Freedom is Good News Part 29

Do you oft times praise God?  I’ve been thinking about this subject quite a bit lately because it is found in the bible almost everywhere we look.  I touched on this topic several weeks ago when we were looking at Psalm 103.  It starts off with, “Praise the LORD O my soul … praise His holy name.”  That Psalm was from David. 

Let’s take a look at what it sounds like from the mouth of God’s servant Nehemiah.  In the book that bears his name, chapter 9:5, “Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessings and praise.  You alone are LORD.  You made the heavens, even the highest heaven and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them.  You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.”  This prayer of Nehemiah goes on for the rest of the chapter and is worth reading in its entirety, but for today, let us consider this opening verse.

It is interesting that in both of these examples we are encouraged to praise the name of God.  Have you ever considered that names are important?  My name is Bill.  Four letters that placed together make a certain sound that, when called out in my vicinity, will catch my attention.  It is a word that addresses me (and countless thousands of other people).  My given name at birth was “William” which, I am told, means “protector”.  But I’m not sure I have ever really protected anything.  The actual meaning of names today does not carry much weight.

However, names given in “biblical times” usually had great significance; so much so that God took the opportunity to change some of the names of His servants.  We all know the gentleman called Abraham, but his original name was Abram.  His wife Sarah was originally known as Sarai.  FYI, the name Abram meant “exalted father” and God changed it to Abraham meaning, “father of many”.  This may have confused Abram, because Sarai and he did not have any children up to this point.  At the time that God changed their names, He explained that they would have a son; Abram now was 99 years old and Sarai was 10 years younger!!!  This news brought laughter to Abram and so God told them that their son would be named Isaac, which means, “he laughs”.  And when he turned a teenager, Isaac said unto his father, “did you have to laugh at the news of my birth?  I would really like to have a name like William; protector”.  OK so I am joking here!!

But I digress.  What is God’s name?  And what is its meaning?  Why do His servants desire to have us praise this name?

The name of God, as He explained to Moses at the burning bush, is Yehovah.  Actually it is made up of the four Hebrew letters “Yodh He Vov He” (or in English YHVH).  In Exodus 3, Moses asks what God’s name is so he might tell the Israelites who was sending him.  “And God said to Moses, ‘I AM THAT I AM (or I AM WHO I AM).  This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you’”.

This is getting interesting, but we’re out of space.  Until next time …..