Miles McKee Ministries
PO Box 541, Kingston Springs, TN 37082
So What’s in a Name?
by Miles McKee
by Miles McKee
In Jn.17:26 when Jesus was praying he said,
“And I have declared unto them thy name”.
When Jesus said he had declared the name of God he was saying He had made God both fully known and recognizable. As S.D. Gordon said, "Jesus is God spelling Himself out in language that men can understand."
The ‘name of God’ is an interesting concept. In Scripture it stands for the divine perfections of God revealed in His character. We learn this in Ex. 33:18 when Moses was denied the request to see God’s glory. However, God told Moses that, on the next day, He would proclaim His name to him. So on the following day, “--- the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.” And said, ---“Hello there, my name is Fred? No, that’s not what He said for that’s not what He meant. When He said he would proclaim His name He meant He would proclaim His divine perfections and character! And here’s what He really said,
“--- the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;---- --” (Ex 34:6-7).
The name of God therefore reveals what God is like. This is what the psalmist is getting at in Ps 9:10 when He writes,
“And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”
The ‘name of God’ is an interesting concept. In Scripture it stands for the divine perfections of God revealed in His character. We learn this in Ex. 33:18 when Moses was denied the request to see God’s glory. However, God told Moses that, on the next day, He would proclaim His name to him. So on the following day, “-
“-
The name of God therefore reveals what God is like. This is what the psalmist is getting at in Ps 9:10 when He writes,
“And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”
In other words, it is not whether or not we are on first name terms with God that makes the difference in our lives, it is rather that when we know God’s character (His name) we will be able to put our trust in Him because we will know what kind of a God He is.
Furthermore, the name of God also stands for God Himself. Ps 5:11 says,
“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.”
To love His name therefore means to love God Himself. Consider also Ps 20:1:
“---- the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;-- -.”
This evidently means may God Himself defend you.
This evidently means may God Himself defend you.
The Name of God sets before us, then, all that God has revealed about himself. Here are but a few of the names of God. Each one of them tells us something about Him, His character, and His work.
He is called Elohim…this name occurs 2,700 times and connects Him with creation.
He is known as Jehovah or Yahweh, the creator God in covenant with His redeemed people. Jehovah/Yahweh is the God who was and is and is to come. He is also,
He is called Elohim…this name occurs 2,700 times and connects Him with creation.
He is known as Jehovah or Yahweh, the creator God in covenant with His redeemed people. Jehovah/Yahweh is the God who was and is and is to come. He is also,
Jehovah-Jireh , The LORD our Provider, (Gen 22:14)
Jehovah-Ropheka , The LORD our Healer, (Ex 15:26)
Jehovah -Shalom , The LORD our Peace, (Judges 6:24)
Jehovah -Zidkenu , The LORD our Righteousness, (Jer. 23:6, 33:16)
Jehovah- Roi , The LORD my Shepherd, (Ps 23:1)
Jehovah-Shammah , The LORD Ever Present, (Ezk. 48:35)
Jehovah-
Jehovah -
Jehovah -
Jehovah-
Jehovah-
So what’s in a name? Everything when it comes to God. And Jesus revealed the name (the divine character) of God perfectly------an impossible thing for a mere man to do. To do such a thing, He had to be the visible image of the invisible God. Jesus made God knowable. He has declared His name. As we’ve already noticed, Jesus took the guesswork out of God. We no longer have to sit and wonder what God is like. God has come to us in the person of His Son and revealed Himself to us. He has spelt Himself out to us in a language we can understand. Let Muslims and JW’s and the like reject this marvelous truth. However if they reject that Christ Jesus is God then they count themselves unworthy of salvation. They have rejected He who is the way. Christ Jesus is ‘The Way’. He’s not a way which leads to the way, He is ‘the way’. He is the way to the Father’s presence and the way to the Father’s person. He has declared His name. Only God himself can make such a declaration and that is why Jesus was able to confidently say in John 17:26 “I have declared unto them thy name.”
Permission is given by the author, Miles McKee, to copy this article if it is done in its entirety without any changes.
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