Mark's Daily Reading Journal

Adonai is the supreme Master over all authorities and over everything...yes EVERYTHING!  If you have been born from above, twice born then you belong to HIM and you are invited to an intimate relationship with our sovereign Lord.  Paul's words in 1 Corinthians come to mind, "Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary  of the Holy Spirit  who is in you,  whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought  at a price; therefore glorify God in your body" 1 Co 6:19-20.

As we recently noted Yahweh is typically translated "LORD," Adonai is most often translated "Lord."  Adonai is more of a title and Yahweh is God's name (Exo 3:15).  In Isaiah 6:1 Isaiah says that "In the year that King Uzziah  died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty  throne."  There is much that could be said about King Uzziah, he is one of the few kings that it is written in God's Word that he "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord," 2 Kings 15:3.  King Uzziah's life ended in tragedy because he became filled with pride...apparently from the prosperity that the Lord gave Uzziah.  We are told in 2 Chronicles 26:5 that "as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper."  Let that be a word of blessing and warning to each of us!

For Isaiah King Uzziah had proved to be a stabilizing force for most of his reign as  king...you and I might read it this way...in the year the stock market failed, in the year our financial institutions died, in the year my marriage failed, my health failed, in the year I lost my son or daughter...I saw the Lord seated high and lifted up!  Isaiah uses the title Adonai here...in the year my security failed I saw Adonai!  Sometimes Adonai is translated "sovereign."  How awesome to be in an intimate relationship with the Sovereign King of the universe and to know that when your world crumbles around you that NOT only is HE with you, but HE is in control and sovereign over everything that is happening.  In the midst of the crumbling world our responsibility is to KEEP OUR EYES ON HIM!  You can do no greater thing for yourself or for those around you...lead them to fix their eyes on Jesus!

Isaiah 6:1-8 In the year that King Uzziah  died, I saw the Lord [Adonai] seated on a high and lofty  throne,  and His robe  filled the temple. 2 Seraphim   were standing above Him; each one had six wings:  with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  3 And one called to another:

          Holy, holy, holy is the LORD [Yahweh] of Hosts; His glory  fills the whole earth.

4 The foundations of the doorways shook  at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 Then I said: Woe is me,  for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, ⌊and⌋ because my eyes have seen the King, the LORD [Yahweh] of Hosts. 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar  with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth  ⌊with it⌋ and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, and your sin is atoned for. 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord [Adonai] saying: Who should I send?  Who will go for Us? I said: Here I am. Send me.

Isaiah was transformed from his encounter with Adonai, we could say Moses was transformed, John, Peter...Paul, how did Paul put it in 2 Cor 3:17-18?  "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 We all, with unveiled faces, are reflecting  the glory of the Lord  and are being transformed  into the same image  from glory to glory;  this is from the Lord who is the Spirit."

Just who did Isaiah see?  Adonai?  Yes!  Yahweh?  Yes!  Jesus?  Absolutely, yes!

John 12:41-43 Isaiah said these things because  he saw His glory  and spoke about Him. 42 Nevertheless, many did believe in Him even among the rulers,  but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, so they would not be banned from the synagogue. 43 For they loved praise from men  more than praise from God. 

Yahweh, you and you alone are my Adonai...LORD Jesus thank you, thank you, thank you...for opening the way (you are the way) for me to know you and be transformed by being in relationship with you!  You and you alone enable me to gaze upon the very face of God and be transformed!    2 Co 4:6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness” —He has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge  of God’s glory  in the face of Jesus Christ.

I love you because you first loved me,

m

I want to take a look at Yahweh Jireh, the LORD will provide.  In Genesis 22 God reveals another name that reveals more of HIS nature to HIS children.  I hope you understand that with each name we are only looking at the tip of the iceberg!  The further I go into this study of the names of God the more I am filled with awe and wonder at I gaze upon HIS majesty, HIS glory, HIS power, HIS mercy, grace, faithfulness and love.  This awe striking God invites us to know HIM as Father!

In the text it is LORD, it is Yahweh Jireh!  Have you ever considered that Yahweh, I AM WHO I AM, simply is!  Remember HE is the one who was, is and is to come!  What does that mean?  It means that Yahweh is omnipresent in SPACE AND TIME...yes, space and TIME!  So Yahweh, the ONE WHO IS...Jireh...Jireh simply means "to see."  To God the past, present and future simply are HE sees and experiences and acts in space and time, but HE alone transcends space and time.

Why is this important?  HE perfectly sees every need you will ever have and has provided for you perfectly...not according to your wants:) but according to your needs.  Most striking and majestic is that HE saw and your need and my need for salvation and made provision by sending HIS Son to take my place and your place on the CROSS.

For a moment put yourself in Abraham's place and imagine the journey to the mountain, imagine kissing your wife good bye, imagine your heart swelling with emotions every you look at the face of YOUR son knowing what is ahead, imagine you are prepared to sacrifice the child you desperately love as an act of obedience and the moment you begin to slash the throat of your child God reveals HIMSELF to you as Yahweh Jireh and provides a substitute for your child.  How deep, how passionate will your love for Yahweh Jireh be?  How will that revelation impact the rest of your life as you walk with this great God?

As you watch the video below put yourself in Abraham's place...experience the joy of seeing the provision of the LORD!  God has done this for each of HIS children...HOLY IS THE LORD!

Each of us is called to walk in obedience to God's Word...we may not see God's provision, but we are not called to see, we are called to walk by faith in obedience to our heavenly Father WHO SEES EVERYTHING PERFECTLY BEFORE HAND!

Gen 22:1-18 After these things God tested Abraham  and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. 2 “Take your son,” He said, “your only ⌊son⌋ Isaac, whom you love,  go to the land of Moriah,  and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

3 So early in the morning  Abraham got up, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day  Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac.  In his hand he took the fire and the sacrificial knife,  and the two of them walked on together.

7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together. 9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac  and placed him on the altar,  on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.

11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He replied, “Here I am.”

12 Then He said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from Me.”  13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram  caught by its horns in the thicket. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place The LORD Will Provide,  so today it is said: “It will be provided  on the LORD’s mountain.”

15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn,  says the Lord: Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son,   17 I will indeed bless you  and make your offspring as numerous as the stars in the sky  and the sand on the seashore.  Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies.  18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed  by your offspring  because you have obeyed My command.”

  Let's Worship the LORD GOD our provider for the breathtaking provision of HIS Son, Jesus Christ!

I don't know if I have ever confessed this here on the blog...one of the main reasons that I am doing this blog and continue doing it is so that one day...it might be 20, 30 or 40 years from now that my children, grandchildren (Yahweh willing) will wonder what Dad and Granddad thought about the things of God, the things of Yahweh...I know that I would love to have more from my parents and grandparents...all deceased now.  So I maintain the discipline of journaling out loud in a blog.  If I did not have the accountability of a blog I know that I would quit...so the accountability is a great thing for me.

I point that out to say today's post is a complete cut and paste from the Tyndale Bible Dictionary.  My normal practice is to read multiple sources, tons of scripture, pray hard and then write...however, when I read the following and read all the other sources...my thought was I want my kids to read the following one day.  So please forgive the long cut and paste in a blog but I believe that you will be richly blessed if you prayerfully read...looking up the referenced scriptures as you are prompted...ENJOY!

This name Yahweh reveals God’s nature in the highest and fullest sense possible. It includes, or presupposes, the meaning of the other names. Yahweh particularly stresses the absolute faithfulness of God. God had promised the patriarchs that he would be their God, that he would be with them and deliver and bless them, keep them, and give them a land as a place of service and inheritance. Moses is told by God that Israel is about to behold and experience the unchangeableness of God as he steadfastly and wondrously remembers his word and executes it to the fullest degree. God would prove to be a faithful, redeeming, upholding, restoring God. In working out this redemption, God would demonstrate that he is all that his name implies: merciful, gracious, patient, full of loving-kindness, truthful, faithful, forgiving, just, and righteous (Ex 34:5–6). Truly, Jacob had received an insight into the meaning of the name when he exclaimed, “I wait for thy salvation, O Yahweh” (Gn 49:18).

Yahweh, then, is the name par excellence of Israel’s God. As Yahweh, he is a faithful covenant God who, having given his word of love and life, keeps that word by bestowing love and life abundantly on his own.

In view of the richness of the name Yahweh, it can be understood why there were stringent rules regarding its proper use (Lv 24:11, 16). It also explains why thankful, rejoicing, worshiping Israelites used the abbreviated form of Yahweh in song when they sang Hallelujah: “Praise Yah” (Pss 104:35; 106:1; 149:1; 150:1).

Several other compound names occur infrequently:

Yahweh-Nissi (nissi, “my banner”) is the name that Moses called on when he built an altar celebrating Israel’s God-given victory over the Amalekites (Ex 17:15). Isaiah uses the term nissi when speaking of the coming Messiah who is to be the conqueror (Is 11:10).

Yahweh-Rapha (rapha’, “healer”) appears in Exodus 15:26, when Israel is assured that God, their healer, will prevent the diseases of Egypt from affecting Israel. Although the name is only used once, God was often called upon and praised as the healing One (e.g., Ps 103:3; Is 30:26; Jer 6:14).

Yahweh-Rohi (ro’i, “my shepherd”) appears in Psalm 23:1. The concept of Yahweh as shepherd is explicated in Ezekiel 34. “I myself will be the Shepherd of my sheep” (v 15). Jesus demonstrated this concept’s full meaning when as a shepherd he gave his life for his sheep.

Yahweh-Jireh (yir’eh, “to see ahead or to provide”) appears in Genesis 22:14. Abraham gave this name to the place where God provided a substitute for his son Isaac, whom Abraham was to offer as a sacrifice to God. Yahweh-Shalom (shalom, “peace”) is the name Gideon gave to the altar he built when the angel of the Lord came to give him orders to fight the Midianites (Jgs 6:24).

Yahweh appears with a few forms of the term tsadaq, “righteousness.” Yahweh is spoken of as our righteousness in Jeremiah 23:6; the thought evidently is that David’s Righteous Branch (the Messiah) will attribute God’s righteousness to those who are incorporated in the new covenant. This concept is expressed in the Pentateuch a number of times when it is said that God has provided a way for living righteously; that is, God provides a way of sanctification (cf. Lv 20:8; 22:9).  Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library (542). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.

Just a  reminder that the next several posts, beginning with the previous post, will be one long post broken up into several segments.  I feel like I need to back up for a moment and point out, if I have not already, that a persons name had profound significance when scripture was being penned.  This is why a study of God's names may be so fruitful for us today.  HIS names communicate so much about HIM.  Today people name their children simply for the way the name sounds when it is spoken or they may name their children after someone that had a significant impact on their lives, but seldom do people think of the actual meaning of the names chosen.  I know that this is not true for everyone, but generally speaking. 

The reason knowing and understanding  the names of God helps us trust him in our daily walk and with salvation is that in Scripture a person’s name more often than not is a sign or signifies his character and essence.  This is specifically true when is given by God. There are several times in scripture when God changes peoples names...remember HE changed Jacob’s name to Israel and HE changed Saul's name to Paul.  When our Lord entered the world God the Father named HIM Jesus...You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

For me every name of God revealed in scripture is a little like one facet of a huge beautiful diamond.  As the diamond slowly turns before your eyes and the light catches each facet of the glorious rock something wonderful is revealed...each one reveals something different.

In the previous post I presented the case that in Exodus 3 that Yahweh means "I AM" or "I AM WHO I AM."  In most English translations when we see LORD in all caps the word in the Hebrew is YHWH or Yahweh.  In Exodus 3 we are witnessing God's response to Moses when Moses asked the question, who shall I say sent me to you?  A few chapters latter we see Moses and Aaron have gone to the Israelites and to Pharaoh...long story short, Pharaoh gets really ticked and makes things harder on the Israelites and now in Exodus 6 Moses cries out to God asking why did you do this thing and the following is God's response.

Ex 6:2-8  Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, “I am Yahweh. 3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not make My name Yahweh known to them.  4 I also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land they lived in as foreigners.  5 Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are forcing to work as slaves, and I have remembered  My covenant.

6 “Therefore tell the Israelites: I am Yahweh, and I will deliver you from the forced labor of the Egyptians and free you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm  and great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as My people,  and I will be your God. You will know  that I am Yahweh your God, who delivered you from the forced labor of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you to the land that I swore   to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.”

God's Word really is phenomenal...God revealed in HIS Word is breath taking...I'm thinking it may be more like the most striking rose, the Rose of Sharon, blooming before you eyes.  God's Word is HIS redemptive history unfolding before us.  The Exodus 3 passage proclaims loud and clear...I AM THE LORD GOD AND YAHWEH IS MY NAME...this is my name forever, I established MY covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I have heard the cries of MY people and KNOW THIS...I AM YAHWEH and I will deliver you, I will redeem you with my mighty outstretched arm, I will take you as MY people, I will be your God and you will KNOW THAT I AM YAHWEH YOUR GOD!  I have delivered you...I AM THE LORD!

God's Word magnificently shows us HIS outstretched arm, HIS Word incarnate shows us Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.  Titus 2:13  clearly portrays "the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, the glory of God is revealed in Jesus, "the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind" is revealed in Jesus (Titus 3:4)

Jn 8:58 before Abraham was, I am.”

Jn 8:12 I am the light of the world.

Jn 6:35I am the bread of life;

Jn 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Jn 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life.

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

Jn 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches.

I need to shut up and worship...beholding the gory of Yahweh together.

m

Good morning...after several days off I am trying to get back into the swing of things.  I have to confess that there has been another huge mountain that has stopped me in my tracks...it is the thought of trying to communicate anything about God's name YHWH.  I have become overwhelmed and almost paralyzed every time I come to the foot of this breath taking mountain.  Each of the other names I have not hesitated to tackle in one blog post...but every time I tried to prayerfully look at YHWH, Yahweh...my mental and spiritual RAM overloaded and was burned up:)  So I believe our LORD, Yahweh, was trying to tell me to take several days to do this...that is what I am going to do!

YHWY is the most important name for God in the Old Testament, amazingly it is a name that many of our English versions never even translates. Whenever you see the word LORD in all capital letters, you know that it is Yahweh.  The King James version translates it this way except for four instances it is translated Jehovah, however, in Hebrew the name had four letters—YHWH, today we pronounce it as Yahweh.

Exod 6:3  And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

Ps 83:18  That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

Isa 12:2  Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

Isa 26:4  Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

The Jews held this name of God in such reverence and awe that they refused to speak this name, they were fearful of accidentally taking HIS name in vain. So whenever they came to this name in their reading, they pronounced the word “adonai” which means “my lord.” Most English translations have followed the same pattern. They translate the proper name Yahweh with the word LORD in all caps.  As far as I know only the Broadman Holman Christian Standard Bible translates it Yahweh.

I don't know about you but if I share my name with someone I prefer for them to use the name I give them!  Since God has revealed HIS name to us don't you believe it would be wise of HIS children to use the name HE gave us?  If someone remembers and calls you by name after one meeting with them it makes you feel good...it is amazing how important it is to people to know their name!  Know HIS name!  Know HIS name!  Why are you making such a big deal about this Mark?  Because it impacts your faith and the faith of your children!  Psalm 9:10 Those who know Your name trust in You because You have not abandoned those who seek You, Lord.

If I may be so bold as to say that I don't believe that the English word LORD communicates to us the same way a proper name does like Mark, Diane, Zach, Kyle or Alexis. Yahweh is God’s proper name in Hebrew. The importance of it can be seen in the sheer frequency of its use. It occurs 6,828 times in the Old Testament.

Then where did the name Jehovah come from?  Great question...the name Jehovah originated from an attempt to pronounce the consonants YHWH with the vowels from the word adonai. In the oldest Hebrew texts there are no vowels. Whenever YHWH occurred in the text, the word adonai was pronounced by the Jewish people.

What does Yahweh mean? 

I believe that Exodus 3:13-15 holds the key for understanding the meaning of the name Yahweh.  God commands Moses to go to Egypt and to bring his people out of captivity.  Then Moses asked God, “If 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?’ what should I tell them?”  14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.   This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: Yahweh, 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;  this is how I am to be remembered in every generation. (HCSB)

God gives three answers to the question, “What shall I tell them your name is?”  In verse 14 God says, “I AM WHO I AM.”  A few words later in 14 God says, “I AM has sent me to you.”  Finally, in verse 15 God says, “Yahweh … has sent me to you … this is my name for ever.”

Two things lead me to believe that this passage gives us an understanding of the  name Yahweh.  First, the name Yahweh and the name I AM are built out of the same Hebrew word hayah. The other is that Yahweh seems to be used here interchangeably with I AM. "I AM has sent me to you." “Yahweh … has sent me to you"  I think it would be safe to say that God’s purpose in this meeting with Moses is to reveal, as he never had before (check out Exodus 6:2), the meaning of his personal name Yahweh.

Over the next several days I prayerfully hope to behold the glory of the LORD, the glory of the great I AM, the glory of Yahweh as we gaze upon HIS magnificent name as HE has revealed it to us in HIS precious Word.  My prayer is that as we gaze upon HIS matchless name and as the Holy Spirit unfolds HIS name to our understanding our eyes will be opened to HIS goodness, grace, mercy, power, authority, presence...our eyes will be opened to Yahweh, our eyes will be opened to JESUS!

John 8:58  Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.” 

Ps 27:13-14 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! 14  Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

love HIM, trust HIM,

m