOD WHO SEES

We see God reveal himself as El Roi in Genesis 16:13. Hagar was treated unfairly and had to leave with her child to fend for herself and in her desolate state, an angel of the Lord came to their aid. She felt abandoned, she felt like an outcast and she felt like the world had turned on her. Often times we feel the way Hagar felt - however, we see how God intervenes and shows that He sees the affairs of men, and knows when we feel lost and unloved.

Genesis 16:13 “She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."

JEHOVAH JIREH – THE LORD WILL PROVIDE

In a narration of great faith and trust we see God ask Abraham to bring his promised child to be sacrificed and in all obedience and complete confidence Abraham went up the mountain, upon arrival a lamb was found and used in the place of Isaac. Abraham knew and trusted God, he believed in God’s character and knew Him to be faithful loving, and a provider. It is here that he named God Jehovah Jireh.

Genesis 22:14 “So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it

is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”