Knowing God by Name, Part 3

God manifest Himself to us according to our needs and in the process demonstrates to us that He is the great “I AM”. It takes faith for us to accept God as He is and believe that He is the all sufficient God. This faith “comes by hearing, and hearing of the word of God” Romans 10:17.

Joshua was instructed by God to meditate on the word of God “day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it” Joshua 1: 7. God assured Joshua that if he was obedient to the word, success would follow him. In His word God reveals His attributes and character and in the process helps us understand Him. As we understand God we develop the confidence to approach Him in times of need by His name.

7) Jehovah-Jireh (The Lord will provide): Abraham discovered this name of God when he was tested beyond measure. Abraham had waited for years to have a son that had been promised to him as an heir by God. The son was eventually born when Abraham was one hundred years old (Genesis 21: 5) and was named Isaac.

God then tested Abraham’s faith by asking Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac to Him. This is a son that he had waited to have and now God was asking Him to sacrifice him. Just like fire refines ore to extract precious metals, God also refines His people by allowing difficult circumstances into their lives. Through these difficult situations we learn to trust God.

Abraham on his part did not question God when asked to sacrifice His son. He woke up in the morning and began one of the greatest acts of obedience by a human being recorded in History. He traveled for three days accompanied by two young men and his son to the place of worship. One can only imagine the struggle that Abraham may have had concerning this command. Perhaps God’s faithfulness before, including the birth of Isaac may have given Abraham the confidence to trust God even in this difficult command.

Isaac on seeing the fire, commented to his father, “look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” and Abraham replied, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering” Genesis 22: 7-8. This statement shows that Abraham was somehow trusting that God had a purpose through this, even though he did not understand everything.

He writer of the book of Hebrews says that “by faith Abraham, when tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, --- concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead” Hebrews 11:17,19. Faith entails trusting God even when we do not understand everything. It entails believing that God is the almighty and in Him there is every provision we need.

Just when Abraham was about to slay his son in obedience to God’s command, “the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham, ---Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son, from me” Genesis 22: 11-12. Abraham lifted his eyes and looked “and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. ---and offered it for a burnt offering instead of his son” Genesis 22: 13.

God again had come through for Abraham and proved his faithfulness. Abraham named the place where this happened “The lord will provide” because it was in this place that God had proved to Abraham that indeed He is the provider of all our needs. In this case God substituted the death of Abrahams son with that of a lamb which is very symbolic because He would later provide the “Lamb of God” who would substitute our death with his death.

Scripture says that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16. Unlike Isaac, Jesus knew and understood His calling and He willing went to the alter of sacrifice that we may through Him have eternal life. Yes, God provided the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation.

Can you doubt Him in anything after that? If He did not “spare His own son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32. Do not withhold anything from Him when He asks, for He has good plans for you and His desire is that you may know Him. When you reach the end and you do not know how your needs will be met, you can trust that the Lord will provide, for that is His name.

Indeed Jesus warned us about worrying about our needs because “ your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” Mathew 6: 31-34.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/402836_the-power-of-knowing-god-by-name-part-3#ixzz1IDIq6H9f

The Power of Knowing God by Name, Part 2

As discussed in Part I of this article, it is important to know God by His name for He manifest to us in various ways which reveals His attributes and nature.


As scripture teaches, “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” John 1:1. To know the word is to know God, for “He is”. In the first part we discussed God as EloHim, El Elyon and as El Roi. In this article we continue discussing God’s name according to His attributes, character and nature.

4) El Shaddai (The All-Sufficient one): God revealed Himself to Abraham as El Shaddai at Abrahams 90th birthday during which He also changed his name from Abrams to Abrahams. God said to Abram, “I am Almighty God; walk before me and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between Me and you, and you will multiply exceedingly” Genesis 17:1-2. On hearing this Abram “fell on his face” , Genesis 17:3.

El as previously discussed in part one means power or might and is always attributed to God. The translation for Shaddai is not as clear in its meaning amongst scholars. One view leans towards a definition of God in His might and power as seen in His judgments. Another view sees it to mean “the pourer or shedder forth, that is of blessings, temporal and spiritual---”. Both views, in my opinion manifest God as Almighty.

On the one hand, God is experienced as mighty and powerful and able to and does exercise judgments. On the other hand God is experienced as a Father who pours forth to His creations; who has, “shed forth His Spirit” to His people . Abraham needed to experience God as El Shaddai, for at 90 years and Sarah 89 years, they had no children of their own despite God‘s promise to bless them with an heir.

God established a covenant with Abrams and called him Abraham, which means father of nations. God then promised to make Abraham and his descendants extremely fruitful as well as promising that nations and kings would come from him. God went further to allocate the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants “as an everlasting possession” Genesis 17: 5-8. All God expected of Abraham was for him and his descendants to keep his covenant with God, Genesis 17:9-14.

God wants us to know Him as El shaddai and to trust Him with our weaknesses and failures. He works through our weaknesses to reveal His power and establish Himself as the Almighty God. All He expects of us is obedience to His word as revealed in the scriptures and made clear by the Holy Spirit living in us. It is not possible in the natural for a man of 90years and a woman of 89 years to bear children, yet with El Shaddai nothing is impossible.

No matter what you may be going through or what you think is impossible either because of your physical limitation or financial burden, let El Shaddai be true to His name. If you need a place of refuge and cannot get it in the world, run to El Shaddai whose might will shield you against your adversity. If what you need is impossible in the eyes of men, run to El Shaddai for He pours out His being in our weaknesses and makes the impossible, possible.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/400163_the-power-of-knowing-god-by-name-part-2#ixzz1IDH34CIC