The Lord is there

The Bible contains many names for the city of God, the ultimate dwelling place of the Lord and his people. One of the names of the city is mentioned in Ezekiel 48:35 and it is Jehovah Shammah, which means ‘the Lord is there’. 

The big tragedy in the Book of Ezekiel is that the Lord left his residence (the temple) in the earthly city of Jerusalem. Yet even although there was that tragedy, there was hope for the people because when they went into exile from the land the Lord went with them. After the Babylonian exile was over, there were several returns of Jews to their capital, but most never went back to their homeland.

Ezekiel encouraged the exiles by informing them that God would yet build his city and his temple where he would dwell forever (Ezek. 43:1-7). The description of the new city and its inhabitants indicate that it and they will be perfect. We are not meant to regard the dimensions of the new city described in the closing chapters of the book as literal. Rather the descriptions point to a very different kind of city and country, indeed a location that is unique.

The development of the city of God is one of the great themes of the Bible. Psalm 87 describes the diversity of its inhabitants. A greater description is given of the residents in Hebrews 12. And in Revelation 21:2, the city comes down from heaven and remains on the new earth. The next verse tells us that along with the city God has come down to dwell with his people. Then we are told that he will remove every cause of sorrow and make all things new. God will be both the Comforter and the Creator.

‘The Lord is there’ is a description of any kind of Christian gathering. But the expression of his presence in the eternal city will be much more than what has been known previously. What will it be like? No one on earth can say, not even those with the greatest imagination. But we are told about its certainty in order to anticipate ‘dwelling in the house of the Lord forever’. And we know that Jesus will introduce us to the features of the city’s life and enable us to appreciate them endlessly.

The Lord who provides

Historically, this divine name has been known as Jehovah Jireh. It is found in Genesis 22 where the incident of Abraham offering up Isaac is told. Abraham used it when answering the question of Isaac as to where the lamb was that would be offered as a sacrifice. Obviously, Abraham had not yet told Isaac about what he had been told by God to do on Mount Moriah. All he said in reply was that the Lord would provide a lamb. We know that God did provide such a sacrifice and Abraham called the place Jehovah Jireh, which means ‘The Lord will provide’ or ‘The Lord will see to it’. The word from which Jireh comes can be translated as ‘see’ or ‘provide’.

When we think of God seeing something, we know that his awareness of the issue is not confined to the moment of his provision. He sees all things eternally. Indeed, when we look at the word provision, we can observe that it means to see beforehand (pro and vision). When God provided the ram that Abraham used, he did not make a last-minute decision, even if it may have looked like that to Abraham. Rather, God had known about the ram when he asked Abraham to undertake the journey to Moriah. He had known about the need of the ram before Abraham became a believer. Indeed, he had known about it before time began.

Jesus said on one occasion that Abraham had seen the day of the Messiah and the sight made him glad. Some writers wonder if Abraham saw on Mount Moriah that God would yet provide the final Lamb who would make the ultimate sacrifice. No one can be certain about what he saw on the mountain apart from the fact that God did provide a substitute for Isaac.

There is a general sense in which God acts as Jehovah Jireh continually because he is always providing for our needs. And his provision, even when meeting basic needs, is never an afterthought. All has been foreseen in his eternal plan. But there is a particular sense in which God acted as Jehovah Jireh and that was at the cross where he provided his own Son as the Lamb. Unlike Abraham and Isaac who had not spoken about the lamb until near the place of sacrifice, the Father and the Son had focussed on the cross from eternity. The Provider and the Provision went together to the place of sacrifice.

The Lord our Righteousness

This divine name of God is well-known in our circles because of McCheyne’s hymn Jehovah Tsidkenu. The name itself is found in Jeremiah 23:5-6 where it is used in a prophecy of the Messiah indicating that this would be one of his titles. So from that point of view it is a name of Jesus in particular.

We would not be surprised to discover that God would call himself by the name ‘The Lord is righteous’. He always does what is right. The word ‘righteous’ means that which is straight, with no turns or twists. The paths of righteousness are clearly defined routes laid out by God in his Word. They describe what he would do and what he wants us to do. He cannot approve of anything that is imperfect. In Psalm 89:14, the author worships the sovereign God because the foundation of his throne is righteousness and justice.

In contrast to God, we are unrighteous because of our sinfulness as well as because of our sins. There is a slant away from God’s straight line in everything we think, say or do. The slant can be expressed in our motives as well as in what we do. For example, a person can tell the truth about a situation, but his motives for telling the truth could be wrong, which would mean that his telling of truth is unrighteous. Because of our sinfulness, all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags (Isa. 64:6).

So how can we call God by the name ‘The Lord our righteousness’? The work of Jesus is the answer. He, a divine Person, lived a perfect life as a man, keeping God’s law perfectly as far his thoughts, words and deeds were concerned. Jesus did this for two reasons. First, he did so in order to offer up himself as a perfect sacrifice on the cross. Second, he did so as our representative in keeping the law so that his life of obedience would be reckoned as ours when we trusted in him for salvation.

In this wonderful name, we have the way and the wonder of how God gives sinners like us continuous acceptance in his presence. Our permanent attire before the righteous throne is the white robe of the righteousness of Jesus.

Yahweh

Sometimes this name is spelt as Jehovah. There are two reasons for the alternatives. One is that Hebrew words only contain consonants and the vowel sounds are provided by the speaker. The consonants are YHWH. In Yahweh, two vowels have been inserted and in Jehovah three vowels have been inserted. For many centuries, the Jews refused to pronounce this name, usually substituting another word for Lord in its place. This has resulted in no one knowing for certain how to pronounce this divine name, although scholars believe that Yahweh is the most likely.

What does this name mean? It points to God as the self-existent Lord who brings everything else into existence. So he is the source of life. In addition, this name focuses on his transcendence, the fact that he is infinitely above his creation. It was by this name that he introduced himself to Moses in Exodus 3:15. Yet although he is so great, he informed Moses that he intended to be with his people, to have an ongoing relationship with them. Yahweh is therefore the God of the covenant who makes demands of his people and makes promises to them.

Connected to those details about Yahweh is that he does not change in his character. He is the same constantly. This is not surprising because he cannot improve. He is completely perfect, unable to increase in his infinite attributes. If he could do so, it would mean that he is not perfect at the moment. This is why we know that he is totally faithful to his promises, each of which is located within his covenant arrangement. But he is also faithful to his warnings.

The name Jesus is the English rendering of the Greek translation of Yeshua, which means Yahweh the Saviour. Jesus is Yahweh, the self-existent Creator, the Source of life, the transcendent Son, the One who will be with his people forever. He became a man in order to bring salvation to us. As our Saviour and Lord, he requires us to trust in him, obey his commands and experience his promises. 

 

El Olam – the eternal God

This name for God first occurs in Genesis 21:33. On that occasion, Abraham had made a treaty with Abimelech, a Philistine leader. After he had gone, Abraham called on the Everlasting God as an expression of gratitude. Are there reasons why Abraham would have thought of God in this way? Here are two possible reasons.

First, the treaty with Abimelech was a new development and maybe there was no guarantee it would last. The future was uncertain from Abraham’s point of view, but whatever would happen to him the everlasting God would be there for him. And the same goes for us. Life is uncertain today in many ways, but whatever happens the everlasting God is with us.

Second, Abraham was also the recipient of amazing divine promises, the fulfilment of which he would never see in his earthly life. God had told him that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand of the sea, and that from among them would come One who would bless the world. In order for that promise to be fulfilled, the Lord would have to be the everlasting God. And the same goes for us as far as his promises for the world to come are concerned.

Abraham’s act of worship leads us to think of how we can worship the great God. We could use Psalm 90:2: ‘From everlasting to everlasting you are God.’ Or we could use Psalm 103:17: ‘The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him.’ Go as far back as you want, God is there; go as far forward as you want, God is there. Go as far back as you want, his mercy is there. Go as far forward as you want, his mercy is there. His mercy had no beginning and it will have no end.

In between the everlastings, we can think of Isaiah 40:28-29: ‘The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.’

El Elyon – God Most High

In Genesis 14, reference is made to an unusual man called Melchizedek. He was priest of God Most High and he proceeded to bless Abram by using this divine name. Later in the incident Abram acknowledged that he had been blessed by God Most High. On both occasions when this divine name is mentioned, he is also said to be the Possessor of heaven and earth.  

This title stresses the uniqueness of the true God. At the time of Abraham, people generally believed in local deities, gods who governed an area of ground, whether large or small. In contrast to that notion, Melchizedek and Abraham believed in the true God and one feature of his existence is that he possesses all things. He cannot cease to have all things as his possession because no creature can take anything from him by force. 

This name of God does not merely mean that God is above us. Given who we are, with all our limitations, it would not take very much to be above us in power and abilities. We could say that angels are higher than us. But even they do not come near the exalted heights where God lives. God cannot be any higher than he is, and there is an infinite gap between him and the greatest of his creatures. 

The title also affirms the kindness of God. Although he possesses all things, he is not selfish. He gives to those who trust in him, as Abram affirmed when he refused to accept anything from the king of Sodom. Abram had discovered through a range of experiences that the God who possesses all the resources in heaven and earth had helped hem. Since he had this God on his side, he was safe and secure. 

There is a wonderful verse in Psalm 91:1. Before reading it, remind yourself of the incredible eminence of God. Now reflect on this statement: ‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.’ In that verse, a believer dwells with El Elyon and El Shaddai. The Most High is our protector and the All-sufficient is our provider. A shelter for every storm and a shade from every oppression.  

Although God be high, he regards the lowly (Psalm 138:6). The existence of greatness reminds us of our insignificance. When I see the Queen, I am reminded that I am a subject. When I see the God of the heights, I am reminded that I am a creature of earth. Yet I can cast all my cares on him, both because he is big enough to take them all and because he cares enough to take them all.  

Names of God (3) – El Shaddai.

This divine name occurs in the books of Genesis and Job, where it is usually translated as God Almighty. According to Exodus 6:3, God said to Moses: ‘I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.’ It was better for them to know him through this name because of the seemingly impossible situations they faced. 

There is some disagreement about how this title should be translated. The reason for this is that the title El itself means powerful, so if Shaddai is translated as Almighty, the name seems to say the same thing twice. Such a practice is not unusual. We can say in the same phrase that a person is learned and clever, although we don’t mean exactly the same thing with each word. But the fact remains that everything about God is powerful. 

So can Shaddai mean something else? Some scholars say that the word is connected to the Hebrew word for breast (shad) and points to the fact that God is the one who nourishes his people. When his nourishment is combined with his power, it indicates that he can take care of his people in every situation. A suggested alternative translation is God All-sufficient or God Self-sufficient. In other words, if God is with you, you will always have what you need.  

One writer described the name El Shaddai in this way: ‘the One who is strong enough to help and sensitive enough to care.’ This twofold feature of God occurs in several ways in the Bible. He is the good Shepherd, strong yet tender. He is the patient Potter, able to remake gently damaged goods. He is the kind Physician, able to heal our souls, and ultimately our bodies. The psalmist once said to God, ‘Your gentleness made me great’ (Ps. 18:35). 

Spurgeon, when referring to this divine name in a sermon, reminded his hearers that ‘Strong faith realizes the all-sufficiency of God and that is the secret of its strength, the hidden manna on which it feeds and becomes vigorous.’ We need to remind ourselves who God is – he is the one who can meet all our needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 4:19). 

A rich man may give a pound to a beggar, but he is merely giving out of his riches, not according to his riches. In contrast, the all-sufficient God always gives according to his infinite resources.

Names of God (2) – Elohim.

In the first chapter of Genesis, this name of God is used in almost every verse. It is the plural of the name El. In Genesis 1, we see vivid examples of God’s power as he brought into existence the universe by his word. He had only to speak, and his creation appeared, whether that created thing was big or small. But the name reveals more than the fact that God is powerful.

The order in which different aspects of his creation appeared reveal that he was working to an intelligent plan. For example, he created the dry land and vegetation before he made animals and humans. They appeared on a scene ideally suited for them. This is a reminder that God is wise, that he knows what to do. Unlike human workers, God did not need to check if his activity could be improved. Everything appeared ready to function as required,

We can also see from Genesis 1 that Elohim had pleasure in what he made. After each day's activity, he pronounced that it was good, and on the sixth day he said that it was very good. His pleasure is also seen in his delight on the Sabbath when he rested. He did not rest because he was tired. Rather, he rested because he was pleased with and delighted in what he had made.

There is something unique about the name Elohim and that is the feature that it is a plural noun followed by a singular verb; for example, when the text says ‘God said’. The plurality is also seen in the way that he spoke in verse 26 when he said “Let us…’. Here we have an extraordinary insight into the fact that God speaks in community. God did not say ‘Shall we make man’ because that would suggest some uncertainty. Instead, they said in unison, ‘Let us make man in our image.’ This was the height of their power, plan and pleasure during the first week of time.

Sadly, the original creation was marred by sin, But the rest of the Bible reveals that Elohim, the God with a plural name, would express his power in performing a greater plan that would provide him with endless pleasure – the work of salvation.

Name of God – El

In the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, we can see that God has many names. He is called Lord, sometimes in small capitals, as well as God. Moreover, sometimes his names are joined together, such as when he is called Lord God. There may be many reasons for his different names, but an obvious one is that through them he tells us who he is.

Sometimes in the Old Testament, the word ‘God’ is used to translate the name El. People often included it in a person’s name, sometimes at the beginning (Elkanah) or at the end (Samuel). No doubt, we can think of many examples. Elkanah means ‘possessed by God’ and Samuel means ‘God hears’.

The basic meaning of El is that God is powerful. No other power can truly be said to be powerful. The person on earth with the most power is not powerful in its literal meaning. History shows us that everyone in the past who has assumed to be powerful has lost his or her grip on power, and the same will happen to those who think so today and in the future. But that will never happen to God. He will always be powerful.

The obvious response to a powerful God is a concern about how he will use his power. Will he use it for me or against me? He has told us who he is for and who he is against. He is for those who love him and recognise his authority and he is against those who don’t. It is straightforward to recognise that fact, but often we who love him fail to derive comfort from his consistency.

In Psalm 56:9, David writes: ‘Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.’ (In that verse, a plural form of El is used.) But David knew that it did not matter how many enemies he had, since God was for him. His God would give him complete victory.

Paul asks in Romans 8:31, ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (The apostle uses the Greek equivalent of El when referring to God.) He lists all possibilities in verses 38 and 39: ‘For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’

Why could Paul assert this? Because he knew that Jesus had cried out, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ on the cross (Eli means ‘my God’). Jesus discovered that for a short time God was not there for him, and Paul discovered that was the exact time that God was most for him. And he also knew that the God of power who punished Jesus in his stead would protect him for ever. If we trust in Jesus, we can say the same.