GOD'S NAME - (Do you know what it is?)
LESSON PART 1
Open your Bible to Daniel chapter 3 – (one of the most powerful accounts in Scripture).
If you have the time, read it now.
Now, quickly tell me the names of the three Hebrew children.
If you are like most, you answered: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
We believe this is unfortunate!
We read in Hosea 2:17 “For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.” That is exactly what has happened – these three great men of faith are no longer remembered by their true names.
Let’s look at Daniel 1:1-7 (note especially verses 6-7)
“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god. Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whomthere was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. 6Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.”
In Daniel 4:8 King Nebuchadnezzar is speaking regarding his dream and he says: “But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods and before him I told the dream,saying,…”
They are given new names to show authority over them and designed to mark their new relation, that so they might forget their former religion and country - to make them forget the God of their fathers, the Guide of their youth – and to assimilate them into the Chaldean idolatry and culture.
Let me tell you about the Chaldean names that were given to the Hebrew young men:
Belteshazzar = “Bel’s prince” Bel=Baal
Belteshazzar signifies the keeper of the hidden treasures of Bel;
Shadrach - from Rak, in Babylonian, "the King," that is, "the Sun"; inspired or illumined by the Sun-god."
Meshach – The Babylonians retained the first syllable of Mishael, the Hebrew name; but for El, that is, GOD, substituted Shak, the Babylonian goddess, called Sheshach (Jeremiah 25:26, 51:41), answering to the Earth, or else Venus, the goddess of love and mirth
Abed-nego – "servant of the shining fire."
Thus, these, Jehovah’s servants, were being dedicated by the heathen to the four leading gods of Bel: the Chief-god, the Sun-god, Earth-god, and Fire-god.
The suggestion I make is that the account of the fiery furnace in Daniel 3 has even MORE impact (if that is even possible) if we understand the meanings of their true names!
Their Hebrew names, which they received at their circumcision, had something of God, either “El” or “Jah”, in them:
Daniel – "God my Judge", the theme of his prophecies being God's judgment on the heathen world powers
Hananiah – "whom Jehovah hath favored." (The grace of the Lord) {JAH has favored}
Mishael – "who is what God is?" Who is comparable to God? (He that is the strong God)
Azariah – "whom Jehovah helps." (The Lord is a help) {“JAH has helped”}
That is powerful stuff ! !
Here’s my suggestion – Practice thinking “Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah”.
Names are important in the Bible!
LESSON PART 2
There was a man who was always telling people what “the Preacher” said (or did). After a while, someone finally asks – Who is this “preacher”? There are many so-called preachers – and all preachers have a lot to say about a lot of things, so who is THIS preacher that you keep talking about? WHAT IS HIS NAME?
Can I suggest to you that we may do just that with God?
In speaking to someone, we may say “God says this” or “God says that”. Are we referring to Allah? To Buddha? To which “god” are we referring?
Who is our God? What is His name? Is it even important?
Psalm 9:10
"And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You."
Exodus 3:11-15
“And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”
Exodus 6:3
“And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty {El Shaddai}, but by my name Jehovahwas I not known to them.”
Note: “LORD” in caps = YHWH (Jehovah)
Exodus 33:19
“And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”
Exodus 34:1-9
“And the LORD said to Moses, “Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke. So be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there on the top of the mountain. And no man shall come up with you, and let no man be seen throughout all the mountain; let neither flocks nor herds feed before that mountain.” So he cut two tablets of stone like the first ones. Then Moses rose early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him; and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone. Now the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”
Deuteronomy 28:58
“If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD”; (YHWH Elohim)
Exodus 20:7
“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” {cf “the Lord’s prayer”}
1 Kings 8:42-43
“(For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.”
“Lord” – Adonai – is a title, not a name. Should we be careful in using just that title. Did you know that “Baal” also means lord?
The name “Jesus” brings offense
When we use “god” generically, we rarely offend
Would we offend if we stated His name – YHWH?
HYH = WAS
HVH = IS
YHYH = WILL CONTINUE TO BE
YHVH (or YHWH) = Was, is, will continue to be
He alone is God! There is no other god! He is the same yesterday, today and forever!
Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
Psalm 22:22 “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.”
Psalm 68:4 “Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.”
Psalm 83:18 “That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.”
Isaiah 12:4 “And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.”
Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”
Isaiah 47:4 “As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.”
Isaiah 52:6 “Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.”
Jeremiah 16:21 “Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD.”
Amos 4:13 “For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.”
Amos 5:8 “Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:”
Micah 5:4 “And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.”
Malachi 3:16 “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.”
SELAH
p.s. re: Jesus
Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Philippians 2:9-10 "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him the name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;"
End Note: It would appear to be no accident that repeatedly throughout the New Testament we read about the "Lord Jesus Christ", as if putting it all together is the only way to help ensure that we know Whom we are referring to.