The Name of God - Part 3

In 1 John 4:14-17 the pastor writes:

Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. ¹⁶ We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. ¹⁷ And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

This names, in my opinion, perhaps the most profound and awesome name of God ... "Love."  God is love.  It's not "a" characteristic or attribute, it is what God is.  It's interesting that John writes "and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them."  Does this mean that whenever we see an act of love we see God?  I think so.  God isn't some love, or parts of love, or some special love that we knew back in the day (it was Wednesday by the way :).  God is love ... period.  I think any love is God showing up in the world.

Something that was really interesting in the sermon I heard that brought this idea of God's name being "Love" to my mind was how God's love makes us unafraid (verse 17).  You see, the God I grew up believing in was very much to be feared (in a bad way).  I felt judged and shamed by God.  I went to church regularly and prayed the prayer to receive Christ every single time the pastor gave the opportunity.  I didn't do this because I loved God so much or because I knew God loved me, I did it because I was scared of going to hell.  I was afraid of God's wrath and judgement.  He is the final judge, but my perception of this created an unhealthy fear, which I don't think is God's intention.  The problem was, I didn't know this beautiful name of God ... "Love."  But now, I'm not afraid.  I know God as Love ... do you?

Grace and peace,
Lang

P.S.
Did anyone see God show up in an act of love today?  One small way for me was a loving text from my wife I got that made me smile. 

The Name of God - Part 2

Hi Everyone-

First, a bit of housekeeping.  I hear there's been some trouble posting comments from multiple people.  Near as I can figure out ... you need to be signed in and below your comments you need to select a profile to send the comments from.  Then, you should be good to go ... hopefully that helps.

Now, I'd planned on this probably being part 2 of 2 on God's name because I'm going to write about something I studied quite a bit last term, namely when Moses asks God for His name.  I have lots to say on the subject, feel passionate about it, and think it's really cool, so planned to end on that high note.  But, on my run this morning I heard a podcast sermon where the pastor talked about a different name for God from John in the New Testament that I think is awesome.  What is it you ask?  Well, wait for it ... until next blog. :)

At the beginning of the exodus story (in Exodus ironically enough) the Israelites are slaves in Egypt and Moses meets God at the famous burning bush, where God says He's heard the cry of His people and is going to use Moses to free them.  As the scene unfolds:

" But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”  And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”  Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”  God said to Moses, “I am who I am”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”  God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The lord , the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.” (Exodus 3:11-15, NASB)

But, what kind of name is “I am who I am," which interestingly enough is quickly followed by God telling Moses to say "“I am" sent you?  As they appear in the English translation the two Hebrew terms are in fact related, rooted in the verb "to be."  The first is ehyeh asher ehyeh in Hebrew, while the second is YHWH (often pronounced Yahweh, but we don't know for sure how to pronounce it because the Jews stopped saying it, due to its holiness, before they put vowels in their writings).

This is all interesting (at least to me :) but what is God saying?  Is it an arrogant or elusive proclamation?  Is it a bold Popeye-like statement?  I think it's a definitive declaration of presence and relationship.  Names had power in antiquity, and the Israelites had been captive for some 400 years, so it's easy to think that by asking for God's name Moses is also asking, "Can you defeat the Egyptian gods?"  As such, one way to understand the response is as God saying He’s bigger than Moses, any Egyptian, or any Israelite thinks, and He cannot be defined or contained.  He is mysterious, the best name for God is a declaration of His being.  "My name?" God asks, "I just am."  Perhaps God later forbids images of Himself (Exodus 20:4) in part because no image can possibly do Him justice.  “I AM,” He says, because nothing can prescribe God.  The mysterious lord is of such great power, breadth, and depth He “cannot be defined by or as anything else, he is his own definition.”  To put it in modern terms, perhaps God is telling Moses "I got your back."

 In antiquity a way people frequently translated ehyeh asher ehyeh was "I am the One who is."  In other words, it was a declaration of God's existence in the world, and with His people.  It has past, present, and future implications.  So, God is saying to Moses, "I was with the Israelites, I am with the Israelites, and I always will be with the Isrealites."  He is the God of presence.  John affirms this view by beginning Revelation with  “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come." (Revelation 1:4, NASB)

I could go on (the paper I wrote on this was 15 pages :), but to close I want to go back to God effectively saying "I got your back."  If you look at verse 3:11 above you see Moses wonder, "Who am I" to go to Pharaoh and free my people?  So, Moses is concerned that he's inadequate for the task God is giving him.  Do any of you ever have the same doubts?  I know I do.  We may think ... I wonder if I can finish this job or can I love this person or is there any way I can save my marriage?  In giving His name, God is answering this question for Moses, and I think us as well.    You want to know who you are, God is saying, you are a man I am with.  To put it differently, the lord declares to this speech impaired murder that when Pharaoh, the Israelites, or anyone else wonders how, why, or who Moses is to try and free his people, the answer is because God is with him.  Just like God's with us I think.

Grace and peace,
Lang

The Name of God - Part 1

Over the last several months I've been very intrigued with God's name(s), the power of said name, the meaning, the importance, and more.  In my by no means exhaustive journey God has revealed three things about Himself ... grace, presence, and a relational focus.

If you think of God's name what do you think of?  LORD, Jehovah, the Holy Spirit, El Shaddai, the Great I Am ... the list goes on.  For me the first thing that comes to mind is Jesus, God in human flesh.  Could God be any more present with us than as Jesus?  Isn't Jesus the Divine at His most relational, coming to earth and eating, drinking, talking, and walking alongside humanity?  Is there anyone filled with more grace than Jesus living, dying, resurrecting, and acting as our High Priest?  Yet, while these tell a huge story, they aren't the whole story.

Have you ever had your name made fun of?  Isn't that the worst?  Likewise, isn't it annoying if someone consistently calls you the wrong name?  Ironically, I've been convinced by several sources that we have a name of God wrong, specifically Jesus.  In His day, from what I understand, the way people said his name in their native tongue (Hebrew) was Yeshua (Yesh-oo-a).  This got translated into Greek and then transliterated into Latin, and the English translation from Latin is Jesus.  But, if you actually translated His name directly from Hebrew into English it would be Joshua.  So, really we should call Jesus, Joshua. 

Now, when people have similarly butchered my name, it usually makes me at least annoyed, often angry if it's deliberate.  I've never had much grace when it comes to people purposefully getting my name wrong, or worse making fun of it.  "Lang, bang, fo, Fang, banana, bama ..." =  "grrrrrrr" from me.    How about you?  But does God get mad at us for getting a name of His (and a big one at that!) wrong?  I don't think so.  I think He shows us great grace.  In fact, in Genesis God graciously allows Hagar (a servant afraid and on the run at the time) to make her own name for Him, "the God who sees me" (Genesis 16:13, NLT).

That said, I wonder if I show the same grace to others concerning Jesus.  Do they have to call him J-E-S-U-S to believe in the Christ?  Does grace mean some people can call Jesus/Joshua something else (or not even have a name for Him at all) and still believe in Him?  I don't have an answer, but I think it's an interesting idea.

So, I'd say that at the heart of God's name(s) is grace.  What do you think?

More to come on the name of God and presence and relationship soon ...

Why Blog

Hello-

Going to seminary I read, hear, see, or occasionally even think of something and think, "wow, I'd really like to share that with friends, family, fellow Christians, etc," ... but usually I end up only telling Carla, my wife.  I love to teach/preach and talk about God, so a pastor at my church, Newlife, had what I think is a great idea ... to start a blog.  Perhaps the best way for me to share the intriguing, thought provoking, cool, and more thoughts and ideas I come across, and interact with others about them at the same time.  So, I pray the Holy Spirit uses this blog to touch your lives in some way, whether you agree, disagree, or are indifferent to things I write.

Grace and peace,
Lang