“David said to the
Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of
Israel, whom you have defied.” I
Samuel 17:45
One thing you love more than just about anything else is your name! You
love to see it written, you love to hear it spoken, you get happy when you are
complimented by name and get angry when someone insults your name.
When you are a Christ-follower the One Name you need to remember above
all others is the Name of God! His name is the Name above all Names!
Salvation is in the Name of the Lord!
Power is in the Name of the Lord!
Authority is in the Name of the Lord!
Victory is in the Name of the Lord!
Hope is in the Name of the Lord!
Healing is in the Name of the Lord!
Peace is in the Name of the Lord!
Joy is in the Name of the Lord!
Life is in the Name of the Lord!
No wonder the
first three commandments have to do with the reverence of God and His Name.
1) You shall have no other gods before Me.
2) You shall not make idols.
3) You shall not take the name of the LORD
your God in vain.
David’s Name is remembered because He was jealous and zealous for the
Name of his God!
For David, when someone disrespected the Name of God those were
fighting words no matter how big the guy was! David found courage when He took
up the cause of defending God’s Name!
In the Hebrew mind, and most of that ancient
culture, a name was the essence of a person’s identity and being. So, when
Goliath mocked and blasphemed the Name of God David took it so personally the
giant had to die!
We know how highly David esteemed the Name of the Lord because of how
he referenced it so reverently and majestically in His Psalms!
Rabbi Harvey Minkoff writes:
The Psalms
contain about 100 references to the "shem" of God. Careful attention
to the context indicates that the correct interpretation of “shem” varies,
including, most significantly, essential nature, power, and reputation.
Moreover, comparison of different translations often reveals contrasting
implications of this word for "name." The issue is one of
interpretation, not translation.
The English
word name, too, has various applications: "reputation" as in
"ruin his good name"; "fame" as in "made a name for
himself"; "authority" as in "I arrest you in the name of
the law." Since “shem” has all these connotations, and more, it is
accurate to translate “shem” as "name" so long as we exert ourselves
to understand what the translation connotes, which may be multiple senses in a
single occurrence.
The Name of the Lord is a REAL BIG deal because God
is a REALLY BIG deal. So, holding His name in reverence is a big deal. Not
reverencing His name is also a big deal.
So, here’s the bottom line, as a follow of Jesus Christ you are
expected to love God’s Name above all other names.
Do you? Do you love the Name of God more than you love your own life?
Are you living to make a name for yourself or making a name for God?
How do you speak of His name?
How do you honor His name in your daily living?
You won’t find courage until you commit to the cause of God’s Name and
love Him more that life itself.
I’m thinking what it would look like if a church,
let’s say FredWes for example, decided the cause of God’s name was more
important than making a name for ourselves? What if you and I decided that we
loved the name of God more than life itself?
If we are going to take up the cause of “Loving People to LIFE” should
that begin with loving God more that life?
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