Understanding God Through His Names

This study explores the profound meaning and significance of God's names as revealed in scripture, unveiling His singular nature, attributes, and redemptive plan for humanity.

1. The One God Revealed Through His Majestic Names

1.1 Elohim: The Mighty Creator

Verses: Genesis 1:1; Psalm 19:1; Isaiah 45:18

This plural Hebrew name for God, while appearing plural, refers to the singular, majestic power of the one God.
Elohim reveals God as the supreme Creator, the source of all existence, acting alone in creation.
The vastness of creation testifies to the singular, infinite power of the one God, Elohim.

1.2 El Shaddai: God Almighty, The All-Sufficient One

Verses: Genesis 17:1; Exodus 6:3; Psalm 91:1

El Shaddai emphasizes God's omnipotence and His ability to fulfill His promises, even in seemingly impossible situations.
This name assures us of God's complete sufficiency to meet every need and overcome every obstacle.
He is the one God who is more than enough, providing and sustaining His people by His singular power.

1.3 Adonai: Lord and Master

Verses: Psalm 8:1; Isaiah 6:1; Malachi 1:6

Adonai signifies God's absolute sovereignty and His rightful claim as the supreme ruler over all creation.
Acknowledging God as Adonai means recognizing His singular authority and our submission to His will.
This name highlights the one God as our Master, to whom all honor and obedience are due.

2. The Covenant-Keeping God: Jehovah

2.1 Yahweh/Jehovah: The Self-Existent One

Verses: Exodus 3:14; Psalm 83:18; Isaiah 42:8

This sacred name, often translated as 'I AM WHO I AM,' reveals God's eternal, unchanging, and self-existent nature.
Jehovah signifies the one God who is always present, actively involved in the lives of His people.
It is the personal name of the one God who makes and keeps His covenants, demonstrating His faithfulness.

2.2 Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord Will Provide

Verses: Genesis 22:14; Philippians 4:19; Psalm 23:1

This name assures us that the one God sees our needs and makes provision for them, often in miraculous ways.
Jehovah-Jireh reminds us of God's singular ability to supply all our necessities according to His riches.
He is the same God who provided for Abraham, and He continues to provide for His children today.

2.3 Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord Who Heals

Verses: Exodus 15:26; Psalm 103:3; Isaiah 53:5

Jehovah-Rapha reveals God as the ultimate source of all healing, both physical and spiritual.
He is the one God who has the power to restore and make whole, forgiving our iniquities and healing our diseases.
This name underscores God's compassion and His desire for the well-being of His people.

2.4 Jehovah-Nissi: The Lord Our Banner

Verses: Exodus 17:15; Psalm 20:5; Isaiah 11:10

This name proclaims God as our victory, our rallying point, and our protector in every battle.
Jehovah-Nissi signifies that our triumph comes from the one God alone, who fights for us.
He is the banner under which we gather, assuring us of His presence and power in our conflicts.

3. The Fullness of God Revealed in Jesus

3.1 Jesus: God Our Savior

Verses: Matthew 1:21; Acts 4:12; Isaiah 43:11

The name Jesus means 'Jehovah is Salvation,' directly linking the Old Testament God to the New Testament Savior.
There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved, affirming Jesus as the sole divine deliverer.
Jesus is not merely a part of God, but the full manifestation of the one God, who came to save humanity.

3.2 Christ: The Anointed One, God's Messiah

Verses: John 1:41; Acts 2:36; Colossians 2:9

Christ is not a surname but a title, signifying Jesus as the divinely appointed and anointed King, Priest, and Prophet.
In Jesus, the one God fully embodied the Messiah, fulfilling all prophecies concerning the Savior.
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, revealing the complete nature of God in human form.

3.3 Immanuel: God With Us

Verses: Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; John 14:9

Immanuel declares that the one God Himself came to dwell among us in the person of Jesus.
This name assures us of God's intimate presence and personal involvement in our lives through Jesus.
To see Jesus is to see the Father, for He is the visible manifestation of the invisible God.

3.4 Lord: The Supreme Authority

Verses: Philippians 2:9-11; Romans 10:9; Acts 2:36

God has highly exalted Jesus and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.
Confessing Jesus as Lord means acknowledging His singular divine authority and sovereignty over all things.
The title 'Lord' applied to Jesus affirms His identity as the one God of the Old Testament, now revealed in the flesh.

4. The Power and Authority in God's Name

4.1 Salvation in the Name of Jesus

Verses: Acts 2:38; Acts 10:43; Romans 10:13

Repentance and remission of sins are preached in His name, signifying the singular path to salvation.
Through His name, everyone who believes receives forgiveness of sins, for there is no other name that saves.
Calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus is the means by which we access God's saving grace.

4.2 Healing and Deliverance in the Name of Jesus

Verses: Acts 3:6; Mark 16:17-18; James 5:14-15

The lame man was healed by the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, demonstrating its miraculous efficacy.
Believers are empowered to cast out devils and lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover, all in His name.
The singular name of Jesus carries divine authority over sickness and demonic forces.

4.3 Prayer and Authority in the Name of Jesus

Verses: John 14:13-14; John 16:23-24; Colossians 3:17

Whatever we ask in Jesus' name, He will do it, revealing the access and authority we have through Him to the one God.
Praying in Jesus' name is not a mere formality, but an acknowledgment of His singular mediation and divine power.
Everything we do, in word or deed, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.