The Names Of God (2)
Categories: Bible Study Lessons Tags: Bible Lessons on God5) Jehovah-Jireh
In Genesis 22:1-14, we see the story of Abraham and his son, Isaac, as God requires Abraham to “offer him” for a burnt offering (vs. 2). On the way to the place of sacrifice, Isaac cannot contain his curiosity about the lamb for the burnt offering (vs. 7). Abraham’s answer to this question is, “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (vs. 8). As Abraham binds his only son and is about to thrust a knife into him, the angel of the Lord tells him not to harm the child because he now knows that Abraham reverences God by being obedient to His will (vs. 9-12). Then in Genesis 22:14 we read, “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord [Jehovah] it shall be seen.” The ASV reads, “it shall be provided.” Still another rendering of this important word is “he shall be seen.” Thus, “in the mount of Jehovah, he shall be seen or provided.”
In the name, “Jehovah-Jireh”, the word “jireh” is simply a transliteration of a Hebrew word which appears many times throughtout the Scriptures. It’s meaning is simply a form of the verb “to see.” As the One who possesses eternal wisdom and knowedge, God knows the end from the beginning. From eternity to eternity he “forsees” everything. But another word for seeing is “vision,” from the latin word “video” – to see. Thus with God foreseeing is “prevision.” As the Jehovah of righteousness and holiness; of love and redemption, having “prevision” of man’s sin, and fall, and need, He makes “provision” for that need. The word “provision” is a compound of two Latin words meaning “to see beforehand.” We learn from the dictionary that the word “provide” is the verb and “prevision” the noun of “seeing beforehand.” Thus to God “prevision” is necessarily followed by “provision,” for He certainly will “provide” for that need which His “foreseeing” shows Him to exist. With Him “prevision” and “provision” are one and the same thing. all this is expressed in the term Jehovah-jireh (God will provide).
6) Jehovah-Rophe
The name “Jehovah-Rophe” means “Jehovah heals.” It is the second of the compound names of Jehovah. We learn of this name of God from one of Israel’s earliest experiences in the wilderness as told in Exodus 15:22-26. After crossing the Red Sea, they sang (along with Moses) a great song of triumph. In this same chapter, however, we read of the people’s murmuring and discontent because of a lack of water (vs. 22). They could not drink of the waters of Marah because they were “bitter” (vs. 23). God then showed Moses a certain tree which, when cast into the waters, turned the waters “sweet” (vs. 25). The people drank and were refreshed, strengthened, and uplifted for the journey ahead. Their murmuring was turned to praise as their confidence in Jehovah and Moses was renewed.
It was, however, not God who was there on trial. It was the people! God was “proving” (testing) them, and saying to them that if they would “hearken” to the voice of God and be obedient to His will, He would put “none of these diseases” upon them that He brought upon the Egyptians “for I am Jehovah that healeth thee” – that is, “Jehovah-rophecha” (vs. 26).
The word “rophe” appears some sixty or seventy times in the Old Testament, always meaning “to restore,” “to heal,” “to cure,” as a physician, not only in the physical sense but in the moral and spiritual sense also. Jehovah here pledges to His people (conditional upon their obedience) to always be their “Healer.” Our Lord (the Great Physician) still “heals” His people today of their spiritual illnesses (the disease of sin) through obedience to His inspired Word (Matthew 9:12-13; Luke 4:18; Luke 5:31-32; Romans 6:16-18; 1 Tim. 1:15).
7) Jehovah-Nissi
After Israel’s victory over the Amalekites (descendants of Amalek, a grandson of Esau – Genesis 36:12), we are told, “And Moses built an altar and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi [Jehovah my banner]” (Exodus 17:15).
A banner, in ancient times, was usually a bare pole with a bright shining ornament which “glittered” in the sun. The word “banner” means “to glisten”, among other things. It is translated variously “pole”, “ensign” or standard. As an ensign or standard, it was a signal to God’s people to rally to Him. It stood for His cause, His battle. It was a sign of deliverance, of salvation. It is the word used by the Psalmist as “lift up” in the expression; “Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us” (Psalm 4:6).
When Moses lifted up a brazen serpent in the wilderness so that all who had been bitten by serpents might look and live (Numbers 21:9), the word used for the “pole” on which he raised it is our word “banner.” The Lord used this Old Testament story in referring to His resurrection (John 12:32-33; John 18:32; Romans 1:4). The cross of Christ is our “banner” of God’s mighty power in redemption. But He is also the “banner” of our warfare. He has conquered the evil influence of the world (John 16:33) and because of His victory over sin and death, we can have victory over sin and death (Romans 8:37; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57; 1 John 4:4).