At the Name of Jesus

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the  earth" Philippians:2:9-10

 

 Names of God

 Throughout the pages of the Holy Bible there are found many names for the great God ,  each one speaks to us about who God is , for what he does is who he is.

In Genesis:1:1 God is introduced to us in the Hebrew in which the creation epic is written as Elohim, the Strong Creator. In Genesis:2:4 we see the name Yahweh, meaning roughly Lord, or the Eternal One some give the pronunciation to this name as Jehovah . Yahweh is often represented by the letters  YHWH called the Tetragrammaton , for in the Hebrew language vowels were not   inserted  in the words when written.

There are many names for the great God, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit  found throughout the pages of the Holy Bible.

Some of the Names of God

Let's look at a a very short samplings of  exulted names of God, some of them are referred to as the compounded names , that is,  "what and who God is" , righteousness, provider,  peace,  attached with the name Yahweh.


Elohim-GOD (Genesis 1:1)
-The strong creator
Yahweh-LORD (Genesis 2:4)

• Yahweh Elohim (Genesis 2:4, 3:9-13, 21)
  - The LORD GOD

• Yahweh Elohe Abothekem (Joshua 18:3)
  - The LORD GOD of Your Fathers

• Yahweh El Elyon (Genesis 14:22)
  - The LORD, the Most High GOD

• Yahweh El Emeth (Psalms 31:5)
  - LORD GOD of Truth

• Yahweh El Gemuwal (Jeremiah 51:56)
  - The LORD GOD of Recompenses

• Yahweh Elohim Tsebaoth (Psalms 59:5, Isaiah 28:22)
  - LORD GOD of Hosts

• Yahweh Elohe Yeshuathi (Psalms 88:1)
  - LORD GOD of My Salvation

• Yahweh Elyon (Genesis 14:18-20)
  - The LORD Most High

• Yahweh Maginnenu (Psalms 89:18)
  - The LORD Our Defense

• Yahweh Goelekh (Isaiah 49:26&60:16)
  - The LORD Thy Redeemer

• Yahweh-Yireth (Genesis 22:14)
  - The LORD Shall Provide

• Yahweh Keren-Yishi (Psalms 18:2)
  - The LORD the Horn of My Salvation

• Yahweh Machsi (Psalms 91:9)
  The LORD My Refuge

• Yahweh Magen (Deuteronomy 33:29)
  - The LORD the Shield

• Yahweh Mauzzam (Psalms 37:39)
  - The LORD Their Strength

• Yahweh Mauzzi (Jeremiah 16:19)
  - The LORD My Fortress

• Yeahweh Mephalti (Psalms 18:2)
  - The LORD My Deliverer

• Yahweh Mekaddishkem (Exodus 31:13)
  - The LORD that Sanctifies You

• Yahweh Moshiekh (Isaiah 49:26&60:16)
  - The LORD Your Savior

• Yahweh Nissi (Exodus 17:15)
  - The LORD My Banner

• Yahweh Ori (Psalms 27:1)
  - The LORD My Light

• Yahweh Uzzi (Psalms 28:7)
  - The LORD My Strength

• Yahweh Rophe (Exodus 15:26)
  - The LORD (our) Healer

• Yahweh Roi (Psalms 23:1)
  - The LORD My Shepherd

• Yahweh Sali (Psalms 18:2)
  - The LORD My Rock

• Yahweh Shalom (Judges 6:24)
  - The LORD (our) Peace

• Yahweh Shammah (Ezekiel 48:35)
  The LORD Is There

• Yahweh Tsidkenu (Jeremiah 23:6)
  - The LORD Our Righteousness

• Yahweh Tsuri (Psalms 19:14)
  - O LORD My Strength

Each of these names tell us something about the Great God that he  wants us to know or understand about himself, that is who he is for us.  In the ancient world it was considered a privileged and source of great power to know a "god's" name, this is one of the reasons that Moses, upon the heights of Mount Sinai may have asked the Lord, in his manifestation in the burning bush to know his name.

 
"Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” Ex:3:13-14

The Incarnation

The Great God who's names we read of in the Bible,  the very one who revealed himself and  appeared to the Patriarchs, Prophets, of Israel has in his great  love for humanity  come and given us a  self disclose of himself in the Person of his Son Jesus Christ . 

Consider,  the God who is beyond all human comprehension , the creator of all things, the God who is above all and has no limitations has visited us through his Son Jesus Christ the second person of the Trinity in the Incarnation, that is,  God has taken on our very own humanity, he has become one of us giving us union with himself. 

We read of this incarnation in the Gospel of John. John's account begins in what we might call Eternity past , before all else was but for God.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."    "and the Word became flesh" John:1-3, 14

 Just a  note regarding the Gospel  of John's account, some who do not believe in the Triune nature of God , will often resort to this Scripture as evidence of their view; that God is not the Trinity, they cite that if the Holy Spirit were God this would be the place where He would be mentioned along side the Word or in Greek Logos, and God. 

They believe that this reflects only two with in the God-Head, but when they ask "where is the Holy Spirit if He is God, where is He?" what they miss is this,  it is the Holy Spirit who is speaking to us. The Holy Spirit  is the voice that speaks from the pages of the account of  Scripture, and what is the very first thing that the Holy Spirit, out of the depths of Eternity  speak to us about?  Jesus the Word of God becoming one of us in the incarnation. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit always speaks  about Jesus , this has in Eternity  past and  now is and eternally  will be. The Holy Spirit will always speak to us about Jesus.

 "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father--the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father--he will testify about me" John:15:26

The Name of Jesus

 Through the incarnation the Great God not only assumes our humanity, but takes to himself a human name by which we may address him and know him to have a relationship with him, the name Jesus, which means Savior, or the one who saves. 

This reflects such  a humility that God would accept a human name to himself .  Jesus is a human name  and it is this human name of Jesus that God the Father has exalted above every name. 

This also speaks to us about the divine love and empathy and God's loving desire to and for us. It also shows us that he identifies with us in every way as he so desires us to identify with him. 
 

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth," Philippians:2:9-10

This name of Jesus is exalted even about all the names we find in the Old Testament for God; for in Jesus , all that these names spoke of regarding God is fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ. He is everything that these names reflect.


" For he himself is our peace" Eph:2:14

"It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption."1Corth:1:30


"our Lord Jesus Christ,"2Corth:8:9

"I am the good shepherd."John:10:11

 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."John"14:6

  These are but a few of the names which are found in Jesus , that Jesus is for each and all of us, the name of Jesus supersedes and sums up in fulfillment  all the names which we find in the Old Testament for the Great God.

 It is understandable, and proper ,  that some Christians will look to those names and show them reverence and  honor , but above them through the declaration of the Holy Word of God is the name of Jesus , to which all will bow, even the angelic host in the highths  of Heaven bow at this human name of Jesus as the focus of all the honor and the worship that is due the one to whom it belongs.

 "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, Philippians: 2:10

 Bowing before Jesus also shows the truth that Jesus is all that the names of God spoke of, it is acknowledging Jesus' exalted place as the Son of God, the only Savior of humanity and our acceptance  of this truth.    

In Jesus the Great God has taken on a human name in the Person of his Son Jesus,   by whom we can come to know him and all that he is for and toward us, This is why God has given Jesus, that name which  is above every name and at his exalted name  every knee will bow.......Amen



Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor,   

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

The Fountain of Life is heard  on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM  in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com

When Reason Returns:The Things of Heaven

Nebuchadnezzar was made a great king by God himself. God had blessed the King with power, glory wealth , authority over lands, people  and nations. So great was his kingship and power  that as the king looked out over his vast realm and all the glory that  it contained,  it inspired  within Nebuchadnezzar  a scene of  pride about all his possessions and accomplishments.

The Great Tree

Nebuchadnezzar had been given a dream of a great strong tree which  bore fruit and had great spreading branches and reached into the sky that provided for many and birds made their nest in the branches.

"Now these were the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a was great.

tree in the midst of the earth and its height
      ‘The tree grew large and became strong
            And its height reached to the sky,
            And it was visible to the end of the whole earth.
     ‘Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant,
            And in it was food for all.
            The beasts of the field found shade under it,
            And the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches,
            And all living creatures fed themselves from it."Dan:4:10-12

In the vision the tree stood until an angle of God ordered the great tree to be chopped down yet it's roots were to be left in the earth and a band of iron was to be placed about the stump.

"‘I was looking in the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed, and behold, an angelic watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven.

   ‘He shouted out and spoke as follows:
            “Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
            Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit;
            Let the beasts flee from under it
            And the birds from its branches.
     “Yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground,
            But with a band of iron and bronze around it
            In the new grass of the field;"(13-15)

After the proclamation of the angel to chop the tree down and to affix the iron band upon the stump the angel then makes a cryptic proclamation.

"And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven,
            And let him share with the beasts in the grass of the earth.

      “Let his mind be changed from that of a man
            And let a beast’s mind be given to him,
            And let seven periods of time pass over him."(15b-16)

 Daniel Interprets

 The Prophet Daniel who served as an adviser to King Nebuchadnezzar , after hearing the dream  is alarmed by what he hears,  the Prophet recognizes that it is a warning from God for Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel then interprets it for the King telling him that the King has sins which threatens to undo his position, but if the King repents God will be merciful but if he will not, he will be cut down as the tree and driven out  from before men and live in the wild as an animal, but if he repents God will not bring this upon Nebuchadnezzar. (19-27)

Looks Out at His Kingdom

One year after the vision of the great tree being cut down and the warning from the Prophet Daniel King Nebuchadnezzar was walking upon the roof of his royal palace,he looked at his kingdom and saw all of it's greatness.  He ruled much of the known world and his kingdom's influence was felt from north to south and east to west.

His heart was lifted up and he was filled with pride over all that he had  and did,  and ascribed to himself  the greatness of his kingdom and all of it's glory.

At that very moment as he looks out at his kingdom even  as he gloried in his self,  and praised himself ; a voice from Heaven speaks declaring that the power and and rule which he held would now be taken and he would be driven into the wild and would be there until he recognizes that it is the Lord God who rules in the kingdoms of men and has power to raise up or to bring down kings and nations.

God is God not Nebuchadnezzar and God rules.

 “All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. “Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. “The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’ “While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’ (28-32)

As an Animal

The King loses his ability to reason as the warning vision spoke  "Let his mind be changed from that of a man And let a beast’s mind be given to him" (16a),  he acts as an animal, lives as an animal and is among the animals. He can no longer reason as a man his life is simply the life of an animal driven by the pulls of the nature of an animal.

"Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws".(33)

Lifted His Eyes to Heaven

This was the life of a King whom God had made great. Pride brought the loss of reason upon him as he admired his own self perceived accomplishments and greatness. Here he remained  in the state of lost reason and animal behavior all due to his pride.

For seven years King Nebuchadnezzar lived with out reason until he lifted his eyes to Heaven  and it is then hat his reason returned to him,  and he gave glory to God and worshiped the Creator of Heaven and Earth and all was restored to him.

“At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me. “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”(36-37)

Looking at Our Own Kingdoms

What is the lesson for us today so many centuries removed ? We all can be like King Nebuchadnezzar, we can look out at the kingdoms of our lives and see great things, we may  look at our potions in life, or good works which we have done  , education,  possessions or any other self erected standards of  greatness what ever  they might be , and if we do this we can be filled with pride of our flesh.

When Nebuchadnezzar looked out at his kingdom, he took his eyes off the Great God , his view was to the things of the Earth,  he lost the ability to reason and he acted as an animal concerned with only self preservation and keeping the life of the flesh alive. 

This tells us that when we look out at the kingdom of our life, no matter how good they might be  without acknowledging the God of Heaven we lose the ability to reason, that is to acknowledge the God of Heaven  and to worship him alone. We become carnal and are concerned with the things of Earth rather than the things of Heaven.

As Nebuchadnezzar's great tree was cut down and bound with a a band of iron  so might the great tree of our own lives kingdom  be hewed to the grown and bound with a  band of iron , cut down no matter how many people benefit from us.

The Things of Heaven

The Apostle  Paul speaks to Christians in all ages to rather set out minds on the things of God, the things above rather upon the things of the Earth.

"Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth".Col:3:2

 These very Heavenly things are what our Lord Jesus tells us to set our hearts upon, they are eternal and and our by grace.

"Seek first the Kingdom of God" Matt:6:33

 When we keep our minds upon the Heavenly things of God and our relationship with  the great God , the Father, Son and Holy Spirit  in clear focus , in,  and upon the Person of Jesus Christ and acknowledge that it is by his gracious hand that all which we have received is from him alone than can there can not be found room in our hearts for pride; we will attend the spiritual things rather than to keep the life of the flesh alive.

What ever we have in this life , all good no matter how great our personal kingdoms might be  all good which we have receive is from the Great God and not ours accomplished by our own means.

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights"Jam:1:17a

Reason Restored

When we lift our eyes to Heaven and acknowledge the Great God, we like Nebuchadnezzar will have our minds restored, we see God as God and we , we like the King , no longer behave as an animal concerned only for preservation of the flesh, we then worship him as did Nebuchadnezzar did when he finally saw the truth that "God rules in the Kingdoms of men" the King then issued a proclamation giving glory to God the King of Heaven.

If we our looking to the things of this life and have become occupied with our flesh, we need to  "lift our eyes to Heaven"  and worship the Great God and give all glory to him alone we will be fully restored and our reason will return to us....Amen

 Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor,   

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

The Fountain of Life is heard  on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM  in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com