SUNDAY SCHOOL - June 19, 2016

[Albert Finch]

The Eight Names of God In The 23rd Psalm

Psalms 23 contains eight redemptive names of Jehovah:

1) Jehovah Rohi - "Jehovah is my shepherd...." (Psalms 23:1)
2) Jehovah Jireh - "I shall not want." (Psalms 23:1)
3) Jehovah Shalom - The Lord is my peace. (Psalms 23:2) "He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters."
4) Jehovah Rophi - The Lord, my healer. (Psalms 23:3) "He restores my soul."
5) Jehovah Tsidkenu - The Lord is righteousness. (Psalms 23:3) "He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake."
6) Jehovah Nissi - The Lord is my banner. (Psalms 23:5) "He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies."
7) Jehovah M'Kaddesh - The Lord my sanctifier. (Psalms 23:5) "He anoints my head with oil."
8) Jehovah Shammah - The Lord is there. (Psalms 23:4) "...thou art with me."

Jehovah Rohi - The Lord, My Shepherd (Psalms 23:1)

Although Israel learned to magnify the Lord for life, healing, victory, holiness, peace, and protection, they were still pilgrims, and they were in dire need of divine provision in their wilderness journey with all its weariness, physical needs, duties, dangers and difficulties. Thus, there came the revelation of God as their Jehovah Rohi, the One whose Shepherd's love, care, and resources they could depend upon in all the un-trodden and unknown pathways of the future.
Thus the Lord is the feeder to provide for us, keeper to protect us, companion to cheer us, friend to help us, pastor to comfort us, and herdsman near to us, as His frequent revelations prove.

Jehovah Jireh - The Lord Will Provide (Genesis 22:14)

The definition of this term is "The Lord will see" or "The Lord will provide". For man, this conjunctive meaning seems impossible. However, for the all knowing God of creation, the dual meaning is easily exemplified.

His pre-vision means His pro-vision. That was Abraham's revelation given to the place where He found the ram provided as a substitute for Isaac. This miracle was not of a normal significance; but rather it was a creative miracle by God for the sacrifice, in the same sense that the Lord created a body through the miraculous conception for the substitute sacrifice for man.

As Elohim, God demanded the sacrifice of Isaac, but as Jehovah He made complete provision of a substitute for the son Abraham willingly offered. The place of this miracle is important. It is the first recorded instance in scripture of the naming of a place after a divine interposition or manifestation.

Jehovah Tsidkenu - The Lord Our Righteousness (Jeremiah 33:16)

In the Old Testament, there is evident revelation of Israel as being a nation seeking after righteousness. Yet in their passionate desire for righteousness, the people discovered their own unrighteousness. Therefore, we become people who seek after purity of heart, so we can enjoy communion with God. "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8)

The Greeks sought after wisdom, and the Romans pursued power and world dominion; but today there is a remnant of God's chosen people who seek after God and His righteousness.

To the glory of the gospel, is that Jehovah Tsidkenu became flesh and was made unto us righteousness. (1 Corinthians 1:30) A righteous God pronounced death as the penalty of sin--yet that same God became flesh, the righteous branch, to taste death for every sinner and to provide the righteousness that is transferred or imputed to the believer and is thereby accepted before God. Acceptable righteousness; therefore, is not attained but obtained.

Jehovah Shalom - The Lord Our Peace

The word "Peace", and words directly related to it, appear over 400 times in scripture. It is one of the most precious and fundamentally essential ingredients for a believer to be at peace with God and know the peace of God. It relates to a harmonious relationship obtained through reconciliation of a debt paid in full. Peace or "Shalom" is often translated--welfare, good health, prosperity, favor, rest whole, finished, restitution or repay and perfect.

Jehovah Rophi - The Lord Our Physician (Exodus 15:26)

From Israel, we learn that in times of sickness God heals, for He is our Jehovah Rophi, "I am Jehovah thy healer". To express God's grace in restoring spirit life, He declared that He healed all of our diseases, spiritual as well as physical. (Psalms 103:3)

He also heals the broken in heart (Psalms 147:3), and for those who are backsliding, He is their healer as well (Jeremiah 3:22). The scriptures also clearly indicate the removal of bodily infirmity (Genesis 20:17; Matthew 4:23).

Jehovah Nissi - The Lord Our Banner (Exodus 17:15-16)

Moses took care that God should have the glory for the victory over Amalek. Instead of setting up a trophy in the honor of Joshua (though it had been a standard policy to put marks of honor upon men), he built an altar to God's honor. What is most carefully recorded is the inscription upon the altar, Jehovah-Nissi - The Lord my Banner. The presence and power of Jehovah were the banner under which they were enlisted, and the banner by which they were kept together.

Jehovah Nissi in literal Hebrew means "A hand upon the throne of Jehovah". Jehovah will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Amalek's hand had dared to assault Jehovah's throne to overturn it, so He gave Israel the authority and power of that throne to overwhelm Amalek. The uplifted hands of Moses symbolized this banner. Here we have an illustration of the hand of faith outstretched in prayer.

Jehovah M'Kaddesh - The Lord Who Sanctifies (Exodus 31:13

The term holiness is from the Hebrew word "Kodesh" and is allied to "sanctify". It is translated as dedicate, consecrate, hallow, and holy in various translations. "I am Jehovah M'Kaddesh - The Lord who sanctifies you". This term's main influence relates to moral and spiritual purity. In the New Testament, many scriptures relate to the process of sanctification, the sum of which are provided to the church through the atoning work of Christ.

Jehovah Shammah - The Lord Is There (Ezekiel 48:35)

The name of the city revealed through Ezekiel is Jehovah Shammah - the Lord is There. This location is so named because of the manifest presence and power of Jehovah residing there. We also know from scripture that God does not dwell in temples made by hands, but rather we are to be God's temple.

This is the last of Jehovah's redemptive titles in the order of their Old Testament occurrence. It discloses the consummation of His progressive self-revelation.

The people of Israel were brought out of the bondage of Egypt by His manifest presence (Deuteronomy 4:37). However, the people willfully and continually sinned, and the conscious manifest Presence of God was rescinded. Yet when the people repented of their gross idolatry, because of His love and pity, the angel of His presence redeemed them once again (Isaiah 63:9).

The apostle Paul describes the church as a habitation of God, a house of God, and the building growing unto a holy temple in the Lord.
The question remains: Does the Glory of Jehovah fill Jehovah's house, and are we, members of that house, displaying His Glory?

INTO ACTION:
Take 4 of the above names and describe how you depend on God with respect to what he provides.

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY