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 Blessed Name
By Celina Worley
A fascinating aspect of the Hebrew culture is how they dealt with names. A name was often used to describe a person’s character. Everybody in town knew Gideon was known as Jerub-Baal, which means, “Let Baal contend with him.” Why? Because he destroyed an altar to Baal (Judges 6:32, 33). Abram’s name, which means father, was changed to Abraham (father of a multitude). His wife, Sarai, also received a name change to Sarah, to convey that she would be a mother to nations (Genesis 17:5, 15).
What does an exploration of how Old Testament Hebrews assigned names tell Me about God? Get this: In all of Genesis chapter one, there is only one word from which the name God is translated. That Hebrew word is Elohim. Read on through Genesis and you will discover all kinds of names for God. Names like “God Almighty” (El Shaddai, Gen. 49:24), “The Lord will provide” (Yahweh-Yireh, Gen. 22:14), and “God of seeing” (El Roi, Gen. 16:13).
When people had an experience with God, they no longer called him simply
“God.” They called him God Almighty, Provider, Healer, Comforter and Redeemer (to list a few). This last week, God, to me, was not just “God,” but Healer--the God who heals my negative spirit and restores a compassionate and loving relationship with Him and those He came to save. (God first revealed himself as a healer in Exodus 15:26. The Israelites were angry with Moses for “bringing us out into the wilderness to die.” In response, God not only healed them from poisonous snakebites, but also from their negative attitudes.)
Many Bible stories come to mind as I look at various images in Oxygen Volume 10. On a deeper level, I not only see images, but also visual representations of names for our God: Forgiver (DrawMeClose), Savior (FieryFurnace), Provider (Answered), Giver (GodsGift), Redeemer (PaidInFull) and the list goes on. What name did you call Him today? How did you let this God, whose name is blessed, enter into your world, meet your needs, and lift you from the mire pit?
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