“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalms 42:1-2, ESV) This Psalm was my grandmother’s favorite. I’ve always loved it as well; but for a long while I never really... Continue Reading →
Bearing the Name Part 10: City On a Hill
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14, ESV) We’ve been considering what it really means to bear the Name of God in a worthy manner—not taking it in vain. We have looked at what is, perhaps, a better translation of the commandment: “You shall... Continue Reading →
Bearing the Name Part 9: Jesus
“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21, ESV) I’m just going to come right out and say it. Jesus means Yehovah (Jehovah, Yahweh) saves! For Jesus, His name was not just a name, it was an identity. But it... Continue Reading →
Bearing the Name Part 8: Immanuel
“‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us)” (Matthew 1:23, ESV). I realized after posting the quote last week that I had really jumped the gun. We will get to that quote, and more of what it entails, soon enough. But this... Continue Reading →
Bearing the Name Part 6: Reflections
“Once we have glimpsed the true portrait of God, the onus is on us to reflect it: to reflect it as a community, to reflect it as individuals. Once we see who Jesus is, we are not only summoned to follow him in worship, love and adoration, but to shape our world by reflecting his... Continue Reading →
Bearing the Name 5: Jehovah Jireh
“He said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’” (Genesis 22:2, ESV) The land of Moriah corresponds with Jerusalem. Mount Moriah is the most likely location... Continue Reading →
Bearing the Name Part 5(teaser): Jehovah Jireh
“And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, ‘In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.’” Genesis 22:14 (KJV) “So Abraham called the name of that place, ‘The LORD will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the LORD it... Continue Reading →
Bearing the Name Part 4: El Shaddai
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,’” (Genesis 17:1, ESV) There have been numerous postulates formed over the actual meaning of El Shaddai. El certainly means “God.” The truth is, we simply don’t know for sure the... Continue Reading →
Bearing the Name Part 3: YHVH Shalom
“Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, The LORD Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.” (Judges 6:24, ESV) This is the third in a series about bearing the Name of the LORD in a worthy manner. We have come to believe... Continue Reading →
Bearing the Name Part 2
“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7, ESV) Last week we began looking at another way of looking at the above commandment. We saw that the high priest had affixed at the forehead... Continue Reading →
Skipping Stones 