God' Name

In a recent prayer meeting at Community Life Church (Catskill, NY) an Elder spoke about how we are to exalt the Name of God.  We are not worshiping for our sake but for God's sake, for the sake of his Name.

Ezekiel 39:25–28 NAS95
25 ¶ Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name.
26 “They will forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid.
27 “When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations.
28 “Then they will know that I am the LORD their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer.

Verse 25 reads "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD" or "the Lord Yahweh."  That is God's name: Yahweh.

Verse 28 reads "Then they will know that I am the LORD their God," or "Yahweh their God."

In verse 25 God speaks through the prophet that "I will be jealous for My holy name."

When we look at the prayer outline that Jesus gave us in Matthew 6, the first thing in the list is "Hallowed be Your name."  (6:9 NAS95)

It is for God's name that we live.  In the Bible the word "name" means "nature, essence, identity."  God's name discloses who he is, albeit rather cryptically.  Moses asked God to disclose his name and "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.’”  Exodus 3:14 NAS95

From the Application Bible:

 3:13-15    The Egyptians had many gods by many different names. Moses wanted to know God’s name so the Hebrew people would know exactly who had sent him to them. God called himself I AM, a name describing his eternal power and unchangeable character. In a world where values, morals, and laws change constantly, we can find stability and security in our unchanging God. The God who appeared to Moses is the same God who can live in us today. Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus Christ is the same “yesterday, today, and forever.” Because God’s nature is stable and trustworthy, we are free to follow and enjoy him rather than spend our time trying to figure him out.  God reminded Moses of his covenant promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 15; 17), Isaac (Genesis 26:2-5), and Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15), and used the name I AM to show his unchanging nature. What God promised to the great patriarchs hundreds of years earlier he would fulfill through Moses. His wisdom spans the ages, and his promises give meaning and direction to our lives.

We read in the Psalms the following:

23:3     He restores my soul;
    He guides me in the paths of righteousness
    For His name’s sake.
25:11     For Your name’s sake, O LORD,
    Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
31:3     For You are my rock and my fortress;
    For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.
79:9     Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name;
    And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.
106:8     Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name,
    That He might make His power known.
109:21 ¶     But You, O GOD, the Lord, deal kindly with me for Your name’s sake;
    Because Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me;
143:11     For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me.
    In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. NAS95

To be sure, God cares for us and provides for us for our sakes, but the bottom line is that God's Name must be praised and honored.  Everything we do should be for the sake of God's Name.  For God's nature, God's essence, which is love and grace and peace unbounded.

God delivers us for his Name's sake and we are thereby blessed.

God has been bringing grace and life to his creation ever since he created it.  He will restore everything and bring it to completion.

Romans 8:22–23 NAS95
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.