WHAT IS HIS NAME?
by Pastor Mark Taylor
We serve a mighty God. There is no language that can express all of His qualities or begin to understand all of His power. God is so amazing that one name cannot describe Who He is. Below are three of His names from the Hebrew language. May the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit reveal to us a partial list of His Names.
“Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" (Exodus 3:13)
THE LORD WHO PROVIDES – JEHOVAH-JIREH
“And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh” (Genesis 22:14)
The meaning of “Jehovah-Jireh” is The Lord Who Provides. The name is literally, “The Lord Who Sees”, or “The Lord Who Will See To It.” This is what we long for when we have a need that is personal and special; One who will see to our needs and provide for us. This is what Jehovah-Jireh means; the Lord Who will see to it that my every need is met. One Who knows my need because He sees. One Who is able to meet my need in just the right time as He did for Abraham, and One Who can meet it fully. For Abraham, it was the ram caught in the thicket that was offered in Isaac's place. For us it is whatever we need. “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil” (Psalms 34:15-16).
From these scriptures and others we can learn several things. We can learn that God’s provision will come in the time of our greatest need. Where will He provide? He will provide for us “in the mount”, that is the place of our trial. When you cannot see the answer to your need, the Lord will see you and see to your need. He will be your Jehovah-Jireh. Jehovah-Jireh will provide for His children: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (Psalms 37:25). “But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." (1 Corinthians 2:9).
The Lord That Heals – Jehovah Rapha
“For I am the LORD that heals you!” (Exodus 15:26)
Rapha means “to restore”, “to heal” or “to make healthful” in Hebrew.
Jehovah is the Great Physician who heals the physical and emotional needs of His people, as well as their nation. Jehovah-Rapha is the healer of all our sicknesses. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; Who forgives all your sins; who heals all your diseases..” (Psalm 103: 2-3).
Jehovah-Rapha is the healer of all our troubles. “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles” (Psalms 34:6). The Lord our God has many ways by which he makes our bitter waters of trouble sweet. Sometimes he simply changes our circumstances. At other times the Lord turns our sorrow to joy and makes our bitter waters sweet interjecting something unexpected, which changes everything. Our Lord Jesus is always present with us in our troubles. Giving in to the will of God and making our hearts submissive to Him will bring peace to the troubled heart quicker and more effectually than anything else. “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
There is healing for your deepest pains and disappointments. There is healing over addictions, past hurts, and past failures. There is healing for your body. If you have become sidetracked by bitter waters in your soul and spirit, the only way to go to find the sweet water is to run to Jehovah-Rapha, The God Who Heals.
El-Shaddai – The Almighty God
“I am the Almighty God (El-Shaddai); walk before me, and be perfect” (Genesis 17:1-3)
God revealed another of His names to Abraham as He promised him that he would be the father of mighty nations. The name “God Almighty”, or “El-Shaddai” in the Hebrew emphasizes God’s ability to handle any situation that confronts His people. It literally means that God is “self-sufficient” and adequate to deal victoriously for His people. When God told Abraham “I am the Almighty God”, He was telling Him, I am bigger than any of your problems, and I’ll fulfill My promises to you despite all the problems, if you’ll turn them over to Me”. “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble: and He knows them that trust in Him” (Nahum 1:7).
We serve the “Almighty God” – “El-Shaddai”. He is able to meet our every need. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21). “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Now, when you pray to your Heavenly Father, you can call Him by His Name. When others ask you about your God, you can tell them His Name. “I serve and love Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah Rapha, and El Shaddai”. Or you can simply say I serve the Lord Jesus Christ. “Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?” (John 14:9 ) - Who is my Provider, my Healer, and My God.
