What’s in a Name anyway?

 

So I’m sitting in theology at the moment, we’re talking about the different names of God.  (I’m not on the internet, I have this really handy thing called Windows Live Writer – download it, it’s live blogging at it’s best!) It’s an interesting one, because in our limited language skills we would never be able to fully and adequately describe all of who God is.

 

When talking to Abraham, God names Himself YHWH (or Yahweh), which translated means “I am” (or “I am who I am”).  We are learning that Jewish people do not mention the name YHWH, because it is the holiest of holy names.  Wow! Imagine having something SO holy you couldn’t even mention it! They got around this by talking about Jireh (God who provides), Rohi (The Lord is my Shepherd), Shalom (The Lord is peace). 

Also, in Bible times, the Jewish people would use the word “El”, the common word of the day that was used to describe the gods.  So God becomes El-Shaddai (God of the mountains – or the Almighty God), El-Roi (the God who sees), El-Olam (God of eternity or the eternal God). 

 

Each of these names have a story to them.  For example, Jireh – God who provides – was the name that Abraham used for God after He spared Isaac from being sacrificed (Genesis 22), God is a God who provides.  Or El-Roi – was the name Hagar used when she was sent away by Abraham & Sarah after the birth of Ishmael – and she cried out to God who saw her – thus – the God who sees.

We were challenged to think about what words we would use to describe God.  For me, I guess it would be most in-line with Hagar – to me, God sees me, for what I am, who I am – but beyond that – God loves who He sees.

What would be the names you would use to describe God – who is God for you? Is He the God who cares? The God who sees? The God who challenges? If you had to name God – what would the name be that you would choose?