God's Covenant Names (Part-1)

We will take two Sunday's to re-look at a few of God's Covenant Names. Many of us are familiar with the Covenant names of God, but we trust that as we do this study once again, we be inspired and our faith renewed once again.

The Jehovah Titles or Covenant Names
Let's say there is a man Tony, who plays soccer, plays the guitar, is an engineer, is married with children. Those who see him play soccer might say "Tony is a soccer player". Those who see him play the guitar might say "Tony is a guitar player". Those who see him at work might say "Tony is an engineer" and those who know his family might say "Tony is a husband and father". Each of these statements about Tony are true and each reveal a certain aspect of who Tony is.

In a similar manner, throughout the Bible, God progressively reveals Himself, different aspects of His nature through what we call "Covenant names" or Jehovah titles.

Names, especially in Old Testament time was not just used for identifying an individual. Names revealed nature and character, purpose, activity and destiny. Names were given based on what was believed to be the nature of the individual, or what they would become in life.

So God used different occasions to reveal who He is and what He does, through these Covenant names or Jehovah titles. There are about 16 Jehovah titles

"Yahweh" (originally spelled YHWH) or "Jehovah" is the covenant name of God. Jehovah is a compound word referring to (A)His eternal self existence, as "The Existing One", (B)His Lordship, or "Lord.", and (C)His nature to reveal Himself as the One who desires "to become known", the God who reveals Himself unceasingly. So Jehovah refers to the Eternal, Self-Existent God who reveals Himself. There are about 16 Jehovah titles, where another aspect of God is added to the "Jehovah" title.

We refer to these are covenant names, because these are not only who God revealed Himself to be, but these are also what He promised to do for His people.

Each of these covenant names not only reveal the nature of God to us, but also reveals who God desires to be to us and what God desires to do for us, because of who He is.

God's nature is revealed to us through His covenant names. We must worship Him, and believe Him for who He said He is.

We will look at a few covenant names today and do a few more next week:

Jehovah Jireh - The Lord our Provider (or the Lord will see)
Genesis 22:1-14
Abraham received a greater revelation of who God is, when he walked the path of great obedience. Obedience to God leads us into a greater revelation of who He is.
As we obey, God will see to our needs.
God's greatest and complete provision is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ who was given to meet ALL our needs.

Jehovah Rapha - The Lord our Healer
Exodus 15:22-26

Throughout Israel's history as a nation, He demonstrated His power and willingness to heal, deliver and preserve His people. When He brought His people out of Egypt, He supernaturally ensured that an entire nation of an estimated three million people were sustained physically. Here is what the Scriptures state:

Psalm 105:37
He also brought them out with silver and gold, And there was none feeble among His tribes.

Nehemiah 9:21
Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness; They lacked nothing; Their clothes did not wear out And their feet did not swell.

Psalm 103:1-3

Jehovah Nissi - The Lord our Banner
Exodus 17:8-16

Throughout Israel's history, they knew God as the Lord who is a Man of war (Exodus 15:3) and as the Lord to whom they looked for victory in battle. The banner used in battle, was used to inspire, direct and help soldiers focus on the conflict (what they were fighting for). The Lord is our Banner - He inspires, directs and is our focus, as we engage in spiritual conflict. He leads is in victory.

Jehovah Mekaddishkem - The Lord our Sanctifier
Exodus 31:13; Leviticus 20:8; 21:8; 22:9,16,32; Ezekiel 20:12

The Lord is our Sanctifier. He sets us apart for Himself.
He calls us to be holy, because He is holy.

An Oath and A Promise
God swore by Himself and He gave His Word

Hebrews 6:10-20 (Read from NKJV and then from MESSAGE)

Hebrews 6:10-20 (MESSAGE)
10 God doesn't miss anything. He knows perfectly well all the love you've shown him by helping needy Christians, and that you keep at it.
11 And now I want each of you to extend that same intensity toward a full-bodied hope, and keep at it till the finish.
12 Don't drag your feet. Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them.
13 When God made his promise to Abraham, he backed it to the hilt, putting his own reputation on the line.
14 He said, "I promise that I'll bless you with everything I have--bless and bless and bless!"
15 Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him.
16 When people make promises, they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them so that if there is any question that they'll make good on the promise, the authority will back them up.
17 When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee--
18 God can't break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go.
19 It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God
20 where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek.

When we make an oath, we usually do it in the name of something/someone bigger than ourselves. We also make an oath affirming to do/abide by something.

Example, the Prime Minister of India takes the Oath of Office and the Oath of Secrecy, before being appointed as Prime Minister. In both statements, the Oath begins as: "I, <name>, do swear in the name of God/solemnly affirm that I will...."

When God revealed Himself through these covenant names, He is expressing 'His Oath and His promise'. This is who I am, and this is what I will do. God swore by Himself and He gave His Word.

Jesus, The Exact Representation Of God
Jesus is the express image of His person (Hebrews 1:3).
He embodied and expressed (revealed) all the God had declared Himself to be.
In Christ we have all our needs met. We are healed. We are sanctified. We have victory.

Will you worship Him for who He is?
Will you believe Him for who He is?

Next Week:
Jehovah Shalom - The Lord our peace (Judges 6:24)
Jehovah Rohi - The Lord our Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)
Jehovah Tsidkeenu - The Lord our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6; 33:16)
Jehovah Shammah - The Lord is present (Ezekiel 48:35)