Knowing God - Part 3

When a believer desires to know God better, the Bible serves as the primary source of that knowledge. Random and sporadic reading of the Bible will provide some benefit, but knowledge of God will really grow when the Christian reads with a purpose and when he is actively looking for the revelation of what God is like. One wonderful aspect of God that can reveal His character is the names of God.

"God spoke further to Moses and said to Him, 'I am the LORD; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them.'" (Exodus 6:2-3 NASB)

The verses above reveal two names of God that He used to reveal Himself to His people. Previous to this conversation with Moses, God had shown Himself as God Almighty. In this conversation, He revealed Himself to Moses with a new name, LORD (or Jehovah). There was something new that Moses could learn through this name that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not know.

God is complex beyond human comprehension, leaving the human mind incapable of understanding all of His aspects. God reveals Himself through His names, but no single name can adequately describe Him. Since God is so multifaceted and intricate, believers who wish to know Him well must construct a composite image; this image is based on the great variety of attributes revealed through the combination of God's names. God has wisely chosen to employ hundreds of names, each one creating a picture or illustrating an attribute. This revelation makes the names of God a wonderful basis for coming to know who God is and what He is like.

I once did a study of God's names found in the book of Psalms. I located 144 different names for God throughout the book. As might be expected, a few common names for God occur frequently. LORD (Jehovah) is used 646 times, God (El or Elohim) 363 times, and Lord (Adonai) 57 times. Because these names are such "standard" names for God, it could be easy to overlook them, but even these names are instructive. LORD refers to God as the self-existent or eternal one who is not now, nor ever has been, dependent on anyone or anything else. God identifies a deity and refers to strength, highlighting God's position above man. Lord refers to a ruler, sovereign, or controller who has mastery and ownership over his subjects.

In addition to these three common names, there are 141 other names for God (by my evaluation) in the book of Psalms. Some of these are the three common names combined with modifiers, but there is a variety of other descriptive names that help to reveal God's character. A sampling of these instructive names includes the following: Almighty, confidence of all the ends of the earth, deliverer, dwelling place, father of the fatherless, God most high, living God, God alone, God my exceeding joy, God of my salvation, God that forgavest them, goodness, habitation, very present help in trouble, hiding place, Holy One, hope, judge, keeper, king, light, maker, portion, rock that is higher than I, shade, shepherd, shield, song, strength, He in whom I trust, He that took me out of the womb, Him which divided the Red Sea into parts, and Thou that savest by Thy right hand them which put their trust in Thee.

This was such a great study that I started (but to date have not finished) a similar study in the gospel of John. I discovered that the most used names are not surprising: Jesus, Father, God, Lord, Son, and Christ. I also located fifty-six other names within the gospel, including the following: bread of life, Comforter, door, gift of God, only true God, husbandman, Lamb of God, Light, resurrection, good shepherd, vine, way, and Him whom they pierced.

If I ever become ambitious enough, I would like to also study Old Testament names that are not found in the Psalms and New Testament names that are not found in John. Learning about God through these studies could easily last for years. It could also yield great treasure regarding the character of God.

Such a study consists of more than simply making a list of God's names. It also requires consideration and meditation. I used a concordance to look up the meaning of the words used in each name. This step provides valuable insight into the significance of each name and the truth it intends to convey.

Meditation takes that knowledge to a personal and meaningful level. In meditation, the believer chooses a name of God and begins to think about it. He asks questions. What truth does that name reveal about God? What aspect of God’s character is highlighted? What picture does it create? How does God demonstrate that aspect to man? How does that name present God as bigger than man and his problems? How does it show God to be capable of handling anything? What does that name mean to people in trouble?

Such meditation anchors the soul of man, as God is lifted up and His greatness is considered. Through the study, the Christian learns something about God that helps to guard against doubts, fears, and discouragement. The truth can then be carried throughout the day, incorporated into prayer, meditated upon, and worked into the life.  As new names are considered over time, the believer's knowledge of God reaches new and meaningful heights.

Just as a brief example, God is described as our Keeper in Psalm 121:5. To keep is to hedge about (like with thorns); it refers to guarding or protecting. This is like a defensive tool or weapon of war; it reminds me of barbed or concertina wire or spiked defenses, like in the waters at Normandy. They are designed to be an impregnable defense that keeps all enemies out and that they cannot penetrate. When God is the one looking out for us, we don’t have to worry about His doing so poorly or ineffectively.

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10 (NASB)