My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

When I think of a guarantee, I think of a company that is attempting to calm a potential customer of a reluctance to purchase one of their items or products. It is a promise of the quality or ability of the product to perform it’s intended use. A guarantee is typically linked to the honor, or at least the reputation of the manufacturer. That makes some sense in relation to God and His desire to settle our hearts, especially when considering His stellar reputation. But let’s dig a bit. When Paul uses the term Guarantee, he is speaking a bit different language than what I have described. To be a guarantee in Paul’s mind is to be a pledge, an earnest money or better yet, a down payment. An example of a down payment in the Old Testament may be found in Genesis 38, in the story of Judah. Judah was not doing right with a daughter-in-law, Tamar by name and she decided to do something about it. After some planning and deception, Tamar set up a situation for Judah. This very plan suggests Judah was a bit of a womanizer, a bit of an unfaithful man. Nevertheless, Judah, as he travelled from home, hired a prostitute (Tamar in disguise) and prior to the act, Tamar negotiated with Judah a price for her services. It turns out a goat was an acceptable payment to Tamar, but she requested a pledge until the goat arrived. She requested his signet ring, his cord and his staff until the goat was delivered. Each of these items were significant items in Judah’s life, representing his authority, identity and ability to perform business transactions. This was no minor request, but Judah complied. The deed done, Judah went on his way and Tamar (the prostitute) disappeared, with Tamar (Judah’s daughter-in-law) living under his roof, with his possessions. Soon enough, it was determined Tamar was pregnant, and Judah – in righteous indignation – decided to burn her for her infidelity. It was a good thing she kept his down payment! Judah realized he was in the wrong, and eventually two children were born of Tamar and Judah, of which Perez became an ancestor of King David, and eventually included in the lineage of Jesus. All of this background is provided to consider the concept of a down payment in the Old Testament, leading me to a few thoughts. Judah gave his identity to Tamar as a down payment. God has provided His Spirit, His very Person as a down payment to us. Tamar displayed Judah’s possessions at a time when her very life was in danger. Judah’s down payment, in Tamar’s possession actually saved her life. Is it not in similar fashion that in our salvation, our lives are delivered from our own unrighteous acts, having the Spirit of God continually protecting, guiding and teaching our hearts? Also, this down payment represented a union between it’s owner and a supposed stranger, even an outcast. In Judah’s eyes, this woman was simply a prostitute, and yet out of this union, life was produced, and the lineage to the Messiah was one step closer. But finally, in relation to our verse and some of the above concepts, consider that in our case, the Father has given us His Spirit as a down payment. First off, it is not mere “things” that God provided as Judah did with Tamar. God’s down payment is the very Third Person of the Trinity. As Judah gave a signet ring, a tool to produce a formal signature on contracts, God gave His Spirit as a promissory note for our lives, a form of signature on a document. As Judah gave his cord, a string that typically was worn around his neck carrying the signet ring near his heart, God provided us promises of the Spirit being in our heart. The Spirit is on and in our heart! As Judah gave his staff to Tamar, representing leadership and authority, even his identity, God has also provided His children His staff of authority, even His own identity in the Person of the Holy Spirit. God’s guarantee is much more than I first thought. Even though my modern thinking of how a guarantee rests on the reputation of the manufacturer, (and there is some truth in this thinking), I am thankful for the Lord correcting me in my understanding, making me see that He who is the Guarantee of our Inheritance is much more than I first imagined. He is the Guarantee of our Inheritance!

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

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